Revisiting New Year's Resolutions

How’s that diet coming along?

New Year’s resolutions are just a to-do list for the first week of January

“My resolution was to read more… so I turned on subtitles.”

Top Resolutions in the United States

Lose weight / get in shape – gyms love January.

Eat healthier – fewer drive-thrus, more vegetables (in theory).

Save more money / budget better – especially after holiday spending.

Reduce stress / improve mental health – therapy, mindfulness, boundaries.

Get better sleep – earlier bedtimes, no tv in the bed, put the phone down.

Quit or cut back on bad habits – smoking, drinking, sugar, social media.

Learn a new skill or hobby – language apps, instruments, DIY.

Spend more time with family and friends.

Be more organized / productive – planners, apps, clean closets.

Read the Bible

Benefits of self-improvement

1. They give you direction Instead of drifting or reacting to life, you’re aiming at something. Even a small goal acts like a compass and helps you make better day-to-day decisions.

2. They build confidence (fast) Every bit of progress—showing up, sticking with it, improving 1%—creates evidence that you can change. That confidence spills into other areas of life.

3. They improve mental health Working toward something meaningful:

Reduces anxiety (you feel more in control)

Boosts motivation and mood

Helps combat stagnation or burnout

4. They create healthier habits Goals aren’t just outcomes; they reshape routines. Over time, those routines become automatic—and that’s where real change sticks.

5. They sharpen self-awareness You learn what motivates you, what trips you up, and what actually matters to you (not just what sounds good).

6. They increase resilience You practice adjusting, not quitting. Miss a day? You learn how to recover instead of giving up—an underrated life skill.

7. They compound over time Small improvements stack. Better health, finances, skills, or relationships today quietly set up a much better year (or decade).

8. They align actions with values The best self-improvement goals aren’t about “fixing” yourself—they’re about living more in line with who you want to be.

The real secret Self-improvement works best when goals are:

Specific but flexible

Process-focused (what you do) vs. outcome-obsessed

Chosen by you

What do the Scriptures say

Diligent Study & Application

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. Ezra 7:10

Meditation & Internalization

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You Ps 119:11.

Power & Purpose of Scripture

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Ti 3:16–17.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb 4:12.

On Doing What Scripture Teaches

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. Jas 1:25.

RULE OF 4

Center for Bible Engagement: 200,000+ people, 20 countries.

- Frequency findings:

- 1–2x/week: negligible impact.

- 3x/week: small movement.

- 4x+/week: dramatic spike in change.

- Key outcomes at 4x+ per week:

- Loneliness ↓ ~30%

- Anger ↓ ~30%

- Bitterness ↓ 40%

- Alcohol abuse ↓ 50%+

- Sexual sin ↓ 50%+

- Porn use ↓ ~60%

- Spiritual stagnation ↓ ~60%

- Sharing faith ↑ 200%+

- Discipling others ↑ 200%+

In fact, the lives of Christians who do not engage the Bible most days of the week are statistically the same as the lives of non-believers.