The Problem with the “New Year, New You” Mantra

We’re approaching a new year, which may seem like the perfect time to make some resolutions, right? Whether your goal is to eat more vegetables or read more books or spend more time praying, it likely stems from your desire to become a better person. Though that’s a great desire, it’s easy to have unrealistically high expectations about how fast you can fulfill it. That’s the problem with the “new year, new you” mantra—it’s rooted in unrealistically high expectations.

True Transformation

I know God can do anything, including changing the way people think, speak, and act in an instant. However, based on personal experience and observation, I’ve learned He often works over long periods of time, slowly but surely shaping His people to look more like Jesus.

I’ve experienced the slow-but-sure shaping process in my eating disorder recovery journey. As I wrote about in my book, God has worked very gradually and subtly in my recovery (at least it’s felt very gradual and subtle). To be honest, nothing about it has been quick or easy.

Similar to the way I expected recovery to be quick and easy, we often assume making changes in our lives—specifically through New Year’s resolutions—will be quick and easy. It won’t take long to form new habits, right? It can’t take that much time to start eating a vegetable with every meal or reading a new book every month or praying every morning.

Friends, I want to tell you that it’ll be quick and easy to make such major changes. But I feel like it’ll ultimately be more helpful to share the truth with you.

Until That Day

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6 NASB1995)

Regardless of the resolutions you set for 2025, any change you desire to make will take time—likely a longer amount of time than you anticipate. That’s exactly why “new year, new you” is a problematic mantra. Making true, lasting change can take much longer than just a year. But true, lasting change is exactly what we should strive to make.

Philippians 1:6 is one of my favorite Bible verses because it reminds me that God is a faithful Father who patiently sanctifies us. The sanctification process—the process of becoming more and more like Jesus—takes a lifetime, not a week or a month or a year. But God continues the work He began in us at the time of our salvation, and this truth gives me peace. I hope it gives you peace too, friends.

Happy New Year!