New Year's Goals

The New Year is usually a time of renewed motivation to set goals.  Now is the time to sit down and think about what you want to accomplish in your lifetime.  Why not take some steps in 2018 toward achieving your goals?  If you need help to set or re-set your goals, see my blogpost “A New Year Goal Strategy” dated 1/1/17 for quick, easy goal setting.

Here is a reference guide to my blogposts (dates are noted) for some goal-setting tips for 2018:

1.  Choose gratitude.  Turn your disappointments into goals.  (11/30/16 and 12/19/16)

2.  Identify what is in your heart to accomplish.  Don’t let another year go by without taking steps toward your goals.  (4/2/16 and 5/30/17)

3.  Write down your goals.  Make a plan and evaluate your resources.  (4/2/16 and 5/29/16)

4.  Be intentional.  Be proactive!  Remember, “hope” is not a plan.  You must take action to make it happen.  (10/31/16)

5.  Schedule 10 minutes a day to work on your goals.  Consistent action in small steps will help prevent procrastination.  (4/10/16 and 8/31/17)

6.  Visualize the result.  (9/30/17)

7.  Check your mindset.  (6/28/16)

8.  Make sure your priorities match your goals.  (8/31/16)

9.  Change or renew your goal, if necessary.  (9/29/16)

10.  Try something completely new, even if it seems impossible!  (1/8/17)

11.  Health should be your Number 1 priority.  Make a plan to take care of yourself.  (5/9/16)

12.  Pat yourself on the back; don’t be too hard on yourself.  (7/30/17)

I hope you had a productive, successful year in 2017.  May you have new blessings and adventures in 2018, recognizing that your own goal-setting efforts will help to bring happiness and contentment in your life.  Happy New Year!  God bless!

Devotion

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen.  Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.  Psalm 20:4 (NIV)

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for good health, family, a home, job, food, blessings, and the dreams in my heart.  I acknowledge that all I have is from you.  Help me to keep my 2018 priorities in line with your will for me.  I know that I will only be successful in my goals with your help.  I ask for your help, your wisdom, your grace, and your strength in the coming year.  I honor you and worship you – my Lord, my Redeemer, the Creator of all things!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

© 2017 Linda Lijewski

24 Hours

If you work eight hours a day and sleep eight hours a day, you probably have some time left over in a 24-hour period to accomplish steps toward your goals.  Some days you have more time available, some days less.  But continuous days of no goal activity can turn into months, which can turn into years.  To avoid losing precious days, months, and years of missing out on your goals, try to focus on the next 24 hours!

Why are the next 24 hours so important?  Why not focus on the next year or so?  Well, the answer is very simple.  The next year is made up of 24-hour periods.  Why not focus on the manageable 24-hour timeframe and plan daily goal activities?  It is so much easier to tackle a daily to-do list than waiting to try to accomplish everything all at once, and then finding you don't have the time.  We all know how quickly and easily a 24-hour period can be swallowed up by routine activities.  If you are a goal setter, you know that those precious days are gone forever.

A goal journal can help you plan your day and keep track of your daily to-do's as well as your goal accomplishments.  The journal is an easy reminder to stay focused on your goals in a 24-hour period.  The journal also serves as a great encouragement when you begin to lose motivation!

I make an effort each day to pray that God will make it a productive day for me and that He will help me to accomplish what I need to accomplish.  I have my daily to-do lists and I try to make sure I do something, at least one thing, each day to work toward my personal goals.  I remind myself that goal ACTIVITY will move me forward… and that occurs in the 24 hours of each day!

There are plenty of Bible verses that remind us that our days our numbered, and that God knows the number of our days.  Pray today that your next 24 hours will turn into a productive day.  Then make your to-do list and TAKE ACTION!!

Devotion

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered – how fleeting my life is.  You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.  My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”  Psalm 39:4-5 (NLT)

Prayer:

Lord, help me to be productive in the days you give me.  Let me not waste even 24 hours of the precious time you have given me.  I want to accomplish your purpose and your will for me.  I ask you today to give me wisdom, courage, and strength to follow you and accomplish your will for my life.  I ask you to keep me focused and renewed, on a daily basis.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 © 2017 Linda Lijewski

Habits - Good & Bad

Are bad habits keeping you from reaching your goals?  I suppose even some good habits or routines can keep you from working toward your goals because your time is being consumed by other tasks and activities.  But – a goal is a goal, and anything that keeps you from working toward your goal should be identified and tackled.

I recently went to a work-at-home status.  I love it!  I stick to a daily routine that helps me to control my work day and separate my work life from my home life.  I am so happy and relieved that I made the effort to establish a good routine right from the start.  I don’t even need to think about it; it simply is my routine.

But, with my new daily routine, I am experiencing an impact to my personal goals.  Here are my challenges…

1.  I previously used my daily commute time to memorize Bible verses.  For 2017, my goal is to memorize one verse per week.  Since I no longer drive to and from work, my daily memorization has dwindled to zero.

2.  I have increased my snacking.  My daily “healthy eating” goal has been completely disrupted by being home and facing a constant urge to snack.  Some of my friends who work from home warned me that snacking is a problem and must be dealt with immediately before the bad habit sets in.  I should have listened to them!

3.  I had planned to join a nearby gym and work out over my lunch hour every day.  Guess what?  I haven’t joined a gym yet.  I had great intentions, but I kept putting it off.  In fact, my daily exercising has disappeared because I did not fit it into my new routine.

Oh, how easy it is for habits to develop and find a comfortable place in our daily routine! 

Sometimes, we hardly even recognize bad habits or choices until we stop and make the effort to identify them and intentionally replace them with something positive and good.  In my experience, a good habit can be developed just as easily as a bad one.  It is a choice.  And we have the power to make that choice in our lives!

So, for each bad habit or neglected goal that I mentioned above, I am working on a good choice or habit to replace it.  I prayed for wisdom and guidance from God, and He gave me clarity on my snacking struggle.  I neglect to eat regular meals, I keep too many snacks in the house, and I sometimes work at the kitchen table - way too close to the fridge!  I have two choices... continue with the bad habit or make a change.

I think I'll make a change.

If you do an inventory of your habits and decide to make a change, you just may move your life in a different direction!  Pray about it and seek God's help and guidance and wisdom, one habit at a time.

Devotion

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Prayer:

Lord, I ask you to help me turn bad habits into good ones.  Help me to recognize where I need to change.  I ask for wisdom to know what the good choices are, and the strength to make those good choices for my life.  Renew my mind each day and help me to conform my will to your good and perfect will.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

© 2017 Linda Lijewski