After a rocky 2015, and after hundreds of prayers for better days and better grades, I knew I needed to grow closer to God in this new year. I would always go to two men when I had a problem: God and my boyfriend. One of my men is at basic training now, and I doubt he wants 10-page letters, so hopefully, God will be up to long late-night chats.

This past Sunday morning at church, we began a series about making 2016 a great year. Do you know how great your heart can feel when God sends you the exact message you need at specific moments in your life? So, if you don’t want to actually exercise or do the home renovations you’ve been putting off year after year, here are some ways you’ll actually have a good year.

1. Look for God in your everyday plans. Don’t look for him in the struggles. Search for Him every single day.
2. Do things you normally wouldn’t do. Get out of your comfort zone, and be a new person.
3. Be ready for setbacks. Always stay positive and hope for the best, but know that problems occur, but that there's ALWAYS a solution.
4. Be OK with being afraid of things. We don’t become better people by doing what’s easy. We push through what we’re afraid of doing, and we come out on top.
5. Use your failures as ways to change your strategy and get back at it. We don’t grow as people by throwing away what we don’t master. We use the attempts as blueprints to find better ways to get it right the next time, or the next. Learn to adjust and keep on keeping on, especially when you enjoy something.
6. Sometimes, you just need to let the Lord handle it. We’re not patient people, but not everything is in our control. When we’re not sure what to do to get something right, we let God make it right by waiting on the sidelines for a little while.
7. While waiting, grow in your faith. Set a resolution that’s always possible, and everything else on this list will be a piece of cake. OK, maybe not, but you will have a much better understanding and ability to accomplish them if your heart is connected to God’s.

I kept thinking that a new outfit or a better job would make my year a little better. I had people that made my life enjoyable and full of love, but there was something missing. I kept wondering why everything in my wasn’t easy. It was sitting in that chair, surrounded by hearts given to God, that I realized what I had been missing. I’m an avid talker to Jesus, but I lack in my full connection. I had hard times that were attempts to get me to understand what I was needing. I needed someone much larger than myself or my boyfriend to solve my problems for me. When I had done all I could in various situations but kept pushing, I should have let Him do what needed to be done.

This year, I didn’t make unrealistic resolutions for myself. I don’t care about losing 10 pounds, or becoming an expert painter, or even traveling around the country eating food from every state. I have chosen to deepen my connection with God so that He may deepen my connection with life and my loved ones. You don’t need anything fancy to accomplish an awesome year. All you need to do is open your mouth and your heart, and let yourself be open to change.