Many people make New Year resolutions, but a majority fail to achieve them. But all is not lost. Even, if you don’t keep resolutions, it’s a really good idea to make them. Here are why. BETTY AMUKPO puts forward the views of some children. Excerpts:
‘New Year resolutions allow one to reflect and refocus’
Resolutions provide a fresh start; a new and better one. It offers clarity to our goals and aspirations for the new beginning. The New Year offers a blank slate – an opportunity to get things right. When we set New Year’s resolutions, we are utilising a very important concept called self-efficacy, which means that by virtue of aspiring to a goal and following through on it, we have a sense of control over what’s happening in our lives. New Year’s resolutions allow one to reflect and refocus. Resolutions can provide clarity for goals. Though the Bible did not specifically say anything about New Year resolutions, but in some ways did say in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Also, the book of Isaiah says 43:18-19, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.”
• Victoria Okefe
‘Abiding in Christ and seeking His will should be our focus’
New Year’s resolutions are important because they can be helpful in setting goals and making positive changes in our lives. However, they shouldn’t be the most important things. We should focus on seeking God’s will for our lives rather than just trying to improve ourselves. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). So, rather than setting goals on our own, we should seek to abide in Christ, and we should seek to abide in Christ and let him lead us in the way we should go. We should seek to be more like Jesus rather than just trying to fix ourselves. If we abide in him, the changes we need to make will happen naturally, as we are transformed by his love. So, while New Year’s resolutions can be helpful, they’re not the most important thing. Abiding in Christ and seeking His will should be our focus.
• Blossom Akalezi
‘Without goals you end up wasting your time, money and energy’
Writing out a New Year resolution is important because a list of goals provide you with direction. They allow you to plan your course for the future. Without goals, you end up wasting your time, money and energy, which leads to feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for opportunities that may arise. The Bible in Habakkuk 2:2 states that we should “Write the vision and engrave it plainly on [clay] tablets so that the one who reads it will run.”
• Arnold Akalezi
‘New Year resolution helps one renew the goals he or she wants to attain’
New Year resolution is important because it helps one to renew one’s promises and the goals we want to attain by having faith in God. We can learn from the book of Isaiah 40:31 which reads: “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
• Eyinade Gideon
‘It’s a deliberate effort to become a better person’
Yes! New Year resolutions are important. New year resolution is a goal we set for ourselves for the new year. They are often related to examining our habits and to know if they benefit us or not. New Year resolution is important because it provides us with direction, it helps us to plan our goals for the year. New Year resolution is a deliberate effort to become a better person (Lamentations 3:40). As we make the resolution, we also pray for God’s grace to be faithful. It’s easy to make resolutions but it requires discipline and God’s grace to actualise it. With God everything is possible.
• Winifred Akunne
‘Aligning resolutions with God’s will can achieve purpose’
New Year resolutions can be valuable as they provide a chance for self-reflection and goal-setting. However, while the Bible doesn’t explicitly mention New Year resolutions, it emphasises the importance of seeking God’s guidance in our plans. Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) states, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Aligning resolutions with God’s will can bring purpose and fulfilment. Their effectiveness often depends on how realistic and sustainable the goals are.
• Asia Alexandra Adanna
