(Photo above by Cottonbro / Pexels)
New Year’s resolutions have existed, for what seems like forever. Today, they are mostly promises we make to ourselves. Being the only one to hold ourselves accountable could be why we have a hard time sticking to them. Recent research shows that of the 45% of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions, 8% are successful.
With 2022 upon us, our resolutions might seem a lot different than they were nearly two years ago when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Regardless, setting a goal is the starting point for our growth. Let’s take a look at four key takeaways.
Tip #1: Decide to Achieve Something Without Fail
When we set New Year’s resolutions, a good place to start is to decide that we will achieve them no matter what.
The Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda explains this to a someone struggling with setting goals:
When our goals aren’t defined, it can be difficult to figure out where to start or what steps to take to achieve them. Some examples include: “Become healthier,” “Make more friends” or “Get a better job.” While making these goals in general is a great start, it’s important to consider more specifically what we want to achieve. For example, “Walk 5,000 steps a day,” “Carve out time once a week to build a friendship” or “Get a job where I can apply my passions.”
The New Human Revolution, vol. 3, pp. 11–13
Ikeda continues:
If you set a concrete goal, clearly visualize what you want to achieve and then do your absolute best, you are certain to attain results that will satisfy you. The important thing is that you make daily, diligent efforts. No matter how difficult or challenging your circumstances, you need to keep striving with all your might without giving up.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 14, pp. 271–72
If you set a concrete goal, clearly visualize what you want to achieve and then do your absolute best, you are certain to attain results that will satisfy you.
- Daisaku Ikeda
So now that we’ve developed a vision, what is our plan of action? Let’s decide that we will achieve our 2022 goals and use a clear action plan to create a path to victory.
Tip #2: Connect Our Personal Goals to a Profound Purpose
On the road to our goals, we are bound to second-guess ourselves or become discouraged. When we hit an obstacle, why push through the resistance? When we establish a deeper purpose and sense of responsibility to achieve our goals—not just for ourselves but for others too—we can overcome anything in our way.
Ikeda elaborates on this point:
Unless your dream is something that will truly contribute to your growth and self-improvement, it can end up simply being selfish and egoistic, an empty wish. A noble dream encompasses happiness, truth, altruism and peace. It is, in fact, in the pursuit of these goals—happiness, truth, altruism and peace—that we formulate dreams of genuine value and meaning.
Discussions on Youth, p. 421
By connecting our personal dreams to the happiness of others, we can tap into the profound inner qualities necessary to realize astonishing achievements.
By connecting our personal dreams to the happiness of others, we can tap into the profound inner qualities necessary to realize astonishing achievements.
Tip #3: When Our Determination Weakens, Redetermine!
Throughout the year, we are bound to face obstacles that weaken our determination. A few days into the New Year, after the holidays wears off, we may question whether our goals are really possible. These feelings are quite natural, as we can never predict what life will throw at us; and yes, sometimes our determinations take on different shapes throughout the year.
The key is to continue refreshing our determination until our goals are realized. When asked about the difficulty in following through with determinations, Ikeda says:
Even if you have the tendency to make a determination but only stick to it for two or three days, it is OK as long as you keep refreshing that determination.
Discussions on Youth, p. 24
If we renew our determination every three days, that equals refreshing our resolve some 120 times throughout the year. If we continue in this way, not only will we make outstanding progress toward our goals, but we will also develop into people of great perseverance who are not defeated by their circumstances.
Tip #4: Continue Chanting No Matter What Happens
Remember, above all, the power of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to realize our determinations. Nichiren Buddhism teaches that when we chant, we activate the life state of Buddhahood from time without beginning. Ikeda elaborates, writing:
The fundamental power activating and moving all stars, planets and other celestial bodies in the universe is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. It is an incredible force. … Let’s win and open the way forward in all spheres, day after day and year after year, living in rhythm with the Mystic Law and making the entire universe our ally.
February 12, 2010, World Tribune, p. 5
When we chant with a focused determination, we propel our lives forward in the most positive direction. Through these efforts, we will definitely find ourselves on the path to victory in all our endeavors.