New Year's Resolutions? Or Mission Impossible?

Anyone having trouble sticking with those New Year's Resolutions?  Have you found yourself giving in--just this once?  And then once more.  Then once more.  Then just throwing in the towel entirely?
Or maybe you're like me and have had a hard time even starting on your new goals.  It's so easy to tell myself, "I'll start tomorrow" or "I'll start for real on Monday."
On January 5th, I came back from the gym determined to do better--to eat healthy and stop my "see food" diet (I see food, I eat it).  I knew, however that I couldn't do it on my own.  I felt so weak and incapable of the self-control I desperately wanted and needed to reach my goals.
Still in my workout attire, I picked up my scriptures and went straight to my knees.  I said a heartfelt prayer, asking the Lord to bless me with His strength.

I opened up to where I had left off a few days before: 3 Nephi 17. This chapter is Jesus visiting the people on the American continent after His resurrection.  He had spent time teaching and ministering to them.  I felt like I needed His ministering.  I needed His love, His hope, His healing.  He did minister to me as I read His words in that chapter.  I felt like he was right here speaking the words to me.  Here are some verses that especially stood out:

Verse 2: "I perceive that ye are weak..."

Verse 8: "I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you."

Verse 9: "all them that were afflicted in any manner;...he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him."

I took courage and strength in knowing that Christ heals all afflictions.  I am praying for faith sufficient that He will heal mine--I'm certain afflictions include bad habits and addictions.  I certainly am afflicted by mine!  But He heals afflictions as they are brought to Him.  

What if those people hadn't had faith enough to bring Him their afflicted?  They would not have had the opportunity to be healed.

As I read on, I found some other beautiful scriptures on healing by the Savior.

3 Nephi 18:32  "...they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall ^bheal them;"

I looked up the footnotes for "heal."  Read on!

Jeremiah 3:22  "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will ^aheal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God."

Backsliding!  That's what I feel like I do all the time: Three steps forward, two steps back! Or sometimes two steps forward and three steps back!

 D&C 112:13  "And after their temptations, and much tribulation, behold, I, the Lord, will feel after them, and if they harden not their hearts, and stiffen not their necks against me, they shall be converted, and I will heal them."

This verse says to me, that the healing will come after the tempations and a lot of hard work and difficulty.  Then if we remain humble and teachable (harden not our hearts and stiffen not our necks), He will come after us and heal us.

I really found a lot of hope and peace in these scriptures.  I hope (if you've read this far) that you find them helpful as well.  Happy New Year!