Who knows what 2025 will bring? According to the radio programme I listened to yesterday (‘Future Thinking’ from Radio 4’s All in the Mind show), there are benefits to being generally optimistic and looking for what is good. Perhaps the Bible got there first with Paul’s exhortation to think on “whatever is good, lovely and true” (paraphrased from Philippians 4:8)?

They also suggested that the best time to start a resolution is not the turn of the year but as soon as it has occurred to you and you’ve had time to think it through. Resolutions were seen as good but putting them off until the New Year or only coming up with them because of the New Year has a high probability of failing to keep them.

I haven’t made New Year resolutions for years but I am kicking off a new year of Bible study, following a 49 week plan on the YouVersion Bible app which (if I understand it correctly) will give me a daily dose of chronological New Testament readings backed up by Old Testament readings (linked where suitable) that will cover the whole Bible. So far I’ve just done the day 1 reading but my plan is to try and gradually draw ahead. That is the strategy that has helped me in past runs through the Bible – keeping at least a little way ahead helps avoid falling behind and being tempted to give up.