The beginning of a new year, exciting or daunting?
I guess it all depends on how you decide to view it. For years I have watched my husband prepare for each New Year like an explorer to a newly discovered continent. With intent focus and all the right tools, he maps out a course that will take him from January to December. Saddled with a new organizer and books on organization he writes his top goals, mid year goals and mini goals. Each goal is given a “why” to remind him why he has the goal. Next, he assigns dates when the goal needs to be accomplished. Lastly, he frames the goals and places them on his desk so he can be reminded each day. He is the modern day explorer of goal setting.
This year, I really need and want for this year to be different than my past few years. I cannot boast of great goal setting habits, which may be the cause of my lack of progress, desired accomplishments and my ability to follow through.
To start my New Year, I read Michael Hyatt’s book Your Best Year Ever. This book is amazing for any newbie goal setters and experienced goal setters. Before I wrote down any of my goals, I would think about what type of goals I would like to pursue this year. In the process I realized I would talk myself out of the goal before I wrote them down. “I am too old,” “not smart enough,” “ not talented enough,” “not tall enough,” “not skinny enough” – in other words, I am “not enough.” It is amazing how we can sabotage so quickly a dream or a goal due to a limiting belief about ourselves.
Limiting belief
I realized I was struggling with what Michael Hyatt terms “a limiting belief” system.
These are beliefs that only exist in our mind, but we treat them as though they were facts. For example, even as I write this my limiting belief is “no one will read this.” Hyatt tells people “to flip the paradigm and replace them (limited belief) with empowering truths.” I replace my limited belief with “God put this on my heart to share – even if it helps just one person, it was so worth it to be faithful.”
So this year I am prepared. I have an organizer, calendar and to do list. I have a few short term and long-term goals being developed…but my biggest goal is that my goals are more than words on a piece of paper or a fancy idea to pat myself on the back when accomplished…I want my goals to be sacred.
I want each goal that I have to start with a dream that was planted in my heart. I want to see how I was designed and prepared from the time I was created for these dreams. I want to increase my trust in Him, that these dreams are accomplishable. I want to see the Zoë breath of God bring life to my dreams. I want to know and feel God’s handiwork on my life as my dreams turn into goals. My prayer is that each goal creates in me a sacred intimacy with my Heavenly Father.
To answer my question exciting or daunting? Definitely exciting! Here’s to a New Year full of God’s sacred goals and dreams!
Psalm 139:13-18 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
