What are your New Years resolutions and/or goals?
Today I will share some of my own thoughts on goals/resolutions in a spiritual context and some highlights from church that I hope will help keep you centered as you approach the new year and beyond! All my thought probing questions for you to consider as you start the new year are in PINK!
First I want to preface the comments about goals and resolutions by saying that goal setting and the subsequent striving to attain those goals is not inherently of a spiritual nature. I think that improving one's self in meaningful aspects of life is most constructive, and when it exercises and increases our faith it is of the highest spiritual nature. The attainment of goals can fill our hearts with gratitude for the grace and blessings we were given by God that made it possible, or which enabled us beyond our natural capacity. Reaching for goals and resolutions that seem beyond the reach of our personal capacity provide us with an opportunity to put our faith on the line and reach out to Jesus. If we stick with it until
Too often we give up without putting in any substantial spiritual work. I speak from experience here. We work and put in so much of our own effort, which is good, but fail to pray meaningfully about these goals and ask for grace to be able to reach these goals.
As we say our 'daily prayers' are we telling God what our goals are and specifically asking for His help and approval? After the goals are set, are we checking in with God in our prayers daily and thanking Him for the progress we've made and asking for help to overcome the obstacles that have arisen? I wonder how much more progress we would make if we truly partnered with God daily in our efforts.
Christ is our anchor who can keep us moving toward the ideals we are striving for if we center on Him. His atonement carries us beyond our weaknesses and can change our human nature, which is often the source of our struggles in obtaining goals.
Now, on to some comments that were made in our church service :)
1. Resolution and goal setting is most productive and valuable when it is a focus year round, rather than just the immediately time before and after New Year's Day.
I think that if we were thinking about setting and evaluating goals all year long, it would be so much easier to continue working towards our goals! Atleast we wouldn't forget about them, which I feel like is half the battle for most of us.
What can you do to make setting/striving for goals a habit?
The other half of the battle for most of us is maintaining the progress we've made while pursuing our goal.
How could you benefit from setting goals of maintenance, to continue the good habits that you've worked hard to obtain?
2. Failure to meet your exact goal by the deadline is not failure. Goals without a time frame is little more than a wish, but not having fully attained the whole goal by your deadline is not the end/failure of the goal.
Let me explain; our own sister Bethany Madsen pointed out that if you set a goal to lose 20 pounds by March 30th and it turns out that you have only lost 17 lbs by the 30th, that is not a failure! You have accomplished so much - 17 lbs to be precise, and there's no reason you can't continue on to lose the last 3 pounds and meet your goal. Dates and time lines are an important part of attaining specific goals, but remember they are not what is truly important, your progress is.
My two cents to add is that we may set resolutions or intentions that are not so easily quantifiable, such as to be more patient, forgiving, or learn to be and know yourself. I think these types of resolutions are ones that require us to contemplate on the way we are living our lives daily, and adjust the way we think or do things as we notice that we are not quite in harmony with our resolution/intention. For example, if I set a resolution to be more forgiving this next year, I will not only have to think now about who I may need to forgive, but I will need to check in frequently (daily would be best) to think about if I have formed a grudge that day that I need to let go. Sometimes its hard to remember to do this daily checking in. We need a plan of how to remind ourselves or how and when to follow through on what we've resolved to do.
What are you going to do to remind yourself of your resolutions/goals so that you carry on well after the beginning of the New Year?
What will you do to track and be accountable for your progress?
May your goals and resolutions bring you closer to Christ as you rely on Him as the source of lasting change and hope - Happy New Year!!!
