Welcoming the New Year

In recent blogs, I have shared about my love for Christmas.  My affection for all things Christmas is well documented and borders on passionate or extreme.  My yard is a wannabe’s version of Clark Griswold’s.  The days leading up to and including Christmas day represent the high point of my year.  But as much as I enjoy the Twelve Days of Christmas, or in my case, the “Thirty Some-Odd Days” of Christmas, December 26 represents the end of the holiday season for me.  I realize that’s not popular with some folks, including my wife, and I understand that sentiment completely.  But, to be honest, if it was up to me, I would probably take down the trees, box up the decorations, dismantle the outside lights and tape up the holidays. About ten months from now, I would excitedly unpack and start over. But, compromise being an important part of a successful marriage, I tolerate Christmas trees with no presents underneath, and lights of a holiday past until that calendar rolls over to January 1.

Please don’t think that I am despondent about this sudden shift in emotion, emphasis and energy.  To the contrary, I embrace it completely and enthusiastically.  I love that week between Christmas day the New Year’s Day, when the calendar makes its way from 360 to 365, and then, with ample warning and celebration, flips over to 1.  It speaks of all things new.  A new year.  New challenges.  New opportunities.  New emphasis at work.  New goals.  New Year’s resolutions. New…

OK.  I know I lost some of you right there. The mention of New Year’s resolutions is tempting you to click the “X” in the upper right corner of your web browser.  But bear with me.  Hear me out.  Then if you still disagree (which many of you will, with good reason), then set this one aside.  But please be sure to come back in a couple of weeks for a brand-new topic.  In other words, feel free to drop this topic, but please don’t drop the blogger.

To begin with, I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions.  I used to, but not anymore.  Why?  For me, they’re too vague and too non-committal.  “I resolve to lose weight.”  “I resolve to exercise more.”  “I resolve to be kinder.”  “I resolve to resolve.”  Now, if that works for you, I understand.  But for me, I need something more specific.  For example, maybe I need to lose 25 pounds.  Maybe I need to run or walk 12 miles next year.  (By the way, let’s pretend this is hypothetical.  Let’s don’t assume that any of these apply to me.  Ok, they do.   But let’s pretend they don’t.)

So, what’s the difference in saying that I need to lose weight and saying that I need to lose 25 pounds?  Obviously, the only difference is that one is quantified.  It’s measurable.  In my mind, that makes it a goal.  That’s why I say that I don’t make New Year’s resolutions.  Rather, I set goals.  But, let’s be clear.  I’m not a life coach.  I’m not a time management expert.  I’m not capable of helping you set your goals.  I can only set mine and try to realize them.  But, I’m glad to share with you what I do at this time each year.  It’s not original.  It’s borrowed, so feel free to borrow it from me, since it’s not mine anyway.

I once had a person who claimed to be a life coach tell me that goals have to be “SMART”.  They have to be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Timely

These qualities help make them manageable.  They also have to be written down.  They have to be monitored.

I use an Excel spreadsheet that I borrowed from a friend some time back.  I have edited it for my own tastes. (I have deleted a few lines and included it below.  Feel free to add lines as needed.  Also, I will be glad to share it with you if you want to contact me and ask for it.)  My goal sheet is divided into the following categories:

• Family
• Spiritual
• Personal
• Business
• Social
• Financial

Each of these categories is listed down the left side of the spreadsheet.  There are several lines for each category.  For example, under Family, I might include items such as a “date night with my wife” and “plan the family vacation”.  Under Spiritual, I might include items such as “develop daily disciplines,”  “read Bible daily”, “men’s Bible study” or “mission trip”.  You’ve already seen a couple above which I would include under the Personal category.  But I might also add a goal to read a specific number of books this year.  Under Social, I have included a goal to make two new friends.

The items are entirely up to you.  Each category has three columns, for Short-Term, Intermediate, and Long-Term.  I then list each item on a line beside it’s category under one of the three columns, based on when and how long it will require to achieve the goal.  I also add a fourth column to the far right for comments.

Got it?  Let me emphasize that this format is only one of many and may not work for you.  Modify it or come up with your own format.  Maybe it’s just a note pad with a few goals.  If a system does not work for you, your chances of success are going to drop.

Almost every year, my goals include many of the same ones from previous years.  Why?  There are a couple of reasons.  If they are one-time, I likely did not complete them in the previous year.  Others are ongoing and apply to every year (such as reading new books).  Depending on my station in life or a newfound interest or opportunity, I will add new ones or drop others as needed.

Goals have to be about your life.  They should reflect who you are, where you want to go and who you want to be.  They should be personal and for the most part, individual.  They must reflect your core beliefs.  And for me, they must be set after much prayer, desiring to be as certain as possible that they align with God’s will for my life.  Your faith must be the driving force and underlying foundation of your goals.  If that is not the case, you are defeated before you write them on the page.

And what happens if I don’t complete a goal?  I have never had a year when I completed all my goals.  Some years are better than others.  Sometimes it was lack of focus.  Sometimes it was simple laziness.  And sometimes, life happens.  Circumstances and events completely beyond your control will affect your ability to complete your goals.  That’s just how it is.

How do you deal with this lack of success?   (Notice I didn’t call it failure.  It’s only failure when you stop trying.)  I do one of three things:

1.    Acknowledge my shortcoming and try again. Sometimes starting over is the only answer and the right answer.
2.    Modify the goal to remove unrealistic components and to adapt to my station in life. Don’t be afraid to update your list and modify as needed, but do it with adequate thought and prayerful consideration.
3.    Drop a goal if it is not realistic or worthwhile. This doesn’t mean that we drop a goal at the first sign of difficulty. That’s not a valid reason. But there are times that life’s circumstances require that we drop a goal. And there are times when we realize we were simply mistaken about a specific goal. Mark it off with a bold marker and move on. And don’t feel guilty about it! It’s not life and death, so don’t treat it like it is.

So here we are.  We’ve covered a lot of ground, and I’ve shared with you about all that I know on this subject.  I am not an authority, but I want to be in the race and I suspect that do too.  We want to utilize the gifts and talents with which we have been blessed to the best of our ability and make the most of the time granted to us.

“Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established. (Proverbs 16:3)”

I pray that your new year is joyful, blessed and prosperous.

SAMPLE GOALS WORKSHEET