In Sunday School today someone mentioned that "a New Year Resolution is really another form of repentance." That made sense to me. After all, we change our life to improver it, to replace less-righteous habits with better ones. Even the most popular resolution - to loose weight - is really a decision to more fully keep the Word of Wisdom. That requires repenting of one's previously lax attitude toward the Word of Wisdom. A resolution to read the scriptures daily requires repenting of not following the Prophets previous counsel to read the scriptures daily.
Harold B. Lee once said that "a goal not written is only a wish." And after thinking about New Year Resolutions and repentance, I've come to the conclusion that a resolution without repentance is only a dream. The repentance process helps us to make the commitment required to change our behavior. By admitting our wrong doing, we can consciously make the decision to stop that behavior. By promising God that we will change our life we are enlisting him as our partner in making that change. Repenting enables us to put away our undesirable behaviour which in turn opens the door to pursuing a more righteous lifestyle.
Let's no longer allow our life to be consumed with wishes and dreams. If you truly desire to make a permanent change in your life, acknowledge your need to repent of the behavior you desire to change. Allow the Lord to be your partner and together you can make your resolution a reality.
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