What do you want your life to look like?

I read a quote on Facebook in the past few weeks and it fits well with today's post.

photo credit: www.happywivesclub.com

One of the things I love about New Year's Day is that it symbolizes a fresh start.  Whether last year was your best year ever or one you would rather not repeat, a fresh start is a good thing.  And, a fresh start is the best time to think about goals for your life- for this week, for this year and for your future.

The Bible tells us that planning ahead is a good thing as long as we understand that God is ultimately in control.

"We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.  It pays to take life seriously." Proverbs 16:9

This week, we have talked about general concepts to focus on in the year ahead. Now, let's talk about how to develop specific goals related to your life and your circumstances.

The first step is knowing where you want to go in life.  Your goals may be about different parts of your life- education, parenting, relationships.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• What kind of home do you want your kids to grow up in and what can you do to create it?
• What would you do if you could do anything?
• What did you want to be when you were a little girl?
• What are the three things you want to change most about your current situation?

Use your answers to the questions above to set your destination {where you want to be in 1 yr, 5 yrs, etc} and then develop SMART goals to help you get there.  SMART is an acronym.
It stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Framed. {We will talk about SMART goals tomorrow}

This year, my focus {similar to the 5 resolutions I encouraged you to make} is on staying healthy, spending lots of time with my family, working toward my career and ministry goals and sharing God's love with others. My goals are to lose 15 lbs before my anniversary {which is in July}, to decide on a master's degree program and apply for it and to help my 3 year old granddaughter and 16 year old son adjust to having a newborn {my daughter is having her baby in February} in the house.
Do you see the difference between focus and goals?  They go hand in hand as they both have to do with your values and your desires.  Focus helps you narrow down what you want to achieve and goals tell you what it will look like when you get there.

Time goes by whether we are intentional about how we want to live our lives or not.  Your kids will get older, you will get older no matter what.  The choice of whether your life will turn out the way you want it to is largely up to you.  When you have a plan and goals for your life, it makes it easier to get back on track when hard times come your way. 

Are you a planner or do you tend to let life just happen?

Till tomorrow,
Melissa