By Janet Fleurant

Many people start each new year with a lot of resolutions, a list that is often long and unrealistic. I will run 8 miles every day. I will drink 12 glasses of water daily. I will read my Bible and pray every day for at least 3 hours.

By the end of January you realize that walking around the block is about all you can handle, you are running to the bathroom every hour because of all the water you are drinking and you've already missed several days of your Quiet Time! You feel like a failure. You are stressed.

This year, simplify your resolutions. Decide to narrow it down and focus on only a few things. But before you embark on your list of "This Year I Will . . . " consider a few helpful hints.

1. Commit Your Plans to God in Prayer
The Bible says in Proverbs 16:3, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." If you're not willing to consistently ask God to help you in the areas you're struggling with, then it shows that you are not yet ready to make the changes you say you want to make. Prayer is power. The Almighty, Living God enables you to do things that in and of yourself you have been unable to do. He empowers you to overcome unhealthy patterns of thinking, to heal old wounds and to break the bondage of bad habits that have for too long enslaved you. When you fail to commit your plans to God in prayer, you set yourself up for failure.

2. Resolve to be Consistent
If you spend a little time each day working on your goals, it is amazing how quickly you will begin to see changes. But the key is "each day" not once a week or every once in a while, but every day. In Proverbs 24:30-34 we read, "I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one lacking sense. I saw that if was overgrown with thorns. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber." (New Living Translation) If this person had spent a little time each day devoted to his vineyard, it would not have become overgrown with thorns, covered with weeds and have a broken down wall. But interestingly enough, the scripture doesn't say that he spent a lot of time sleeping and resting, only a little! It's those little things - little moments of idleness, little decisions and choices we make throughout the day that trip us up. We are masters in procrastination. You must resolve to stick to your plan and consistently work on your goals.

3. Choose a Partner
Ecclesiastes 4:9 teaches us that two are better than one. Why not find a friend who is also interested in making some concrete changes in their life? Share your goals and plans with them and ask them to encourage you and help you get back on track when you need it. That way you'll make great changes in your life and at the same time have fun! Remember that every day is a new beginning. Take a few minutes today to evaluate your life - where you are now and where you'd like to be. With God's help, resolve what will be different in the Year 2002 and may God bless your efforts!