Back in the day when I had one kid, didn’t homeschool, my husband was gone most of the time and was basically footloose and fancy free…I went to the gym 5-6 days a week. I would get so annoyed at all the people crowding the gym in January. I knew I had about 6 weeks to endure the cramped weight room and classes until people would fizzle out and the new year’s resolutions would fade.
Don’t get me wrong, I can’t claim any moral high horse for resolutions. I have a war within me though when it comes to resolutions. I either get on a roll and list a lot of things that I want to do or improve or I refuse to make any.
A few years ago I heard a message from Andy Stanley where he concluded that most resolutions are focused on ourselves – how to make ourselves better. He gave the challenge to focus on resolutions that would impact people outside your four walls. That always brought me to an impasse when I would pick up my pencil and a fresh sheet of paper each January 1st.
So last year, I decided to make some goals and tried to focus at least half outside myself. well…I just read my list from last year and realized I accomplished maybe 5% of my list. Number one rule of goal setting – keep the goal in front of you or your will never accomplish it! (Apparently I should have been training for a triathlon last year….)
The one area I did improve was reading. Compared to some avid readers, my list looks measly, but I’m exciting about the upward movement. I finished 8…almost 10 books:
1. Beneath the Surface
2. Best Yes
3. No Limits
4. A Woman of Strength and Purpose
5. Magnolia Story
6. Golden Rules
7. Killing Kennedy
8. Killing Lincoln
9. Shepherding a Child’s Heart
10. The First Five Pages: How to Stay Out of the Rejection Pile
In looking forward to this next year, I want attainable, yet stretching goals. I want fewer goals and a determination to work toward them. I want to paint with a broader stroke with the encouragement to improve, but not the condemnation for not checking a million boxes. More forgiveness. More grace. Nothing like a little accountability, so here ya go…
Spiritually – renewed focus on prayer, summarize each Psalm and write out the book of James by memory
Relationships – One word: invest Invest in my husband and my kids. Not just doing things for them, but investing in them. Invest in my family. Invest in friendships, old and new. Look people in the eye, see their needs, pray more for them and encourage them in new ways.
Professional – finish the book and trust the Lord to find a publisher
Physical – be consistent Whatever it looks like, just be consistent in strengthening my body and being active to be a good steward of the years God has given me
Personal – read 20 minutes a day, finish at least one baby book (I know no one does it…but it is a strange, nagging desire of mine!) and floss everyday. For real, this has been a goal for the past ten years and I just can’t seem to do it.
Dream big my friends. Dreams will look different for each one of us. Maybe you already floss everyday, but what is one thing you always say you are going to do, but just haven’t done it? What could the Lord do through you this year? Don’t be afraid to get out a fresh, blank sheet of paper and see where the Lord wants you to go!
What are some of your resolutions for the New Year?