Another new year brings another round of resolutions. Many of which will be broken (or maybe broken already) and only a few of which will stick around, at least for a little while.
Why do we bother?
Why should we set a goal or make resolutions when the percentage of goals actually met is staggeringly low?
Honestly, there are a couple of reasons. When you wake up each day without a clear plan, a precise resolution, or intentional goal, it’s easy to find yourself simply going through the motions. It is far easier to stay in default mode than it is to elicit change. Many of us get so caught up in our infinite list of tasks and responsibilities that entire days, weeks, even months are eaten up doing all the little things that, “need to be done” each day. Then, when we finally take the time to look back and reflect, the weeks have some how turned into years and we find ourselves in the exact same spot we were when when we started long ago; no progress has been made. We are in no better shape or health than we were years ago, often we are in worse shape, our finances somehow did not fix themselves (shocking!), and we haven’t demonstrated any significant growth. Some relationships may have strengthened during this time, some most certainly have weakened, but neither happened by intent, they just happened. Perhaps we may be closer to God, but often in these circumstances, we are further away from him. Life has happened and we just went along for the ride.
But when you have clear goals, resolutions or plans for who you want to be and what you want to accomplish you tend to live more intentionally. Life still happens but you have a say in what it does! Whether your goal is health, weight loss, financial management or a closer relationship with God or someone in your life, it takes intentionality. It takes waking up each day knowing what small step you want to make. And it takes discipline to do today differently than you did yesterday. To make that change. Take that step. Set a goal and watch your life slowly change, day by day.
Sure there will be set backs, but there will be progress too, more progress than you ever could have imagined! You just need to set the goal, and then carry it out!
Someone once said, “the definition of insanity is to keep doing what you’ve always done but expect a different result”. You will get what you have always gotten when you do what you have always done. If you want something in your life to change, than you must change what you do, and the easiest way to do that is to set a goal, make a plan and then carry out that plan.
If you want to be closer to God, to know him more fully. Then you must spend more time with him. Schedule it into your day, block the time off on your phone and then do it. Read His word, talk to Him, sing to Him, sit with Him. Everyday. And in a very short amount of time, you will feel closer to him then you ever have before.
It’s not too late! Whatever it is you want to accomplish in 2015, I encourage you to set a goal! Next year at this time you will be so glad you did!
