2016 Resolutions and Goals

  New Year's resolutions often get a bad rap - but I believe they are completely misunderstood.  Because most people make resolutions at the start of the year, we automatically associate them with new beginnings.  But, in reality, resolutions are about ending points (destinations) not beginnings (starting lines).  If you start with the wrong mindset, you are doomed to fail.  But change your perspective, and you will realize that you do not have to be perfect to accomplish important goals.

  Personally, I need targets.  It makes no sense to me that people prefer to aim at a blank wall, then go draw a target around wherever they hit that wall, and subsequently call it a bulls-eye.  That is a sure sign of the fear of failure (or the fear of accountability).  Don't be afraid to set some specific goals and make some personal resolutions.  They will serve you well by establishing both direction and a specific destination for your life.  If you are looking for a god read for the new year, pick up "The Principle of the Path" by Andy Stanley.  This one simple principle will not only impact your own life - it will change the life of everyone you teach it to if they will apply it.

  Here are some of my own resolutions / goals for 2016:

1.  I need to lose 45-50 pounds.  If you know me well, you might wonder what is different from previous years?  Great question, but the answer is dynamic (meaning it creates change).  In previous years I have "wanted" to lose weight - this year it has become a "need"  I am now dealing with the impact of age, not just of my body in general, but the age of previous injuries.  I am living with a new "normal," and I can accept that and change my lifestyle and goals, or continue, (like many people choose to do), to live in denial or self-deception.  When something moves from a "want" to a "need" in your mind and heart you view it completely differently.
  Specifically, I want to lose 25-30 pounds by Easter Sunday (March 27th), but not for the obvious reasons most of you would expect.  Losing that amount of weight will allow me to be able to wear my original gold wedding band again, something I am currently unable to do.  That is my primary motivation, though very few people will even know or be able to understand.
  By July 1st I want to have lost down to my first goal weight of 185 pounds.  At that weight my lifestyle changes - different sizes of clothes, less chronic pain, better sleep, more energy and a healthier self-esteem.  I'm not so much concerned with what other people think about my weight and health, but (1) I owe it to my family, and (2) I believe God is pleased when I demonstrate the daily personal discipline of taking care of his temple.

2.  I want to get certified to scuba dive.  It is something I have always been intrigued by and wanted to explore, but my personality almost always leads me to put everyone else's wants and needs ahead of my own, and that's not wise or sustainable.  I love the water, and there is another part of God's creation that, up until now, I have only experienced through someone else's perspective.  I have no unrealistic dreams of ever being a deep water or highly skilled elite diver - I just want to learn to do it safely and to an extent I can enjoy explore things I have not enjoyed before.  * Accomplishing goal #1 will certainly help me accomplish #2.  Goals often are interconnected that way.

3.  During 2016 I plan to complete writing my first book.  This is an assignment I believe God gave me 15 years ago that I have been unfaithful to.  I'm not aiming to write a New York Times best-seller.  Instead, I hope to write a book that can really help others.  Consequently, I may even give it away once it is completed (technology makes that possible now via e-books, etc.  I don't know something that no one else knows - I am just hoping to communicate some truths from my own perspective and in a way that connects with some fellow servants in an effective way that adds value to their lives.

  These are some of my more public commitments.  My other goals are relational and spiritual, and therefore more private.  But I am convinced that if I pursue them passionately, others will recognize that there is something inside that is motivating, encouraging and empowering me.  These three that I share are all resolutions you can see and know if I have stay committed to accomplishing them.  How about you?  Are you willing to put some of your challenges in writing and allow others to hold you accountable?  Remember - this is about destinations, not starting lines.