“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.” – Melody Beattie
A recent survey by Forbes Health found some new year resolutions people make to be more common than others, with some of the most popular being improving one’s fitness, finances, mental health, diet, and losing weight. Less popular resolutions included practising daily meditation, seeking to deepen our relationship with God, and discerning his will for us for the new year.
Making resolutions is not strictly a biblical concept, yet the idea can help motivate Christians to go beyond secular resolutions and apply faith-based resolutions that can help them in their spiritual journey, particularly to be mindful of the essence of our creation, to put God first in all things.
Jesus was clear when asked on the way of life we were created to live: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). This is the greatest commandment that should influence the basis of our goal setting. Making purely secular resolutions tend to glorify our own bodily and worldly appearance which eventually comes to an end. Faith-based resolutions tend to cherish our soul and create a sense of altruism which reflects the second commandment: “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).
Most importantly, the practice of resolutions at the beginning of the year is rooted in a recognition that our recent past has not always been a stellar success. We desire to do better when a new year dawns. It is not difficult to see how well this perspective coincides with our Christian practice of repentance, penance and forgiveness. Resolutions are a means to start afresh. They offer hope that we can, and will, do better with God’s gift of a new year.
Like secular resolutions, which are not bad in themselves and sometimes are strictly necessary, like losing weight, we tend to make grandiose faith-based plans and then quit them in a matter of weeks. Resolutions require discipline and perseverance. But as we develop and strengthen our discipline, we may find ourselves picking up other ways of spiritual growth.
One very practical way of setting a goal for spiritual growth is the renowned ‘consciousness examen’, also known as Awareness Examen or Examination of Consciousness. It is a method of peaceful daily prayer taught by St Ignatius in the Spiritual Exercises. It is a way to notice the presence of God in one’s daily life and live in generous response to it. In the examen, a person is given an opportunity to spend a few moments reviewing the day, paying special attention to the moments when one most felt God’s presence, and, conversely, becoming aware of the times when one felt separated from God.
The consciousness examen is to seek, preferably at the end of the day, an account of my soul from the moment of rising.
We go through the thoughts, the words we said, and the actions we performed in the light of God’s will, showing gratitude to God where I was of service to others and repentance for my omission of loving others as I should.