A New Year Shaped by Rhythm, Not Resolve

Why Resolutions Often Leave Us Discouraged

It’s that time of year - you know, the time of year when someone inevitably brings up the idea of ‘resolutions’. This word seems to have two very different effects on people. For some, it stirs discomfort or even discouragement. For others, it feels like an exciting opportunity to make something happen.  I fall into the first group. I was in high school the first time someone encouraged me to make a resolution. A well-meaning teacher gave a resolution assignment and being a dutiful student, I completed the assignment. I am sure the teacher wanted us to see what we could accomplish if we set our minds to it. Unfortunately, they did not give us more direction than “make some resolutions for the year.” And at the end of the year my resolutions were unfulfilled. 

When resolutions fail, we often lose hope and stop dreaming; not because we don’t want to change, but because we no longer trust ourselves to sustain the change. God’s Word promises that in the last days even the old will have dreams (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17).  Yet when I ask people about the dreams they have for their life, there is a long pause for thought and eventually a sigh followed by a quick, “I don’t know.” Their dreams have long faded.

Where Did New Year’s Resolutions Come From?

Merriam-Webster defines resolutions as “a personal expression of will or intent especially in pursuit of a goal.”¹ And defines New Year’s Resolutions as “a promise to do something differently in the new year.”² A resolution is often a burst of determination aimed at changing our future selves. This tradition goes back over 3000 years. The Babylonians are thought to be the first people to make New Year’s Resolutions. They would make promises to their gods when planting their crops. If they kept the promise, then the gods would shower them with favor, but if they did not, they would fall out of the god’s favor.

Julius Caesar made some tweaks by moving the beginning of the year from the season when crops were planted in mid-March to January 1. The Romans followed the practice of making promises to a god that had two faces named Janus. This god was thought to be able to see both the past year and the coming year. The people would promise Janus that they would have good conduct for the year. 

Today, most people no longer make promises to gods. Instead, they make resolutions to themselves. Most of the resolutions are self-focused, some form of self-improvement, which is not unlike the promise of good conduct the people made to Janus. Most resolutions revolve around improving health, finances, or are job-related.³ Resolutions focus on outcomes and rely on willpower. 

Statistics tell us that most resolutions Americans make on January first, end before the month is done.  In fact, the second Friday of January has become known as “Quitters Day” in the United States.⁴ Statistics do not tell us why Americans stop (or never start) their resolutions, but psychologists have. According to Dr. Shah, head of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Science at Baylor College of Medicine, the most common reason people quit resolutions is that they create idealistic or unachievable resolutions.

Do Christians Need to Make New Year’s Resolutions?

After reading about the origins of New Year’s Resolutions, you may be thinking Christians should not take part in making them since Christians do not need to make promises to gain God’s favor. We know we already have His favor because of our relationship with Jesus, His Son and our Savior, and not anything we have done (Ephesians 2:8-9).  

From Resolutions to Rhythms

Although the goal is not to gain God’s favor in making promises, the beginning of a new year is a good time to reflect on the rhythms that currently shape our lives. A rhythm is a repeated, grace-filled pattern that shapes who we are becoming over time. While resolutions focus on results, rhythms focus on formation. Resolutions rely on willpower; rhythms call us to faithfulness. Rhythms invite us back into hope where resolutions stole our hope and dimmed our dreams.

Some rhythms draw us into a deeper relationship with God while others quietly pull us away. When God highlights rhythms that do not honor Him, it is not Him shaming us, instead He is inviting us to cooperate with His Spirit to establish new, life-giving patterns. This gentle invitation is meant to encourage us to stay the course and to move beyond “Quitters Day” with grace rather than guilt. 

Using S.M.A.R.T. Goals to Build God-Honoring Rhythms

I would like to introduce a method that I believe can help get Christians moving in the direction God is leading. Therapists and businesspeople use a method of crafting plans for their patients and business called S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals are not meant to replace dependence on God or to turn spiritual goals into a checklist. Instead, they can help us translate our spiritual desires into sustainable rhythms. They move us from vague intentions to repeatable practices we can return to again and again as God’s Spirit forms us over time. 

As you might be able to tell, it is an acronym. Each letter represents a word.

S stands for Specific. One of the issues with resolutions is that they tend to be vague like “I will eat healthier” or “I will read the Bible more.” If we want to act, we need to know what we truly want to do. Be specific.  What does it mean to eat healthy? 

M stands for Measurable. With vague resolutions, we do not know if we are doing it or when we have completed it. Some form of measurement is needed to know if we are taking action. How much is “more” when it comes to reading your Bible? 

A stands for Attainable. As Dr. Shah pointed out, many resolutions are idealistic which means they are lofty and usually out of the reach of the individual. For instance, it is idealistic for a 14-year-old to have a goal to buy a new car when they have no means of income. To faithfully practice a rhythm, we must have the skills and resources necessary.

R stands for Relevant. The articles previously  mentioned point out that most resolutions fail because there is not a bigger picture.  In order words, there is not a bigger-than-them reason to make the change, especially a challenging one. For Christians, our goals should be centered on God. We eat healthy to honor God’s Temple which is our body. Our goals need to align with God’s Word.

T stands for Time-bound. New Year’s Resolutions are time-bound; we plan to complete it within the calendar year. Time-bound goals help rhythms take root. Rather than committing to a year of change at once, rhythms grow through shorter seasons of faithfulness, one week, one month, one next step. These markers invite reflection and adjustment, not guilt. 

A Real-Life Example of a Healthy Rhythm

Now let’s make a rhythm using the S.M.A.R.T. goal method. Remember, the goal is not to master a habit, but to return faithfully to a practice God is using to shape us. 

Resolution: I will eat healthier.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal: To honor God’s temple (my body), I will fuel it with whole foods by removing all processed foods from my home and workplace food storage by the end of the first week. Beginning that same week, I will intentionally eat at least one serving of vegetables with every meal, maintaining this practice consistently through the first month, at which time I will reduce added sugar in my diet.

The goal is not perfection, but consistency. This rhythm creates space for faithfulness rather than pressure to perform. 

S.M.A.R.T. Breakdown

S – Specific

• Fuel my body with whole foods
• Remove all processed foods from home and work food storage
• Eat at least one serving of vegetables with every meal
  

M – Measurable

• Processed foods removed (yes/no)
• One serving of vegetables at every meal (yes/no)
• Completion of changes within the first week (yes/no)
  
  

A – Achievable

• Actions are practical: grocery shopping, food removal, and intentional meal choices
• Not extreme; focuses on replacement, not deprivation
  
  

R – Relevant

• Directly aligns with honoring God’s temple (1 Corinthians 6:19–20)
  
  

T – Time-bound

• Processed foods removed by the end of the first week
• Vegetable intake begins that same week and continues consistently
• Short-term goals – one week, one month.
  
  

An Invitation to Live by Rhythm

As we begin this new year, perhaps the question is not, “What will I resolve to do?” but “What rhythms is God inviting me into?” Rhythms of prayer. Rhythms of rest. Rhythms of Scripture, generosity, or care for the body He has entrusted to me. These are not promises we make to earn God’s favor, but practices we return to because we already live in His favor.

---

Tags: new year, resolutions, rhythms