An honest look at my Goals

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

This is the time of year I take a realistic look at my 2018 goals and I set my 2019 goals.
I often have mixed feelings about my results.
One thing is for sure: if I aim at nothing, I will hit it every time.

I have learned to be more realistic about the things I can accomplish.
I simplified my goals for 2018 and that was wise.
I also know that giving up on difficult goals does not match my personality.

I divided my goals into the following categories:

Faith - Family - Fitness - Business - Other

My Faith goals help me with the "discipline" part of 'spiritual discipline." I admit that spiritual discipline doesn't happen magically. I have to set goals and persevere in my daily habit of seeking God as a priority.

My Family goals help me to put quality in the time I have with my family. The years I have with the kids are short. They grow up quickly and they launch sooner than I realize. These years must matter. I also have goals for my marriage. I see marriage as the most precious relationship in my life. A lot of work goes into it and I'm glad about it.

My Fitness goals help me make progress in an area that isn't too difficult for me. It hasn't always been like this. I remember dreaming about running 11 years ago. I remember saying that one day, I would run and be active. Well, here I am so I can't coast now.

My Business goals help me make advances in an area that is challenging. This whole journey hasn't been easy. I knew it wouldn't be easy, yet, I am thinking about totally giving up on this pursuit. If failure is part of the process, I might need a trophy. The only joy I have is that I honestly tried. It hurts to think about it too much so I am choosing to move on. I appreciate your prayers in this area. I would give you more details but my frustration level is high.

"Other" is a category I created so I can add goals that do not fit in the previous four. I only have one item there. I said that in 2018 I would like to "keep the good friends I have." Rejection has been part of the friendship journey for me. It comes in different forms. There isn't enough time for me to explain what I've learned from being rejected over the years. I decided to focus on the positive. I also decided that God has graciously given me good friends. I decided to give my time to those friendships. I am pretty sure I will experience more rejection (ugh!) in the future. I just needed one year to remind myself that a few good friends in the journey of life are more important than a massive amount.

2018 has taught me that writing down goals is only part of the process. A lot of hard work goes into living my daily life. I have learned to leverage my strength so that I have the energy for what's important: my interactions with my family.

Oh, I never even told you about my professional life. It's been an amazing year, glory be to God! Life is multifaceted and my goals help me make multiple areas work well.

I know I can't win in every front. As long as my priorities are in order, I'll call it a good year.

I challenge you to take an honest look at your 2018 goals before you launch into 2019. No matter the results, remember, you have what it takes to reach your goals.