The Dreaded Question: What’s your Resolution?
For me, there is nothing as cleansing or freeing as writing. Sitting down at my keyboard and the blank page equals true bliss and relaxation. My therapist even knows how challenging things can get for me mentally when I don’t make my writing time a priority. Why is it that the activities that are the best for our souls are so hard to execute from day to day? Exercising, praying, reading the Bible, or even eating healthy sometimes feel like impossible tasks.
On a walk this past holiday break, my sweet husband asked me if I had any New Year's resolutions. I immediately threw the question back at him, knowing full well I’ve never kept any resolutions successfully and have no idea what I’d want to attempt to accomplish this year. Most of the impossible tasks listed above are resolutions I’ve made in the past and failed to complete for 365 days.
My social media algorithm seems to think I’m not great at setting goals or keeping them. I constantly get suggestions to follow influencers whose sole purpose is to teach others how to set and keep goals of all different varieties. I tend to be more of a free spirit, a jack of all trades but the master of none. I love to set goals, then find myself so totally distracted that I can’t focus long enough on anything to fully complete it. It’s likely a byproduct of the type of brain I have, but it’s also probably a result of my stage in life that is overflowing with the needs of others.
As I ponder the new year, I realize that we are all “expected” to start the fresh trip around the sun with goals in mind, while also preemptively assuming that those goals will likely fall flat by March. Come springtime, I will inevitably realize that I can’t logistically accomplish said goals, so they’ll once again be pushed down the priority list until next year’s resolution list is compiled. I’ll feel defeated and likely saddened by my failures to follow through, but since it was expected, it will sting a little less. How do we do resolutions without “perfectly doing resolutions?”
According to Google, the definition of resolution is “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” Okay, I guess that’s helpful. The second definition I like far better. It says resolution means, “the quality to be determined or resolute.” Determined means “to have made a firm decision and resolved not to change it.” With these definitions in mind, I think I have decided on my resolution for 2026.
I am determined to be content, not wishing away seasons of life like it will all suddenly just get easier after certain parts are over. I survive on thoughts like, “once this ________ is over, it’ll all be good;” or “once we are through this hard ________, then it’ll all get easier.” I am constantly jumping along the path of life, chasing contentment. Will I fail? Yes. Will I be content every single day? No. But will God help me to learn contentment if I ask Him for help? Absolutely.
This resolution is one that I will need to learn to face for the rest of my life; learning to be content with “what is,” not obsessing about “what if.” All the wonderful activities I listed at the beginning are not in any way less valuable, but I think setting my heart on contentment will free me to set other goals in countless other areas. I won’t be fearful of failing because there can then be learned contentment in those failures! Living resolute to lean into the hard by choosing joy makes me twitch a little, knowing how God might challenge me in that, but I’m jumping into this resolution anyway, knowing I’m going to have to learn to be content one way or another, so I might as well start the year resolute to lean into the challenges that will inevitably come. Lord willing, through all my successes and failures, I’m becoming more like Jesus!
