Keep on polishing those New Year resolutions

It happens every year. As sure as the hands on the clock keep rotating through the days and months, another January arrives. Whether you use a paper calendar or an electronic one, there it is staring at you – 12 months of 365 days waiting to be filled with the activities of your life.

Based on your January mindset, this can either be exciting or daunting to contemplate. On New Year’s Eve, we reflect on the past year and assess where we are in relation to last year’s plan. We place happenings in either the smiley face or the frown column. Some things turned out great, some not so good.

One of the truest sayings I’ve ever heard is a quote by Allen Saunders: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

Pause here for a moment of reflection. Pat yourself on the back for successfully meeting the challenges of 2025 and bravely planning for 2026. Give your credit that, regardless of last year’s results, in January you courageously pronounced, “This year I will (fill in the blank).” 

Maybe you’d like to try a new sport and be more physically active. Maybe you’re unchallenged in your work and would like to get a different job. Maybe you’d like to get further education and plan for a new career. Maybe you have too much unproductive time, and you’d like to fill it with an interesting hobby. Maybe you’d just like to have more fun. The possibilities are endless.

If you’ve been around a while, you know there will be obstacles in your path – those things that happen while you’re carrying out your plan. You’re in the middle of taking a course and, suddenly, you or someone in your family becomes ill or injured. Now everything is totally focused on getting that person well. Your best laid plan gets put on hold. This is when you remember the motto in the movie Galaxy Quest and “Never give up!” On the other side of the obstacle, you’ll see that you’ve found a way around, over or through it.

Another challenge to face while making plans is the natural law that there are negative and positive forces in our universe, always operating in opposition to each other. You can be guaranteed that, as soon as you begin to make your positive plans for this year, some negative thought will creep into your mind. Maybe I’m not good enough to … play that sport … get that promotion … play the guitar … complete that course. Those doubts will come to you and me as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow. Here it is February 1, and I already need to polish my 2026 dreams to rub away doubt. Be ready for it, and keep fighting the negative with positive thoughts and deep faith.

Embrace the process of personal growth for what it is. Realize you are not in control of anything except your own thoughts. Continue to dream, plan and grow a little every year. We all need to become the best people we can be, to make the best world to live in, one year at a time. And remember to always have a soft polishing cloth handy. 

Now ponder this: “By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands — your own.” -- Mark Victor Hansen