So, how are those New Years resolutions working out for you?

For twenty odd years I made the same New Years resolutions as everyone else.

For instance, I resolved to lose weight. The trouble is, in spite of my best efforts, I never actually lost weight. I merely misplaced it. You know the difference. If you lose something, you never see it again. If you misplace it, it's not really gone; it merely shows up somewhere else where you scarcely expect it.

So, for the past fifteen years I've adjusted my expectations and, therefore, my New Years resolutions. This year I resolved not to eat Spam and to surrender any ambition to play ice hockey at the professional level. And, God forbid, not to eat a Spam sandwich while chasing an NHL puck.

If, however, you're one of those annoyingly driven individuals hesitant to lower expectations, let me share one piece of wisdom around why-- some studies estimate as high as--ninety-two percent of New Years resolutions are rolled over into next year:

Most of our New Years resolutions are made contrary to the desires of our heart.

The Apostle Paul--most certainly writing on January 2nd, AD 55--encouraged his readers to resist a popular proverb of his day: "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" Although he acknowledged the proverb has the appearance of wisdom, Paul declared it is "of no value against indulgence."

Why? Because when we stubbornly pit our will power against our desire, our will power always loses. By their very nature, it's impossible to long resist or repress the desires of our heart. But--and here's the key to becoming a part of the Eight Percent--it is possible to transform the desires of our heart.

So, take another look at your resolutions.

Do your New Years resolutions express the desires of your heart?  

I mean, really.

How might they be "reframed," a change of perspective, to express what you really want at the heart level?

If you're a Christ follower, consider anew the wisdom of the two "foremost" commandments: "Love God heart, soul, mind, and strength and your neighbor as yourself." In light of what you've learned in this article, how do these two commandments move from lovely prose to transformative wisdom?