#Goals

I read somewhere that most New Year’s resolutions only last about two months. I also heard that resolutions to lose weight have a 95 percent fail rate.

Wow.

I was talking to some of my friends about this last night, and we made a commitment to set some goals for 2019. But how do you do that when the numbers say it’s going to be an epic fail?

Well, for starters, we’re church people. That helps because we’re looking at the future through the filter of the Bible. That’s a lot different than looking at the world without it.

Some people think the Bible is nothing but judgment, punishment, and death. But the Bible is a book of hope. The Bible is full of verses that tell us not to live in the past and to work toward a better future.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:18-19.

Experts who know a lot more about this stuff than I do have told me the best way to reach goals is to make them realistic. They say you need to make them specific, too.

So we’re giving ourselves a whole week to think about some solid goals for 2019 that are specific and realistic. Three goals for each of us:

1. A physical goal. This is a goal that relates to something you do. It might be sports, music, theater, bull riding (yes, one of my friends does that) or just dropping some pounds (remember to be specific and realistic!).

2. A spiritual goal. For this one, we’re thinking about what will help us connect with our higher power or give us more spiritual depth. It could be making a habit of saying a prayer when you wake up in the morning. It could be reading your Bible or memorizing verses. Or it might be some selfless act for others. (James 1:27)

3. A relationship goal. In this fast-paced world it can take some effort to put the brakes on life to work on a relationship. The rewards are always worth the pit stop. Decide to reconnect with an old friend, or block out one afternoon to spend time with a grandparent. Or how about saying “thank you” to someone who’s made an impact on your life?

One final note. The most important part of setting goals for the New Year is to let God have control. The Bible says he loves us and wants what is good for us. If we ask him to help us decide what goals to set, it’s all going to work out for good in the end, no matter what we’ve done or haven’t done by the end of the year.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. – Prov. 16:9

When we decide on our three goals, we’re going to write them down. Each of us will seal our goals in an envelope. The envelopes will be put away for a year. Then this time next year we’ll open them and see how we’ve done.

Those experts I mentioned – they also say that setting goals with a group is a great way to be successful. We don’t have to share our goals with each other, but we’ll hold each other accountable. We’ll check up on each other throughout the year to push us to make progress.

Want to join us? I think it’s going to be a great year!