As you enter into this New Year and new decade, my question to you is simply this: What do you hope for in 2020? Or, stated another way: What do you desire for your life in 2020?
I know the idea of resolutions is not particularly effective or motivational. As a matter of fact, many of us do not even want to hear the word resolution used around this time of the year because it has been abused and misused.
Whether we want to admit it or not, for many of us the New Year brings to mind the opportunities of new beginnings. We see it as a time to set new goals that are meant to improve our lives. We have the desire to be and do better in many areas of our lives.
Likely we all have goals we would like to achieve. But goals without a plan to accomplish them will remain just that: goals. Whether it is to make more money, start a family, buy your first home, get out of debt, save money, become more Christ-like or become physically healthy, we all need goals to live life.
The challenge for many of us is in pinpointing which goals we are going after in 2020. As you consider your goals for 2020 let me suggest the following.
Make it a matter of prayer. Before you decide what your goals are for 2020, why not start by asking the One who knows best – Jesus Christ. He is the One who knows the plan he has for your life. Goals that are set and pursued outside of seeking to know what God wants you to do, will only turn out to be selfish goals. And those usually don’t turn out well.
Prioritize your goals. Sometimes we are so easily overwhelmed with all the things we want to get done that we lose sight of the priorities and timing of our goals. Getting physically healthy might be more important now than working overtime and trying to save some money. Starting a family might be more important now than trying to get another degree. Prioritization is important – keeping the first suggestion in mind!
Break it down. Once you have decided what goals you will pursue in 2020, then you should break them down into small steps. Breaking them into small steps really serves two purposes. For one thing, small steps make your goals more manageable. Another benefit is that achieving small steps serves as motivation for you to keep pursuing your goals. If your goal is to save $3,000 for 2020, breaking down the goal would mean thinking of it as $250 a month or $125 every two weeks. Every time you save $125 you get one step closer to achieving your goal and that motivates you want to do it again.
Write down your goals. I think most of us know in our heads the goals we would like to achieve in 2020. The power of writing them down is that it makes them more real. They are no longer things you are thinking about but now they are actually stated as goals you are pursuing. Writing them down helps to re-enforce in our minds that these are things we are working to achieve.
Get accountability. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to setting and achieving your goals is to attempt it on your own. Without accountability you are more likely to give up on the pursuit of your goals. But when you know at least one other person knows what you are doing, you are more likely to keep on doing it.
Share your goals with at least one other person and ask them to hold you accountable in a timely manner. If your goal is to save $125 every two weeks, then you should be asked about it every two weeks not every other month.
By now, most of us have likely thought about some goals we would like to achieve in 2020. Moving forward I encourage you to review your goals based on the five points discussed above and make any adjustment necessary. May 2020 be your best year ever.
Happy New Year, welcome to 2020 and the second decade of this century!
If you would like help in achieving your goals as a leader or in any area of your life, call us at 208-880-0307 or email us at errol@errolcarrim.com to schedule a complimentary coaching session. To read Errol’s other posts, visit Christ-Centered Life Coaching.
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