Kingdom Promises: Make Goals, Not Resolutions.
So, we are already a month into this beautiful year of our Lord 2016, and those New Year’s Resolutions are looking as though they may not make it through February to March. Maybe it’s because you’ve gotten too busy. It could be because the resolution you made for yourself now seems like a daunting task that you could never get done. I’ve been there; making resolutions every year only to be rid of them by Easter and on to substituting those for thoughts of lesser achievements that I assumed would be easier to obtain.
I did this very thing in my early 20s until something so simple occurred to me; why don’t I just call it something else! While this seems a bit ludicrous and less productive than what you’re used to getting from me, it makes perfect sense! If our tongues are powerful and we are able to speak life and death into anything, why wouldn’t it make sense to change the way our minds perceive an ideal by changing the word that is associated with that all together. A mind trick of sorts. If I call it a GOAL instead of a RESOLUTION, I won’t feel that the task is so daunting! I won’t feel as though I’m in the same boat as the world around me come April of this year and I’ve achieved nothing. Furthermore, I make goals all of the time! From making goals with huge impacts like moving, getting my Master of Public Health degree, buying a new car, to lesser goals like committing to living a healthier lifestyle, picking up my Bible and “God’s Promises” references for at least one hour per day, or deciding to floss twice a day instead of once. Goals are actually things that I can achieve in my mind. They are tangible and solid.
So, here are is the reason why you should make goals instead, and tips on how to make those goals work for you before half of your year is gone.
Reason:
- A Resolution is a “firm decision”. A Goal is a “commitment”.
- A resolution is defined in the dictionary as a firm decision to do or not do something. A goal is then defined as the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end. To elaborate, when you make a “resolution” to do something (work out 5x per week) you are making a firm decision, yes. However, by sheer definition the resolution is not followed by action. Making a “goal”, however, requires that you not only make the decision to do something, but that you define that decision, and exert effort towards it. You’re actually “aiming” for it. It’s in the definition!
Tips:
1) Purchase two white boards. One small and the other large. On one, you will write your GOALS for the year. I personally always either choose to make 7 goals or 3 because I deal with numbers in completion (7 is Biblical completion; 3 represents wholeness—i.e., The Most High, The Holy Spirit, Christ [The Holy Trinity]). However, you are certainly allowed to do what works for you.
- You will write your goals on the smaller white board.
- You will then use your larger white board to write a plan for achieving those goals.
- This step CANNOT be skipped. I know that this may take a while. For some, it may be as simple as an hour. For others, it may take a full Saturday. But, you cannot move forward to achieving these goals without a plan for them. Whatever you fail to plan, you certainly plan to fail.
- Yet another caveat that makes a goal different from a resolution. A resolutions says that you’ve made a firm decision about something but still don’t have a plan to enact that decision.
2) Place both white boards in your home where you can see them. As a matter of fact, place them where you are forced to look at them everyday because they are integrated into a space that is a mandatory part of your normal routine.
3) Lastly, take conscious steps to achieving the goal every single day. Follow the plan. If you follow the plan, you will build habits; positive, healthy habits that will lead to the achievement of that goal.
Let’s put this in proper context.
One of your goals for the year is to live a healthier lifestyle.
You write “Live a Healthier Lifestyle” on the small whiteboard—You then write “Workout 5 days/week, Eat fresher fruits and vegetables, Cut down on red meats and pork, and drink lots of water” on your larger white board—Underneath this text, you create a logical plan that will build habits—“Take a fully stocked gym bag to work with me daily so that I can go directly to the gym after work. Begin meal planning and shopping at actual grocery stores instead of super centers. Take a gallon of water with me daily and drink from it until it is gone.”
It’s that simple! I sincerely hope that this was able to bless someone. Keep those Kingdom Promises!