Tag: New Years Resolution

Setting Goals with God

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Does God want you to set goals? Can we set goals and fulfill what God has for our lives? Are goal setting and following God opposed to each other? For most people these two aspects of our lives don’t come together. So what are we supposed to do?

Effect of Goals on my Life

This past year has been one of tremendous strides. I’ve accomplished things that I hadn’t even really thought about before. I’ve written more than a 100 articles for this very blog, lost weight and changed my eating habits for the better, and I’ve grown closer in my relationship with God.

I was never really a goal setting type of person before the last two years. I can truly say that I’ve only really taken goal setting seriously only within the last year. Just in this small time I can see the impact that this is having on my life.

Goals and God

How does all of this goal setting relate to my relationship with God? There are many times in our lives when God is giving us directions and things that we’re supposed to do. How are we supposed to accomplish the things that God directs us to do, through goal setting.

If you believe in your heart that God has given you an idea on starting a business or non-profit that will help to serve your community, how are you going to get this done? Most people think that God will give them the idea, the details, and the finished product. That’s just not how it happens. If it has happened for you, then you are the exception and not the rule.

If you look at people in the Bible, none of their journeys were easy where everything was put into their laps. From Abraham having to journey to a far land, to Joseph being sold into slavery and then his journey to the top official in Egypt and there was nothing remotely easy about Jesus’ journey.

Together Not Separate

The problem that we run into and seem to have stuck in our heads is that God doesn’t want to be a part of our goal setting. We try to keep these two areas separate, where we should be joining them together.

Our goals are not just meant for work or business aspirations, but they should be used to accomplish the plans that God set before us. Our relationship, faith, prayers, should all be used in our goals to accomplish God’s plan.

Going into this next year, do what I’m planning on doing. Spending time praying asking God for directions on what are the next steps that I need to take. Using my faith to accomplish those goals to do what God has set before me.

 

Discussion Question:

Have you set your goals for the new year yet?

 

New Years Resolution Fail?

Have you left your Resolutions already?

We’re already a couple of weeks into January and most people have already given up on their New Year’s Resolutions. I hope that you’re not in that camp. If you are the then maybe this will kick start you into getting back on track and doing great things this year.

 

Here are 5 reasons why Your New Year’s Resolution has failed, and how to get back on track.

 

  1. Don’t treat it like a sprint; change is a marathon.

While the slow and steady approach isn’t the sexiest or new flash trend, this approach is the one that will change your life in a permanent way. Today everyone seems to have the “I want it Now” mentality. The key to any successful change is in the small steps that get you there. Those steps help us to build consistency and in consistency lies the power.

[ctt template=”3″ link=”M304h” via=”no” ]In consistency lies the power[/ctt]

  1. Thinking Too Much, and Not enough acting

The best advice in the world won’t do you any good if you fail to act. Fear can be just as powerful as inspiration, faith and knowledge. How do we overcome fear, one step at a time. Instead of being afraid of what could be, focus on an action that you can do today.

 

  1. You’re in too much of a hurry.

If it was quick and easy then everyone would do it. Sometimes we want to have the change right away. We want to reach our ideal weight in 30 days, so we go and buy the latest workout video, join a gym, and buy new workout clothes and don’t look at our budgets or schedule to see when we can realistically exercise. There’s a balance between not acting at all and acting too fast that can cause more damage to ourselves.

 

  1. You don’t have support

Many times when we set New Year’s Resolutions, we keep it to ourselves. Or you may have done like I have in the past were I talk about it as such a far off dream, that those closest to me don’t take it seriously. Mostly because I haven’t taken it serious. You can do a lot by yourself, but to truly accomplish something great, for your life to be what it can be, you’re going to need a support system.

 

  1. What is your WHY?

The biggest reason most people’s New Year’s resolutions fail is because they don’t know their why. A lot people set a resolution on wanting to lose weight. Or they want to exercise more. That’s usually where it ends for them. They don’t have a why they want to lose the weight. Is it to live a healthier lifestyle, or for medical reasons, or that you don’t like the idea of being out of breath after getting dressed in the morning. Whatever the resolution, you need to know your Why. It’s your Why that will keep you going past January and push you to succeed.

 

Let’s not let this year be like so many others in the past. If we can imagine it, we can accomplish it. Dream Big and Aim High. What are your goals for this year? What habits are you going to change? Share in the comments and we can encourage each other.

 

New Year & New You

It’s a New Year

Welcome to 2018!! Happy New Year!!!

Have you thought about how this year will be different from last year? Will it be different from any other year that you’ve gone through? At the end of each year you start to see people selling all types of “Life Changing” products that are geared towards helping create a new you in the New Year. Can all of these products really work? Are we stuck in the hamster wheel of having the same life year after year?

[ctt template=”8″ link=”S006_” via=”no” ]New Year means it’s time for new habits[/ctt]

The answer is a resounding, “NO!” We don’t have to do the same thing year in and year out, especially if it’s not leading us to the place we want to be. Our lives can be what we make them out to be. I’m a firm believer in that if you think it, it will come to pass.

The Right Tool for The New Year

With so many different tools out there that promise to take us from where we are, to the promised land. How do we know what do use?

I’m going to tell you the truth. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT TOOL YOU USE. The only thing that matters is that you build consistency.

I heard Dave Ramsey say in referring to the debt snowball that, “you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.”

The idea is that you’re not going to go from having a mountain of debt to being debt free overnight. You do it one day at a time, paying off one debt at a time. The important thing is to build the habits that allow you to have consistency everyday.

The same is true in every area of our lives. If we want to have successful marriages and be better parents, then it starts one day at a time. Knowing where we fall short and were we can improve is the first step.

It’s time for a Vision

This year, let’s not set goals. If you’re honest with yourself, most of us have let our goals go by mid-January. What we want to do is develop the habits that will take us from where we are to where we want to go.

The Bible says that without a vision the people perish.

Just think about how much time we’ve wasted because we weren’t sure what to do next or where we really wanted to go in life. A wasted year is a year that has perished.

So this is where we start. We need to get a picture of what we want this year to look like. How would our marriages look? What type of dates do we go on? Where do we take our vacations? How are we spending our quality time together?

Here are three ways that we can get the most out of this year.

  1. Look to change your habits, don’t set goals

Most people fail at achieving their goals because the goals seem detached from their current lifestyle. Let’s look to change our habits,which are the key to life. If we change our habits, we can change our relationships, marriages, and lives for the better.

  1. Have a vision

Take some time and think, allow yourself to dream of what you want your marriage to look like this upcoming year.

  1. Write it down

After writing it down, put it in a place where it will be seen  everyday. The bathroom mirror, the refrigerator or closet where you get dressed in the morning. I’ve even heard of people putting their dreams on a sticky note in their car. Whatever works, just put it in a place where you will see it everyday.

Habakkuk 2:2(ERV)

The Lord answered me, “Write down what I show you. Write it clearly on a sign so that the message will be easy to read.”

 

I truly believe that this year will be a great year for you and your marriage. Leave a comment below on what habits you want to develop.