At this time of year, many people are inclined to make new year's resolutions. Unfortunately, it has become somewhat proverbial that these resolutions are doomed to failure, abandoned and discarded after only a few short weeks. Perhaps for this reason, many others have given up on making such resolutions altogether as a futile waste of time.
I am convinced that the Lord desires us to make resolutions for life change, not just at the start of the year, but whenever His Truth confronts us with an area of our life that does not align with His will. The question is how to stop the cycle of failure and make resolutions for life change that will stick? The answer is discipline. (1 Cor. 9:24-27, 1 Tim. 4:7-8)
One of the best books I know of for understanding the process of spiritual discipline (and understanding how it works is crucial for success) is The Spirit of the Disciplines (HarperOne, 1990) by Dallas Willard. This is not a light read by any stretch of the imagination, but well worth the effort in my opinion. Along the same lines, but far easier to read, is The Life You've Always Wanted (Zondervan, 2002) by John Ortberg. In fact, in his preface the author himself gives an alternate title for this book as "Dallas for Dummies"! I like and highly recommend both, though Willard goes into far more depth if you are up for the challenge.
If you have ever tried to make a significant life change and failed (and whom among us hasn't?) then you may find one or both of these books to be a welcome antidote.
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Willard's book sounds intriguing - I looked him up online - he is a Philosophy professor.
So in my college days, I took a lot of philosophy/theology, but fast forward quite a few years later - let's see if my 53 yr old brain is up to the challenge! I may give it a try.