New Year's Resolution?

A resolution according to Google is a firm decision to do or not to do something. In my opinions that takes A LOT of discipline. My daughter and I seem to major in A LACK of discipline, so we have resolved not to have resolutions!

"But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’ - Luke 14:28-30

We, for many years, have set yearly goals. There are measurable and attainable although challenging. We print, post them and every few months, we go over them. Sometimes they need adjustiing. We set them in a way that if we don't attain them, we are still better off than when we started the goal.

A result should not be your goal. Explore how to attain the result and THAT should be your goal. For example, "In 2014, I am going to go to the gym, three days a week" is probably not an attainable goal if you haven't been going to the gym on a regular basis. If you miss a few days, then a few weeks you  could get discouraged and quit. Instead, explore WHY you want to go to the gym? Is it to exercise? Then maybe a better goal is to exercise 3 times a week. Next, list 10 ways to get exercise, such as the gym, a walk with the kids, a bicycle ride, etc. This makes the goal attainable.

Next, measure your goal. Put an E (for exercise) or a smiley face on the calendar every time you exercise. This will both motivate you and implore your kids to keep you accountable (LOL). Even if you missed an exercise every week, at the end of the year, you would have exercised over 100 times!

Check your entire list of goals often to re-motivate or remind yourself of the goals. Keep your goals in prayer!

Challenge: Make a list of measurable, attainable goals. Have your children make goals for themselves. Maybe start with 3-5 goals for the year.