No Resolutions Required

Michelle Hamel ponders the motivation behind resolutions and offers an alternative to find our focus for this brand-new year. 

In complete transparency, I heard almost none of the homily at the Mass for the Solemnity of the Mother of God. (Sorry, Fr. Ryan!) Our pastor began his homily on New Year's Day by highlighting the fact that the first reading of the Mass was all about a blessing: 

The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them. (Numbers 6:24-27) 

And after his initial words, I didn't really hear anything else. My mind just latched onto this thought: 

"The Church is beginning this new year with a blessing … not a self-improvement to-do list." 

And that's all I could ponder. 

Maybe I've done New Year's wrong for the majority of my life?!  

My Usual Approach to a New Year

Most years, I have a whole list of ideas of how I want my new year to look like and the things I have to do to achieve those goals. Midnight on New Year's Eve has been like the gunshot at the starting line of a race — hurry, go, don't look back, and try your hardest not to fail!

After an Advent season and Christmas Octave full of not only memories, traditions, friends and family, but also overindulgence, sensory overwhelm, and no semblance of routine, the thought of a reset with clear goals and objectives is often welcome. But I often try to overcorrect! Instead of just embracing a reentry into a more normal life rhythm, my pendulum swings from overwhelmed and overindulged to some kind of personal-reset boot camp that is in no way sustainable (or even reasonable!). 

Taking a Necessary Pause 

Regarding New Year's goals and resolutions, an important question to consider is where our motivation to make and achieve these goals is coming from.

• Did we even give ourselves a little time to pray and ask God what He wants our focus to be as we start a new year?
• Did we take a little time to reflect over the journey God has led us on over the last year?
• Where were our greatest joys, where were our greatest sorrows and where were the blessings that God brought out of all circumstances?
• Where are the areas that we noticed growth?
• Have we experienced more awareness, patience, or peace in situations or with people that we have previously struggled with?
• Did God bring healing to any area of brokenness in our lives?
• What were the things that God showed us through prayer that left us pondering and led to spiritual growth? 

Most years, I don't consider any of those questions. My mind is already running into the new year before I've made peace with the old. I already know I need to be better, and out of my insecurities and inadequacies I am picking areas that I can strive harder and hopefully make some gains. I've often tried to force growth under my own strength and my own will power. But that just leads to burnout and abandoned resolutions. 

Falling Into the Trap of Self Sufficiency  

We need to pause our own thoughts of what we think we should focus on and instead ask that question of God. We will only know if we ask and then quiet ourselves on the inside and wait to hear His answer. Very often His answer is very different from what we think we should be doing. It's not always about speeding up and adding more. Sometimes it's about slowing down to the speed of the Holy Spirit. It's about waiting for His whisper, waiting for His invitation to take a step. It's about going deeper, leaning in, and drawing nearer. 

Sometimes it's not about adding anything new at all and just about continuing along the journey we've been on.  

Here's the Good News! 

Just because it's no longer New Year's Day doesn't mean we've blown it! With almost all of 2026 still before us, we have plenty of opportunity to correct our course. Thankfully, God's Word says that His mercies are "new every morning," not just on January 1st! (see Lamentations 3:23) 

Today, regardless of the date on the calendar, carve out a few minutes to ask God where your focus for this new year should be. Don't try to figure it out on your own or try to convince God that your ideas are the best way to go. Ask and then wait. Maybe your answer comes immediately ... and maybe it doesn't. Allow God to unfold the answer in your heart in His timing.  

Welcome to 2026. I pray that this year is filled with grace and blessings for all of us!  

(No resolutions required!)  

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Copyright 2026 Michelle Hamel
Images: Canva