Goals to Set NOW and the Encouragement You Need

Photo Credit: lululemon athletica/Creative Commons

Wow! It’s great to be back in the blogging saddle again. I’ve missed you!

I hope you had a joyous Christmas season and that you rang in 2013 with a smile, a dream, and a goal (or two)!

I’m not a New Year’s resolution kinda gal. I’m more of a goal-setter.

I make lists.

I write goals.

I reassess.

In short, I examine the past, but embrace the future.

I find New Year’s resolutions too self-limiting. “Goals,” on the other hand, allow room for tweaking. I can add to or check off (once reached).

But that’s just me.

If you’re still in “coast mode,” and neither a goal-maker or a New Year’s resolutioner and you’re feeling a bit unhinged, here’s the encouragement I would offer today:

• Know that some reservations are normal and part of the process.Naming our goals
  

  Photo Credit: lululemon athletica/Creative Commons

  requires commitment. That’s scary, but we needn’t be debilitated by the unknown. Putting words (AKA goals) to paper doesn’t set us up for failure. It creates possibilities. It helps us visualize success. It fine-tunes our desires. (For many years, I had to put my writing on hold because of life circumstances, however, I never gave up on my goal.) I set the same goal year after year, until finally, I reached one aspect of it. I signed with my dream literary agency and wow! Suddenly, the path to publishing seemed possible. More real. And because I’ve achieved part of the bigger goal, I’m now able to focus on the next step–writing the books I’ve always dreamed of and eventually seeing them published.

• We’re winners! Perhaps, we’ve been daunted by something in the past. Maybe, we’ve even failed at something we’ve tried. Possibly, our self-esteem is lagging. We’ve all been there. We’ve all tried things that flopped, fell flat, or didn’t work. That doesn’t mean we’re doomed. While the enemy would have us believe we’re losers some days, the fact we’re created by Almighty God defeats that lie hands down. (Jeremiah 29:11) Winners recognize this and we move past our foibles. Because we’re living, breathing human beings with a dream in our hearts and a goal before us, we’ve defeated the loser status!

• It’s a new year! The past is the past. Resurrecting old hurts, mess-ups, or sidelined objectives serves so purpose. Doing so is debilitating. (I once talked with someone who’d nurtured a wound for over 20 years! Think of all the wasted energy.) Yes, some issues are bigger than others. Illness, death, divorce, job loss shape our world view. But they don’t have to determine the bigger picture. Because of Christ, there’s always HOPE and He can alter our course and shape the outcome in a heartbeat.

If I’m able to set goals at this stage in life, you can, too!

I may be a Pollyanna to some degree, but I DO know a little something about life’s detours.

• I’m an older mom.
• Our children are 10 years apart.
• Our family lived in and out of hospitals for years with one of our precious children.
• My father suffered an aneurysm the day after I signed with my literary agent.
• My husband was downsized after a 20 year career with the company he was set to retire from.

I’m sharing some of these things with you for the first time today. I thought it would be easy. As I type this, tears start to form. The realization is palpable–I want so badly for you to get this: goals are a must. When we make our desires known on paper and to others, it causes something in our brains to click. We realize the infinite possibilities before us. Suddenly, our wants, wishes, and dreams become tangible.

Why? Because words have power!

I’m a dreamer. I’m a goal-setter. I’m a believer in the seemingly impossible. (Hebrews 11:1)

It’s time to grab a cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate.

It’s time to set some new goals.

Will you join me?

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What’s one of the biggest goals you’ve ever achieved?

What are some of the goals you’ve set for 2013?

My blogging schedule for 2013 is the same: I blog MWF unless otherwise noted. I dish about life, writing, and spiritual things, topped off with a big, ol’ dose of encouragement. You can subscribe to my blog posts via the sidebar button in the upper right hand corner.

I’ll continue to hold end-of-the-month blog drawings for fun prizes including books, gift cards, and whatever goodies strike my fancy. To be eligible to win, just leave a comment and/or subscribe to my blog. For further RULES, you can click this link.

I’d love to connect with you on Twitter and Facebook, too! I haven’t delved into Pinterest yet lest I become too distracted to write. But you never know. It does look pretty alluring.

Photo Credits: Creative Commons 

Blessings Always,