Is Your 2010 New Year Resolution Working?

5 Ways to Help Keep Your New Year Resolution

The month of January is almost over, and the novelty of your New Year Resolutions are starting to wear off. It’s time to fight back. It’s time to come up with ways to help keep them.

1 -- Pray for it:

Without grace, we can do nothing in the supernatural order. Nothing at all. Therefore, we must beg God, through the intercession of Our Lady, for the graces we need to carry out our New Year resolution.

True Catholic Wisdom leads to humility.  The wise man is the one who knows that he is nothing without God, but that, with God, he can do all things.

2 -- Work at it:

Our salvation depends, not only on God's grace, but on our positive response to that grace. So we also need to make efforts to keep our resolutions.

One essential effort is to write down our resolution and review it every night before we go to sleep to see how we are doing and how we can improve in carrying it out.

3 -- Talk about it:

No man is an island. Keeping resolutions by ourselves is hard. We are social beings, not islands. So we must talk to our friends and family about our resolutions and benefit from their positive support to carry them out.

Also, think of how God, Our Lady, the angels, and all the heavenly court are at your side, right there next to you, cheering you on in the intense battle to remain faithful to your resolution.

4 -- Think about it:

Think ahead. Foresee obstacles that may hinder your resolution. Come up with ways to make the practice of your resolution easier.

For example, if your resolution is to pray a Rosary everyday, don’t leave it for night time when you are tired. Carve out a dedicated period of time in the day when you are still fresh and, therefore, praying is easier. This helps to make the resolution easier to carry out.

5 -- Never give up:

The devil will try to discourage you from keeping your good resolutions. Don’t listen. Don’t even dialogue with him.

There’s no benefit in giving up. It’s a dishonorable option. Rather, think of the beauty and benefits of your perseverance. Think of the eternal reward in store for you if you are faithful.

And often read inspiring quotes, such as this one from Winston Churchill:

“We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old."