Photo by Tyler Nix. Writing New Year’s Resolutions.
Each new year brings a list of new year’s resolutions for most of us. We want to weigh less, exercise more, read more mind-expanding content, grow spiritually and mentally, etc. But, for many of us, the resolutions are made simply to be broken. With that in mind, I urge you to consider these 5 things before you set your goals for the new year.
1) Is this Goal Something That’s Truly Important To Me?
If your answer is yes, then your goal is worth pursuing throughout the year. That means keeping your New Year’s Resolutions page posted on your wall/stuck in the pages of your journal/somewhere else where you will see them often. If you’re just setting a goal to exercise 20 hours a week because someone else is pressuring you to do so, however, rethink that goal.
2) Am I Prioritizing People Over Things?
It’s valid to want to grow your emergency savings account, pay off debt, etc. But if your desired second job comes at the cost of any family time, you may want to find other ways to accomplish your goals. (Such as reducing spending.)
3) Am I Prioritizing God Above all Else?
If you’re a Christian, God should be automatically your first priority. But our lives don’t always reflect that reality. Look at your reading list. Does it contain books that will help you draw nearer to God? Review your planned daily schedule. Does exercise or sleep trump time spent with God?
4) Do My Goals Show A Desire to Help Others and Serve God?
Are you more concerned about how you look or how much you’re helping others? Consider spending time volunteering this next year at your local soup kitchen or nursing home. Think about how you use your home: is it a showpiece? A wreck? Or a haven of hospitality?
5) How Realistic is This Goal in Light of My Responsibilities?
If your goals are unrealistic, you probably won’t reach them. For example, with an older toddler in the house, my reading list will be shorter than when he was a baby who slept all the time. It would be great to travel to some exotic destination once a month, but we can’t afford it.
Don’t get discouraged if you can’t set the same goals as other people. Your life is always changing. What works for you this year may look small, but perhaps you’ll have more ability or free time next year.
One last word here: this is not to encourage low expectations. You can expect great things of yourself. Just be gentle and realistic. If you only have 5 hours a week free to exercise, use those five hours well. Don’t set a goal of 35 hours, get discouraged after the first week, and thereafter become a couch potato. 🙂
Don’t Worry; Be Happy!
Enjoy the process of setting goals! Think through different categories of spiritual growth, mental growth, and physical growth. Consider whom you might encourage or serve this year. And don’t compare yourself and your abilities with Michael Jordan, or Charles Spurgeon, or anyone else. Happy New Year’s Resolutions!
