So how are you coming along with your New Year’s resolutions? Are you still going strong, or has it already become a struggle? Did you already quit, feeling like a failure again?

I must confess that I haven’t made New Year’s resolutions in a number of years because of the struggle of trying to keep them and then the guilt and condemnation that follows failure. But that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped learning and changing and growing. I’ve just taken a different approach to making changes in my life.

Most resolutions are good things and worth pursuing. Perhaps you want to start an exercise routine, eat healthier or lose weight. Maybe you’d like to clean the clutter out of your home and get it organized better. These are good things we should be striving for.

Perhaps you want to add some spiritual disciplines to your life, like having a quiet time each day to pray and read your Bible. Maybe you’d like to start going to a Bible study or find a church to attend or get more involved in your church or community. Again, all good things.

Maybe your resolutions involve your relationships with others. You’d like to make more time to spend with your spouse or children or family and friends. Or perhaps you’d like to find some time for yourself, to pursue a hobby or read or write or paint.

We make resolutions because there are things in our lives that we know would benefit us, but we just haven’t been disciplined enough to make these lasting changes. Change is hard, and no matter how determined we are to persevere through it, we still often fail.

We normally approach any change we want to make by taking action. Some start with one small step at a time, which usually works well. Others just jump in all at once, going cold turkey to brave it out. This is all commendable.

But if you’ve not seen the change you desire, no matter what you’ve done, perhaps it’s time to consider a new approach. Most changes do not begin with action, but by changing our mindsets first. Actions are the results of our thoughts. 

We think about what we want to do or say before we act or speak. Even when we think we said or did something without thinking, as doing things from habit or from reacting to a situation, there is still a mindset behind it.

So before attempting to change something in our lives, we should first ask ourselves some questions. Why do we do things the way we do them? Why do we act in certain ways? What has caused the unhealthy habits and patterns that cause problems in our lives? What is the mindset behind it all?

As we prayerfully consider these questions, God is faithful to point out areas where we need to change the way we think. We’ll find some things have been taught and ingrained in us from childhood and we need to renew our minds in the way we think about them and act. Other things are unhealthy habits we’ve developed that need to be changed.

As we go through this process of seeking the Lord for wisdom and asking for His help in renewing our mindsets, we will find it gets a little easier to be disciplined and to persevere to make lasting changes in our lives.

Hope Ministries is a Christian counseling center, and we are here to help. If you would like to speak confidentially with someone, give us a call at 845-482-5300.