Making and breaking New Year’s resolutions is a familiar and discouraging annual ritual for many people. Almost inevitably, in a few short weeks, maybe around now, many find they are unable to meet their goals of self-improvement, be it keeping a positive attitude, improving one’s health, or looking for the best in people. Some might even feel diminished as a result of this failure. The problem, I believe, is that most people set their resolutions without identifying a practical path for the journey. As a scholar of systematic theology, I believe that Saint Ignatius of Loyola, a 16th-century Spanish courtier, provides insightful guidance. He managed to reverse his life’s direction to pursue a spiritual path. Who Was Ignatius? Born in 1491, Iñigo, later known as Ignatius, was the youngest son of a minor noble family in the Basque region of Spain who left home at the age of 18 to win his place at the …