New Year’s Resolutions Are Dumb… Here Are Mine Anyway (Sort Of)

For 2026, I don’t have any resolutions.

I have New Year’s prayers.

I desire for 2026 to be shaped by God’s will. As always, I still have ambitions, dreams, and desires, but I’m lifting them upward and asking Him to show me what actually serves His Kingdom and aligns with His plan for my life.

I’m entering 2026 holding tight to Philippians 3:12, Psalm 73:26, Romans 8:1, and Revelation 3:15–16 echoing from the end of all things. Literally.

Anyway… here are my New Year’s prayers. If you’d join me in praying over these, I’d be grateful. And if you have your own (you better 😠), send them my way so we can pray together.

Thank you, friends.

---

Maintain Consistent Church Attendance

Church attendance has been foundational for my growth this past year. Starting in January I’ll be back on my every other weekend road trips, but no matter where I am, attending church remains non negotiable.

Prioritize Discerning the Will of God in Every Decision

Easy to write. Hard to live. But this year, I desire to continue making decisions with God instead of asking Him to bless choices I already made on autopilot.

Smile More

If you know, you know (been wanting this since I was seven).

Self explanatory. Also free.

Overflow Seating/Room

I’m praying to be part of the reason overflow seating becomes required one day at CBC. I want to see God’s church grow. Matthew 5:16 lived out with intention.

#NoEmptySeats

Whatever Is Happening Here in WV…

Still trying to figure out what exactly God is doing here in West Virginia, but I’m committed to paying attention.

Finish School, But Seriously This Time - Then Begin My Master’s

Last year, halfway through my “final” semester, life hit me with a fierce combo. First a wonderful wedding (truly) stole an entire week of schoolwork, then I immediately had to travel for training for a new job. And that job demanded every brain cell I had for the first several weeks. School didn’t stand a chance.

So yes… I withdrew. Let’s just call it that and move on 🫥. The job took priority, and honestly, I’m not built to submit half-hearted assignments anyway. If I know something isn’t my best work, I physically cannot turn it in. It’s a disease.

Anyway, I’m enrolled to finish those two classes in Spring 2026. Once I wrap them up, a bunch of government and private sector doors finally unlock because apparently people like pieces of paper that say “degree.”

Then I’ll head into my HR Master’s program, getting one step closer to a career where I spend my days breaking up workplace squabbles, fixing policies, and explaining that the W-4 is not a personality test. Though based on how some people react to paperwork… maybe it should be.

(To my future employer who is absolutely going to read this: I’ve already crushed the interview, demonstrated a moderate level of competence, and made you laugh three times before leaving the building. Now I’m writing to you from the future. What more do you want? Hire me already. Just make sure I get weekends off, my own parking space, and my retirement pen early. Just kidding... I’m flexible with weekends.)

Experience West Virginia With Company - Do Roadtrips Again

A few years ago, I stopped enjoying doing things alone, like traveling, eating out, road trips. Looking back, I think it was conviction from God in an area of my life I don’t need to get into here.

In 2026, I feel it’s in line with God’s will that I spend more time with friends and eat alone less. As I’m meeting more people locally, I can already see this starting to happen, and I’m genuinely excited for it.

Still can’t get anyone to join me in the gym… but hey, I guess that can be the exception.

Another Year of Intentional Diet and Exercise

This body isn’t mine, it’s a living sacrifice. Wise stewardship means keeping it strong, capable, and well cared for. I know I’m the guy with the weird diet, but if it keeps me from consuming the garbage packed into most grocery store foods, that’s a trade I’ll make every time. The Western diet is a carcinogenic cocktail of high sugar, low nutrients, processed oils, and refined carbs. Carnivore cuts through all of that in one move.

Meat and fat. Eat until it stops tasting good. Repeat.

Sure, I could eat whole foods and micromanage every ingredient, but as a single man I don’t have time to prep multiple meals a day. Even meal prepping has never worked for me. I eat too much, and the time investment just isn’t worth it. Tossing a steak into the air fryer or slow cooker without chopping vegetables, dicing potatoes, cooking rice, or juggling multiple pans makes eating efficient and effortless.

And since it’s nearly impossible to overeat on carnivore, I don’t have to worry about emotional eating taking over. Another win.

Learn to Sight-Read Music

Or, phrased differently, stop being a fraud who only remembers which keys to press. I sometimes daydream about glorifying God with real melodic praise on the piano or even guitar. Learning to read music is the next step toward making that real. I already sing my face off when I’m home (sorry, neighbors), but it would be nice to channel that into something intentional with an instrument. I’m also pretty tone deaf, so having something to guide me might help with that too.

Finish Memorizing “Mia and Sebastian’s Theme” on Piano

It’s been on my list long enough. Don’t ask why. I genuinely don’t know. I heard it once years ago and said, ‘Yeah, I’m learning that,’ and now I’m legally bound by my own stupidity to follow through.

A Year Shared With Another Heart Full of Joy and Gratitude

It’s been a long time since I’ve had any real drama in my life. God has taught me how to be joyful and complete while being single. That multiyear season wasn’t easy, but it was necessary. I could spend the rest of my life praising God and never need the embrace of a woman again.

But through prayer and honest reflection, I’ve realized that singleness isn’t what feels natural to me. It’s something I chose out of fear of being vulnerable again. The truth is, I have a desire to live with rather than without.

And according to Paul, blame him, it isn’t spiritually responsible for me to keep living like a closed-off Ebenezer Scrooge.

There goes my dream of spending the rest of my life in the wilderness of Alaska, wrestling grizzlies and drinking tapeworm-infested creek water on all fours. Shucks.

I’ve learned to embrace the fact that I’m basically a walking cornball with decent intentions. It seems to work.

With that said, I’m past the mentality of mindlessly chasing anything in my own strength. It’s either there or it isn’t. His will be done. And as long as that remains true, whatever comes WILL be good.