Spiritual Goals for 2022 and How to Stick to Them

At the beginning of every year, lots of us try to make resolutions—resolutions about health, about relationships, about hobbies—but sometimes we need to make spiritual resolutions too. So today, we have a few ideas of spiritual resolutions for you— and some tips for how to stick with them.

Tips for Sticking with Goals

We all know the joke that no one really keeps their New Year’s resolutions. But we also all want to make changes for the better. The good news is that there are ways to keep your resolutions. It just takes some practice and discipline.

First, pick realistic resolutions. If you choose a resolution that will stretch you a little but that you still feel you can accomplish, that’s a good resolution. Remember, we can make a lot of progress by making small changes, so if your resolution feels too big or difficult, break it down into smaller pieces and work on those pieces one at a time. Most important, your resolution should feel manageable, otherwise it’s way too easy to become overwhelmed and avoid working on it. Consider the time and energy you have available and work within those bounds.

Second, be specific with your resolutions. It’s okay to say, “I want to be healthier this year,” but if you want to actually become healthier, you have to choose some specific things in your life to change, like going to the gym twice a week or eating an extra serving of vegetables every day. So look at the general things you’d like to accomplish, then break it into specific, realistic actions.

Third, make a plan to accomplish your resolution. If you have a plan, you’re more likely to work on and complete your resolution because you know exactly what needs to be done to accomplish it. Each plan will look different but be as thorough as you can when you make your plan.

Fourth, track your progress. Tracking progress helps you see how far you’ve come and helps build consistency. If a resolution seems difficult to track, a good option is to choose a number of days per week that you have to work on it. Then you can track your habit of working on your resolution.

Fifth, find an accountability partner. Having to report your progress to someone else may be the motivation you need to accomplish your goals.

Ideas for Spiritual Resolutions

Now that you know how to set good resolutions, it’s time to look at some ideas for spiritual resolutions you could try this year.

1. Scripture Study

One area you could focus on in a resolution this year is scripture study. Depending on what you want to improve in your scripture study, you could set resolutions like:

• I will read my scriptures for 10 minutes every day.
• I will schedule out my Come, Follow Me reading each week so I don’t fall behind.
• I will read one additional resource with my scriptures each day so I can understand the scriptures better. (If you want to do this, we recommend ScripturePlus to help you find the best resources for the scriptures.)

2. Temple Attendance

Most temples in the world are at least partially reopened now, and that means it’s time get back in the habit of attending the temple. If that’s what you want to focus on in 2022, you could set goals like:

• I’ll schedule an appointment at the temple once a month.
• I’ll attend the temple prep class so I can be ready to receive my own ordinances.

3. Family History

Despite temples reopening, access to many of them is still limited. If that’s the case in your area, you could instead make a goal about family history, such as:

• I will index names once a week.
• I will add memories to Family Search at least once a month.
• I will look for and add sources to family profiles for an hour each week.

These are just a few suggestions for spiritual resolutions you can try in 2022. Even if none of these are resolutions you personally want to do, hopefully you started coming up with your own ideas as well. Good luck with your goals, and have a wonderful new year!