01/27/2026
I have never been much good at New Year's resolutions. Like a lot of folks, I start out with big plans in January. I am going to run more miles. I am going to eat fewer biscuits. I am going to finally organize that shed out back. But by February, life happens. The gym shoes gather dust and the shed is still a mess. We tend to make resolutions about fixing ourselves, and usually, we are the first ones to let ourselves off the hook.
In the courthouse, we use a different word. We talk about restitution. Restitution is not about making a promise to yourself. It is about making something right for someone else. It means if you broke a window, you pay to fix it. If you took something, you give it back. It is harder than a resolution because it requires humility. You have to look someone in the eye and admit you were wrong.
I think the world would be a little better if we worried less about resolutions and more about restitution. Maybe you don't need to join a gym this year. Maybe you need to call that brother you haven't spoken to since Thanksgiving. Maybe you need to apologize to a neighbor. Maybe you need to forgive a debt, or ask for forgiveness yourself. Those are the kinds of changes that last longer than a gym membership.
We are lucky that we live under a grace that gives us fresh starts every morning, not just on January first. But it is up to us to do the work. So this year, instead of focusing on what you want to change about yourself, look around. See what needs mending in your corner of the world. A resolution might change your waistline, but restitution changes your heart.