Most people come up with yearly resolutions on January 1st. I don't do this; it's way too much pressure for me. I'm an all or nothing kind of girl, and when I am not on track with my resolutions by February, I'm done for the year. I do, however, still set resolutions for myself. I'm very goal oriented and this helps me not only focus on the future, but it gives me a gauge for how far I've come.
I set my yearly goals on my birthday each year.
My birthday is at the end of February. In my head this allows two months to tidy up things and two months to get back in a routine. I started this when I was twenty-seven. At that time I was sick to death of my selfish 20's and decided that by 30 I didn't want to be the same person. One of my close friends asked me that year why I didn't just set my goal for twenty-eight and be different within a year. The reason was simple: some things just take time and I wanted to give myself plenty of time to fully break destructive habits, to let God heal me fully from painful past decisions and I wanted time to really focus on what I wanted my life to be about and look like. Three years and the big 3-0 seemed like the perfect goal.
My birthday is at the end of February. In my head this allows two months to tidy up things and two months to get back in a routine. I started this when I was twenty-seven. At that time I was sick to death of my selfish 20's and decided that by 30 I didn't want to be the same person. One of my close friends asked me that year why I didn't just set my goal for twenty-eight and be different within a year. The reason was simple: some things just take time and I wanted to give myself plenty of time to fully break destructive habits, to let God heal me fully from painful past decisions and I wanted time to really focus on what I wanted my life to be about and look like. Three years and the big 3-0 seemed like the perfect goal.
I'm not even going to pretend to have it all together- I DON'T. But, I have accomplished almost all of the personal goals I've sent since then. As I sit here, a day away from my birthday, I find myself reflecting on this past year and looking forward to the next.
The following list is quoted from my journal- Feb. 2012:
"Things to figure out by the end of 30..."
* to be happy again...like I was in college...cheerful, light-hearted, etc.
* lose 50 lbs. (aim for 50 but real goal is about 35) by the end of Aug.
* get my finances in order...including paying off debt (minus school bill) by the end of the year
* make my body work for me- discipline, eating habits, exercise, etc
* be the kind of Christian that makes other people want to follow God
* be happy in my job
* make time for the things I'm passionate about
* stay physically and emotionally healthy
As I look over this list, I think I've successfully accomplished all of the goals I set this year. I lost 35, not 50 lbs., by August and discipline is a daily goal, but overall I'm happy with where I am on this last night before my birthday. Several of these came about in ways I never would have imagined, but in hindsight I can honestly say that God orchestrated it more beautifully than I ever could have. He also used this past year and relationships to clean out a lot of "debris" I had in my life.
This week I've been working on my resolutions for my thirty-first year. It is so important for me to write them out, because otherwise in a couple of years I'll forget what I struggled with and how far I've come.
By the end of 31, I...
...want my life to be about Christ. I want to accurately bare His image. I want to be selfless, full of grace and faithful more often than not. I want to be grateful more than I complain.
The following list is quoted from my journal- Feb. 2012:
"Things to figure out by the end of 30..."
* to be happy again...like I was in college...cheerful, light-hearted, etc.
* lose 50 lbs. (aim for 50 but real goal is about 35) by the end of Aug.
* get my finances in order...including paying off debt (minus school bill) by the end of the year
* make my body work for me- discipline, eating habits, exercise, etc
* be the kind of Christian that makes other people want to follow God
* be happy in my job
* make time for the things I'm passionate about
* stay physically and emotionally healthy
As I look over this list, I think I've successfully accomplished all of the goals I set this year. I lost 35, not 50 lbs., by August and discipline is a daily goal, but overall I'm happy with where I am on this last night before my birthday. Several of these came about in ways I never would have imagined, but in hindsight I can honestly say that God orchestrated it more beautifully than I ever could have. He also used this past year and relationships to clean out a lot of "debris" I had in my life.
This week I've been working on my resolutions for my thirty-first year. It is so important for me to write them out, because otherwise in a couple of years I'll forget what I struggled with and how far I've come.
By the end of 31, I...
...want my life to be about Christ. I want to accurately bare His image. I want to be selfless, full of grace and faithful more often than not. I want to be grateful more than I complain.
...want to be relational. I want these relationships to be healthy and to reflect love, grace and forgiveness.
...want to be the best I can be, to function at 100% of my potential. I want this in my spiritual life, physical body, my job, my relationships, my gifts and callings, EVERYTHING.
...want to be the best I can be, to function at 100% of my potential. I want this in my spiritual life, physical body, my job, my relationships, my gifts and callings, EVERYTHING.
...want to help others, both those closest to me and those that come into my life. I want to be open to be used in new ways. I want to truly bear others' burdens and be a source of hope and strength.
...want to follow God's will for my life and I want to do that without my faith wavering. I want to fully trust Him in everything.
...want to pray more.
...want to finish things I start, and finish well.
...want to be in learning Arabic.
...want to write five songs.
...want to memorize the book of James.
...want to run in a half-marathon.
I'm sure to some these sound like lofty goals and to others they sound generic and what every follower of Christ should do, but for me they are very personal goals. I've prayed about this coming year and these are the areas of my life I'd really like to tighten up. Sure, I do a lot of these already, but I really want this to be the year they take deep roots and become consistent. I want to look back at this time next year and say I am/do these things well.
...want to follow God's will for my life and I want to do that without my faith wavering. I want to fully trust Him in everything.
...want to pray more.
...want to finish things I start, and finish well.
...want to be in learning Arabic.
...want to write five songs.
...want to memorize the book of James.
...want to run in a half-marathon.
I'm sure to some these sound like lofty goals and to others they sound generic and what every follower of Christ should do, but for me they are very personal goals. I've prayed about this coming year and these are the areas of my life I'd really like to tighten up. Sure, I do a lot of these already, but I really want this to be the year they take deep roots and become consistent. I want to look back at this time next year and say I am/do these things well.
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