Staying the course: Faithful persistence after “Quitter’s Day”

The second Friday in January has been dubbed “National Quitter’s Day”—the day when most people abandon their New Year’s resolutions.

Maybe you’re not someone who makes “resolutions.” Maybe you’re more of a goal setter. Maybe you choose a word or a verse for the year. Whatever form it might take, as followers of Christ, we tread this line of dreaming, self improvement, and ambition carefully—and hopefully prayerfully.

The daily rhythms between Christmas and New Year’s Day are often quieter for my household. I typically take the week off, as does my husband. With the holiday hubub behind us, the days are slower and free of committments. We find ourselves with time to sit on the couch and reflect on the preceding year, which we do individually and silently with a clipboard and paper… as well as together and aloud.

Over the years, these moments of reflection have been guided by questions amassed through books or conversations with trusted friends. Looking back on how we’ve seen God at work has been both a prompt for gratitude—something the hurried life isn’t conducive to—as well as a way to see the path forward. Tracing His hand to see how He’s been been shaping us over the last year helps us discern where He might be leading us in the next.

Where the “trend lines” are positive—pointing in the direction of wholeness, flourishing, and deepening relationship with God—I ask myself what practices I need to put into place to continue to foster that growth.

Where the preceding year reveals a pattern of decay—such as degraded health, distance in relationships, or a lack of professional fruitfulness—it alerts me to a need for prayer to discern whether those are indicators that God is leading me toward something new/different or whether I need to course-correct something in my behavior or practices. Only by looking at my life wholistically (the way I believe God views me: as a whole person), can I see how one area impacts another. For example, success in my business has at times hindered my emotional attunement to the people I love because I’m distracted and overbooked.

Only after reflection and prayer do I craft my goals (or resolutions or intentions) for the year. Much has been written (by folks far wiser than me) about writing and achieving them. Check out The Intentional Year and Atomic Habits for a couple of my favorite reads (not paid links).

Here are my guiding principles for sustaining our intentions for the coming year beyond “Quitter’s Day”:

• Remember that you’re not alone in wanting to become the best version of yourself. God cares deeply about your development as a person, conforming you more and more into the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29).
• His purposes for your growth are not solely for your benefit; He intends that we become agents of flourishing and hope in the world (Romans 8:28). With this lofiter, more all-encompassing view of our growth, we’re more likely to persevere in the effort. Additionally, our lives are meant to be an expression of worship and trust in Him. Our goals can reflect that truth.
• Identify your underlying motivation for each goal. For example, I wanted to read more last year. Instead of merely curating a list of books, I also wrote down why reading mattered to me: as a means of understanding the world and people who are different from me, to sharpen my skills, and as a tool for fortifying my memory against dementia. If your objective is to gain a promotion, how would you use the additional influence (and/or salary)? If your hope is to reduce your cholesterol or blood sugar, how will you spend the resulting longevity—caring for your spouse or children/grandchildren? If you aim to read the entire Bible this year, is your desire to know God better or merely to notch the achievement? The Lord will weigh our motives (Proverbs 16:2) and, if we invite Him into the process, the Spirit will guide us to godly choices (Romans 8:5-8).
• Revisit your reflections and intentions as part of a regular practice. I marked my calendar with a recurring appointment to review my goals on the last Friday of every month. Re-reading what I was working toward and why helps me stay the course. I evaluate my progress over the intervening month and document any movement (however small it may be!) toward the goal. When I’m discouraged by what feels like a lack of progress, that documentation keeps me in the hunt. Just as James 1:22-25 tells us that we mustn’t forget what God’s Word teaches us but should apply it, so, too, we benefit from looking in the “mirror” of our intentions.

Persistence is a character trait God values (James 1:12, Hebrews 12:1-3, Galatians 6:9). When our intentions are aligned with His designs on our life, our steady effort (and yielding!) brings Him glory. As we forge ahead into the coming year, let’s ask Him for guidance in choosing the path ahead and lean on His strength to persist.