Thursday, December 30, 2010

History Lesson: New Year's Resolutions

The practice of making New Year's Resolutions goes back over 3000 years to the ancient Babylonians. The Bible doesn't mention resolutions, per se, but the book of Proverbs (especially chapter 3) has some great advice for what to shoot for.

For those of you who might argue that they're evil since they aren't mentioned, let me just point something out. Nearly all resolutions have to do with things to make us look better and live longer, things that make us have more, and things that help us get along with others. And the Bible has plenty to say about those principles; they're called longevity, prosperity, and peace.

Jonathan Edwards made a great list of resolutions almost 300 years ago. For those of you who don't know, this guy went to Yale when he was 13. He was credited with some revival where he preached so of course the church fired him. Anyway, you can look up his list of resolutions, but let me summarize for you: even before goal-setting was so popular, he understood how to prioritize and analyze his progress.

You can also go search for how to create good goals, how to set up action plans, and so on. But no matter who you are and how you do it, it comes down to this: there will come a day when sheer willpower is not enough. If you are your own worst enemy, or if there are unforeseen obstacles, what will you do? The big goals - the scary, life-changing ones - require not just planning, but constant support.

Bet the ancient Babylonians didn't have life coaches.

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