Goals for 2011 - Preview

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This, obviously, is a work in progress. I've decided to not do resolutions this year, but rather, goals. A resolution, as defined by dictionary.com, is:

1.  a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group. Compare concurrent resolution, joint resolution.
2.  a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
3.  the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.
4.  the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.

All of that makes New Years Resolutions sound like something comes into effect, like a law, Jan 1 12am.  And I've realized with many things that change does not happen over night.  


Now goals are defined as "the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end."  Ah ha! You see, resolutions never work anyway.  You never hear anyone saying at the end of the year 'I kept my new years resolutions!'  No, but goals?  Goals yes.  Goals are something we can work towards through the year.  They are something which I can look at at the end of the year and say, 'Did I meet my goal?  How close did I get?'  It gives me room to make the change and room to fail.  It's not an all or nothing, which is hard for me.  Goals we can make steps towards, whereas resolutions demand that we are already there.  Semantics?  Maybe, but for this gal, it gives me some room to breathe.  


Now, onto the goals.  I want my goals to be potentially life changing.  Not just 'I want to plant a garden this year.'  But rather, 'I want to can all the spaghetti sauce I'll use in the coming year.' Or something like that.  I want my goals to be substantial.  So I'm sitting here, what are the areas of my life that are substantial to me?  The areas that God has blessed me with, so that I can be a blessing?  And even that is a struggle against self.  You know I love to run and one of my goals is to be able to run a 12 min mile, but how does that bless others?  How does that bless God?  Hmmm.  So those areas would be:

1. Relationship with God
2. Relationship with Andrew
3. Relationship with our children
4. Relationships with others
5. Relationship with self

I'm noticing a theme here, but I think it works.  We are blessed so that we may bless others.  I recently heard a writer say that we were created for relationships.  I also had a book in seminary that stated we were created for community.  Hmmmm.  Which is true.  God created Adam and what did He do with him?  He walked and talked with him in the garden.  What did God say about Adam's situation pre-Eve?  That it wasn't good.  That was the only thing in the whole of God's creation that wasn't good, the fact that Adam was alone. So God created Eve and stated that it was VERY good.  We are created to be with others and for others.  


I've written a lot here and I was going to just write out my goals, like I usually do, just sort of sneeze on the computer and click publish post, but not tonight.  I want these goals to be something I can tell others in a statement.  A nutshell.  And I want them to mean something to me.  I want to grow.  I want to change.  And I want the Lord to lead me in this.  So I'll be back, post later on about these goals.  Before the New Year, of course.  :)