New Year, New Me. How Far Have You Gone With That?

It has become a norm for people to start the year with new goals. New plans. New resolutions. Things they want to do differently.

But as the year progresses, the energy begins to dwindle. The zeal to be different slowly grows dim.

Starting the year with new goals is good. However, it is equally important to work towards actualising those goals. The question is, how do you stay determined till the end without losing that initial drive?

1. It is okay to continue with previous goals

Writing new goals when you still have pending ones that can be worked on shows that goal-setting has become a routine rather than a tool for growth.

Maybe what you need is not new goals. Maybe you need to sit down with the old ones. Check what you achieved and what you did not. What did you do differently? What can you improve on?

This helps you stay accountable and prevents you from doing things just for the sake of doing them.

Remember Habakkuk 2:2–3:

Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he who reads it may run with it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it will speak and not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come.

You are not off track. Run with the vision and it will come to pass. God did not place those goals in your heart for you to abandon them. The fact that they were not achieved last year does not mean they cannot be achieved this year.

2. Stop procrastination

Procrastination is the thief of time.

Do not postpone what can be done now. Do not stretch what can be achieved in hours into days. Stay with the momentum that made you write those goals in the first place.

Let that hunger keep you determined. Stay faithful with the little steps until they grow into giant ones. Especially in an unstable economy, delaying necessary actions can cost more later.

Do what needs to be done when it is needed, not when you feel like it. Kill procrastination before it kills your plans.

Proverbs 6:10–11 reminds us that a little delay can lead to scarcity.

Ecclesiastes 3:1–2 also tells us that there is a time for everything.

3. Remain focused

Our races are different, just as our goals, dreams, and ambitions are different.

Focus on your journey. Do not be distracted by noise. Distractions can push you into decisions you never planned to make. While pressure can sometimes be useful, unnecessary pressure can derail you.

Proverbs 4:25 says, Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

Stay on your path.

4. Let your plans align with God’s plan

It is good to plan. It is better when those plans align with God’s will.

Ask God what His plan is for your year. You run faster and struggle less when you are on the track He has designed for you.

Proverbs 16:9 says, A man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Psalm 37:23 reminds us that the steps of a good person are ordered by the Lord.

5. Appreciate yourself more

When you learn to appreciate yourself, you begin to see the good within you.

You may think you are not doing enough, but perhaps you are not recognising how far you have come. Encourage yourself. Take breaks when necessary. Feed your mind with positive thoughts.

Goals remain ideas if the person meant to pursue them does not believe in themselves. The change you desire begins with you.

Love yourself. Appreciate yourself. Make it a habit.

In conclusion

Writing your goals helps you track progress, celebrate achievements, and identify what still needs work. But do not forget prayer. Pray for early breakthroughs. Pray for strength and clarity.

The God who helped you at the beginning will not abandon you along the way.

Deuteronomy 28 reminds us of God’s desire to bless the work of our hands. May the Lord open His good treasure unto you and bless all that you do.