Have you ever felt stuck? I have. Many times. (And I believe I’ve talked a little about this before.) Sometimes the tasks seem too daunting. Sometimes we physically cannot move forward because of mobility. Sometimes it is all in our head and we’re just fearful. I hope you’ve had a chance to Reflect + Review, because I think it helps us in our moving forward when we have had a chance to assess what has happened.
Resolutions, Goals, and Plans, Oh My!
December and January are those times of the year when we have dreams and ideas swirling in our heads. There are talks of resolutions and goals and plans because we are getting ready for a fresh start and there is a blank slate. Sound familiar?
Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21
Oh, this verse has so much truth to it! We have so many hopes for what we want to accomplish, but God certainly knows how to thwart our plans sometimes. He know our hearts and our minds, but He also knows what is best for us. I would not be surprised if we have wonderful plans to do great things for Him, and He changes things on us. BUT what I do know is that at least having a plan helps me to not be overwhelmed by unforeseen circumstances and helps me to leave margin in my life to accept the challenges and take the opportunities that come my way.
So, whatever you want to call them, it is always good to prayerfully consider what’s ahead.
Building Good Habits
There’s no shortage of information and resources related to goal-setting and such, and I can certainly give you some suggestions and tips, but I want us to take a look at the big and small of creating a plan. The big would be the “vision” – what you want to be in the future. I’m not a good visionary, but I know there is a bigger purpose beyond ourselves that God has called us to. The small would be the “mission” – what you are doing now to reach the vision. I know when I have been intentional about the habits I build, those bigger goals and visions seem just a little more within reach.
For the past few years, I have been working little-by-little at being consistent in my goal-planning. You might be amazing at it (give me some tips!), but it scares me a tad. Unexpected events derails me. Failure worries me. Surprises distracts me. Oh, I have all the excuses all right. But as I work my way to being accountable to the tasks set before me, like feeding my family, being a good steward of the finances I am given, or building a friendship, I realize low-goals are way better than no-goals, and the way to reach them are through building good habits, those small faithful steps we take to trust in God’s plans. Sooo…I have created a simple planner for simple vision and habits for each of the life areas we will be working through this year. Sign up to get yours today and let me know how it goes!
Your turn: How do your small faithful habits help you live out your big faithful vision?