New Year’s resolutions are much maligned and a large number of people, who make them quickly, let them fall by the wayside. Personally, I believe it is important to make a New Year’s resolution and to stick with it, at least to the extent you can.

As I learned last year, every moment is a very precious gift from our Creator. I think we owe it to our Maker to try to better ourselves in any number of ways. It certainly includes honoring the physical and mental abilities that we have been given, committing to ways to better our relationships with our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers and ultimately deciding in our brief time on Earth, what steps we can take to make our communities better and more than just places to live. This certainly is a tall order, but I feel we are called to do these things.

I reflected the week between Christmas and New Years on what commitments I would make for myself and encouraged those around me to participate as well. I made sure these did not consist of platitudes and vague promises, but instead had specific measureable objectives.

I would suggest if you have not already made your own New Year’s resolutions that you consider taking an hour or two to reflect in a quiet environment and write down something you would like to improve in your life, along with measurable goals to assist you along the way. All the training I have received in goal setting and personal achievement tells me if you write it down and can measure it then you are much more likely to achieve it.

I wish you the best of luck in 2016. Try to do everything you can to make it your best year ever and as the Carolina Panthers fan base would say, “Keep Pounding”!