Camille Kiser

I love January. I love the new year and, with it, the dedicated chance to consider how I can continue good things in my life and make a fresh start in the areas that need it. As Dieter F. Uchtdorf put it, “With every new day, a new dawn comes—not only for the earth but also for us. And with a new day comes a new start—a chance to begin again. Now is the best time to start becoming the person we eventually want to be.”

In that spirit, many (including myself) use the new year as an opportunity to identify specific resolutions for the year ahead—ways to begin again and become the people we want to be. This year, however, I sat down to write this message as well and started thinking more about the word “resolutions.” I hadn’t really thought about it but at some level assumed “resolution” was simply a synonym for “goal.” When I actually searched some dictionaries, I found something interesting. Specifically, dictionary.com defines “resolution” as “a decision or determination.” Author Melody Beattie similarly wrote that writing out goals or resolutions is “an affirmation of you, your life, and your ability to choose.” Maybe this is obvious, but it made me stop and think a little differently about my 2022 resolutions. I love setting resolutions and have done so every year for as long as I can remember, but I had never thought about the fact that resolutions really are decisions. As we make resolutions, we’re not simply articulating a goal. If we’re really dedicated to the resolution, we’re deciding how we’ll spend our time, energy, attention, and other valuable resources. So, I find myself asking, what am I deciding to do or be this year? Why? Also, what daily decisions will I need to make to reach the larger ones?

Of course, we don’t need a new year to ask these types of questions, and we certainly don’t need a new year to make decisions for our lives. We’re faced with constant choices every day, whether we’re conscious of it or not. But I personally don’t mind an excuse to be a little more thoughtful and intentional about my decisions. So, I’ll be considering one or two areas of my life where I’d like to improve, and I hope my resolutions will help to guide and motivate me this year. As Elaine Dalton once said, “Your vision of your future will help you press forward. Take a few minutes to envision where you want to be in one year or two or five. Then take action to prepare yourselves. People don’t just run a marathon when they decide to do it. They must train daily, slowly building stamina and endurance to run the 26.2-mile distance. So it is with life. It is daily diligence . . . that will help you reach your goals.”

I’m so grateful for a new year and the opportunity to make new decisions. I’m also grateful that when I fall short, I can start again and keep adjusting my decisions until they’re on course. On behalf of the Butler Hill Relief Society, I hope you all have a very happy and healthy 2022, and I hope you have a positive experience deciding what you’d like to make of this year.

Submitted by Melinda Bowen

2022 New Year’s Quotes to Inspire you after a difficult 2021:

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” ~ Michael Altshuler

“No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.” ~ Buddha

“You can get excited about the future. The past won’t mind.” ~ Hillary DePiano

“I hope you realize that every day is a fresh start for you. That every sunrise is a new chapter in your life waiting to be written.” ~ Juansen Dizon

“Sometimes a year has been so disastrous and so terrible that entering a new year will automatically mean entering a wonderful new year! ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan 3