“Uh, uh! You didn’t come to work out! You came out work! Let’s get it!” a physical trainer blared over a swelling vocal chorus from my television screen Christmas Eve Eve morning. The commercial had me so pumped, I jumped up from my sofa and started exercising, and I just finished a bodyweight session an hour before!
Fitness providers like Peleton from the aforementioned ad and their advertising divisions are keenly aware of the average person’s focus on physical health at every turn of the calendar. Research shows fitness and weight loss are the primary motivations for a New Year’s resolution. Over half of Americans (53%) and a majority worldwide make them a top priority. Others aim to improve in work and academics (20%), eating patterns (13%), and personal growth (9%), followed by mental health and sleep (9%).
Yet with these good intentions, a 2022 study from the notes of the 41% of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions, only 9% keep them by year’s end! Why is there this massive disconnect between intention and action?
Time-tested studies dating to the 1970s reveal the falloff from striving reach to one’s desired peak can be attributed to a lack of specificity or vagueness of the challenge. The American Psychological Association found 90% of goal-setters are more successful in keeping New Year’s resolutions when they target small achievements on the way to the ultimate result.
Even with a detailed point-by-point strategy, there must first be a heart of intentionality, one of purpose. Purpose is defined as something set up as an object or end to be. God has a supreme objective, an end goal for each of us. It’s to become like His Son (Romans 8:29). God will refine us to “reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18).”
To realize His master plan, before we were born, God drew up an individualized road map for every one of us, and He gave us the resources to flourish. The Apostle Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:3, “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.”
Although God has provided the means to do great things, we have to know we’re destined for greatness. French poet and novelist, Anatole France wrote, “To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream, not only plan but also believe.”
What targets do you believe God wants you to hit? In what areas is He asking you to be laser-focused? He’s willing to show what we need to know. He makes a promise in Jeremiah 33:3, “Ask Me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.”
Once He shows the way, begin to take the necessary steps, even if circumstances aren’t ideal. Decide not to be like a farmer who waits for perfect weather to plant (Ecclesiastes 11:4). The late and renowned speaker, Zig Ziglar poignantly said, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”
In 2023 and beyond, God, our Trainer, wants us to “out work”. I encourage you to get everything that God has for you. He’s with you, and since He’s with you, no one can be against you (Romans 8:31). He’s opened doors of opportunity no one can close (Revelation 3:7). As you walk out, people are waiting to be blessed through your success.
So, get ready, and aim to be in the center of God’s great plan for you!
Happy New Year! 🎯🎆🎊
Sources:
Video: “Peleton US Holiday Commercial 2022: ‘The Peleton Effect’”
Company Website: Peleton
Article: “A large-scale experiment on New Year’s resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals – Subsection, ‘Categories of New Year’s Resolutions and Success Rates’” by Martin Oscarsson, Per Carlbring, Gerhard Andersson, and Alexander Rozental, published December 9, 2020
Article: “Studies Show 91 Percent of Us Won’t Achieve Our New Year’s Resolutions. How to Be the 9 Percent That Do” by Marcel Schwantes, published January 8, 2022
Research: “New Year’s Resolution Statistics (2022 Updated)” by Discover Happy Habits
Article: “New Data Reveals: The World’s Top New Year’s Resolutions for 2022” by Club Industry, published February 28, 2022
Research: “Goal setting and task performance: 1969–1980” by the American Psychological Association
Scripture: Romans 8:29
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:18
Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3
Biography: Anatole France
Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:4
Scripture: Romans 8:31
Biography: Zig Ziglar
Scripture: Revelation 3:7
Scripture references are from the New Living Translation. Their links go to bible.com, courtesy of YouVersion, makers of the Bible App available for iOS and Android devices.
