A brand-new year full of possibilities, hope, and (for many of us) resolutions is just around the corner! For me, I have but one very important New Year’s Resolution. Get ready for this…Drum roll, please…In a given day, I am resolving to not eat anything (especially snacks) after 8 PM. That’s it. Indeed, if I can stick to this resolution, I might make some serious headway with my desire to lose some unwanted love handles around my stomach area. Can I get a witness?

The new year is a time for making such bold resolutions. Indeed, many will be made this January 1, 2019, but many will also be broken in the weeks after. What are some of your New Year’s Resolutions? How will you stay accountable this brand-new year? Below are some New Year’s Resolutions Worth Keeping…

1. Listen Intently – You seriously can’t go wrong with this New Year’s Resolution. But endeavoring to become an active listener takes practice and hard work. In other words, it doesn’t just happen. Our minds, especially in the age in which we live, is so cluttered with thoughts and ideas that it takes some serious effort to really listen to the words of another human being. This new year, resolve to listen intently to the words of others. In doing so, you will discover deeper friendships, beauty, and the heartbeat of the people around you.
2. Learn Carefully – One should never stop learning. The world is too big, and people are too complex, to buy into the delusion that you have it all figured out. No matter your age, never stop learning! This brand-new year, let’s all resolve to learn some things carefully. Notice I said learn some things carefully. I’m not talking about asking your smart phone some random question, getting the answer, and then dumping those facts out of your mind. There’s a place for such “dumpable knowledge,” but the learning I’m talking about requires careful study to the point that you are better and wiser.
3. Lead Wisely – Speaking of wisdom, resolving to lead wisely is a great New Year’s Resolution. In fact, notice how all of these resolutions build on one another. That is to say, to listen intently leads to learning carefully; and learning carefully enables you to lead wisely. Yes, I know, there are so many books out there on leadership. Indeed, there are so many books out there on the topic of wisdom. But what is needed most in our homes, workplaces, churches, and communities is the marriage of these two concepts, namely, wise leadership. Again, this can only happen when leaders choose…resolve…to listen intently and learn carefully.
4. Live Passionately – In the end, a life worth living is a life of passion. Will you resolve to live 2019 with more fervent passion? We need a little bit more drive…passion…in our martial relationships, parental relationships, church relationships, work relationships, and community relationships. See a pattern here? The best type of passion is the passion that is devoted to relationships. I urge you to make this resolution. Making this resolution, and keeping this resolution, has untold rewards. Don’t believe me? Just look to the life of Jesus and notice His life, death, and resurrection…It could all be summed up in just one word, passion.