So there you have it, Mindy’s list of Six Reasons Why I Think New Years Resolutions Are a Bad Idea:
1. In my opinion, many resolutions are actually counter-productive when it comes to affecting true and lasting change.
2. By stubbornly insisting that change can be wrought through sheer force of will, we may miss other ways that our problems can or should be solved.
3. Unrealistic New Years Resolutions set us up for failure, which in turn can be so demoralizing that we actually end up even worse off than we were before.
4. New Years Resolutions can feed perfectionist and all-or-nothing tendencies, two common traits that actually cause more problems than they solve.
5. Making New Years Resolutions leads us to believe that substantial changes can be maintained in a vacuum, without any other added supports or structures to keep those changes in place.
6. New Years Resolutions can be an excuse to wear rose colored glasses.
I hope that this series of posts has resonated for you, or that at the very least it has become a springboard for your own thoughts on the subject. More importantly, I hope that you have found yourself encouraged rather than discouraged by what you’ve read here.
The topic of change is a difficult one to write about because it can feel so overwhelming and frustrating. Be that as it may, the truth is that changing our basic natures can be difficult and, in many ways, impossible. We are who we are, despite our best desires or intentions or resolutions.
So where is the hope? Are we doomed to spend the rest of our years failing at misguided resolutions, suffering from a lack of self discipline, drowning in clutter, neglecting our health, and more? Will our spiritual growth forever hinge on some little to-do lists where we check off our biblical obligations alongside our other tasks and errands?
BE SURE TO COME BACK TOMORROW FOR THE FINAL PORTION OF THIS ESSAY.
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