Why New Year Resolutions Don’t Get Achieved

Introduction

Years ago, I thought simply setting fantastic New Year resolutions would guarantee their success. I quickly realized there was much more to it. Every year, people set lofty goals but achieve little or nothing from them. 

Resolutions are good, but the more pressing question is whether you are ready to pay the price to achieve them.

The difference between achievers and non-achievers lies in the results. Students aim for top grades, smokers resolve to quit their addiction, professionals seek career advancement, and alcoholics pledge to stop drinking. However, resolutions alone don’t work without deliberate action. 

Here are five key hindrances to achieving New Year resolutions, alongside insights from Scripture to guide your journey.

1. Your Habits Determine Your Success

Habits are said to be more powerful than laws, and this couldn’t be truer. Old habits often suffocate new resolutions. For instance, a lawyer striving for career excellence must commit to consistent self-improvement. 

Similarly, an alcoholic must leave the company of drinking companions and surround themselves with supportive, goal-oriented individuals. Proverbs 13:20 reminds us, “Walk with the wise and become wise; for a companion of fools suffers harm.”

Breaking free from destructive habits requires willingness and intentional effort. While old habits may die hard, a determination to change opens the door to new possibilities.

2. Few People Have the Resolve to Succeed

Many people start strong with grand resolutions but falter when faced with adversity. Success requires resilience and a focus on the bigger picture. Jesus said in Matthew 22:14, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” This principle applies universally: while many dream of success, only a few persevere to the end.

Success is not for the faint-hearted. It’s about having a vision and pressing on, even in the face of challenges. Proverbs 24:10 admonishes us, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”

3. Successful People Manage Resolutions Daily

John C. Maxwell wrote in Today Matters, “Successful people make right decisions early and manage those decisions daily.” Resolutions are merely the starting point. Daily effort, consistency, and adaptability bring them to fruition.

James 2:26 reminds us, “Faith without works is dead.” Similarly, resolutions without daily actionable steps are meaningless. Test your commitment each day by staying the course, even amidst life’s storms and disappointments.

4. Resolutions Should Align with Your Life Purpose

Dr. Mike Murdock wisely said, “The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.” Your resolutions must align with your God-given purpose. Ephesians 2:10 teaches, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.”

Evaluate whether your daily routines feed your purpose or distract you from it. Purpose-driven resolutions bring focus and fulfillment.

5. Quitters Don’t Win; Winners Don’t Quit

Perseverance is key. Galatians 6:9 urges us, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Winners push forward despite challenges, choosing opportunities over obstacles. Even God, in creating the heavens and the earth, saw potential in chaos (Genesis 1:2) and transformed it into beauty. Similarly, we must see possibilities in our struggles and persevere.

Conclusion

The path to achieving resolutions is narrow and demands determination. Align your habits, manage your goals daily, and stay focused on God’s purpose for your life. 

As Romans 8:37 assures, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

Let this year be different. Pay the price, persevere, and achieve your resolutions. See you at the top!