One month of the New Year closes today. Perhaps you started off enthusiastically pursuing your goals and intentions for the coming year, or maybe you chose a slow, deliberate beginning. Either way, claiming these four keys to achieving your goals in the New Year, will keep you focused, empowered and moving forward!
Welcome to Mindfulness Monday! Where we learn some easy ways to be more present “in the moment” at our jobs, in our homes, with our families and friends.
Learning to recognize God and what He has for us in each divine moment He offers. We acknowledge the belief that God is with us always.
We confess His presence is available to us, lifting our spirit and helping us with power and grace. Learning the art of “stillness” so we can hear His voice and view ourselves, others and our surroundings through His eyes.
everyone has goals
If you regularly follow my Mindfulness Monday posts, you know we spent the last four weeks slowly getting into position for a purpose-filled year of Kingdom impact. For my new readers, Welcome! You came at just the right time because this post wraps up everything we learned in one handy spot!
Despite what you hear, everyone has goals. Not everyone takes the time to define them or map out the steps needed for achieving them, but everyone moves in a chosen direction. So, instead of leaving the outcome to chance, why not step up, by faith step out, and commit to making a difference in your life and the lives of others through Kingdom impact?
The biggest roadblock to a purpose-filled year of kingdom impact rests with not knowing where to begin or how to properly define your goals and intentions. I encourage you to read each post in its entirety for complete instruction on each “key step”. But this overview of four keys to achieving your goals in the new year provides both a starting point and a quick reference and review.
hope: Key number one for achieving your goals
We began our journey with Mindfully Embracing the New Year with Hope. Rather than recklessly bounding into a new year, one final journey through the old year with a keen eye towards God’s eternal faithfulness reframes everything with Hope.
Revisiting the old year through a retrospective view of both pleasurable and distressing aspects provides the best method for infusing a new year with Hope. Sharing a unique mindfulness exercise in my first post of the year, I offer a gentle method for reflection uncovering God’s hand in every area of the past year.
Purpose: key number two for achieving your goals
Confidently closing the past year, lingering with God’s faithfulness, we embrace Hope moving into the New Year. Now we turn our hearts towards determining a God inspired purpose for Kingdom impact.
In 10 Uplifting Questions For a Purposeful New Year, we took the prophet Haggai’s advice in Haggai 1:5:
Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.
Haggai 1:5
Considering our ways, we worked through ten thought provoking questions, with the intention of reviewing our spiritual habits, attitudes and methods providing opportunity for God inspired change.
Using this method not only provides you with tools for instituting change and improvement, but positions you for kingdom impact and a purpose-filled new year.
Let me know your favorite question in the comments!
Intentionality: key number three for achieving your goals
The most labor intensive, key number three of the four keys to achieving your goals in the New Year, incorporates intentionality to your goals. Mindful Journal Prompts For an Intentional New Year moves goals into action, while igniting the passion for accomplishing them.
Both resolutions and goals remain mere ideas apart from solid intention. The mindful journal prompts included in my post provide a powerful spiritual assessment tool.
Building intention before stepping into the new year clarifies your God given purpose from the inside out. Intentions, unlike goals are not attached to expected outcomes. They influence your approach to situations and decisions; keeping you focused on your purpose.
motivation: Key number four to achieving your goals
In the trendy expression of the times, “know your why” provides the final key for achieving your goals in the New Year. My last post, Seeking Success in the New Year reminds you, fortifying your heart with Hope, narrowing down a solid purpose, and positioning yourself for action with intentions is beneficial, but having a “why” strengthens your resolve.
Creating a bigger resolve rooted in a “why” sourced in fulfilling God’s calling for your life guarantees success in the new year.
Fulfilling a desire for a purpose-filled, intentional year focused on Kingdom impact rests in showcasing the worth of God’s calling on your life. Not your personal call for ministry or concentrated service; but the same calling covering every Christian.
To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,
2 Thessalonians 1:11
The choice of demonstrating the worth of your calling in Christ not only propels you forward in your resolves, goals, purpose and intentions for the new year, it showcases God’s infinite worth.
Possessing a “why” as big as honoring God’s calling in Christ ensures perseverance in the face of adversity.
four keys to achieving your goals in the new year
Grasping and working through these four keys to achieving your goals in the new year, helps refine your God led direction for the year ahead. But ultimately, Seeking success in the new year pivots on honoring God with your desires for change, growth, and impact for His Kingdom.
For my friends who, like me, suffer from anxiety around goal setting, I include the links to three posts I wrote last year on goal setting without anxiety. Each post builds on the last and guides you through easy ways to set realistic and achievable goals while having fun doing it!
It is not too late for goal setting. If avoiding goal setting has been your norm, try starting small, you may be surprised what God does in your life!
This is an articulate way to put the saying, “Whatever you are focusing on is way you will go.” You stated, “Despite what you hear, everyone has goals. Not everyone takes the time to define them or map out the steps needed for achieving them, but everyone moves in a chosen direction.” This is so true! Whether we set specific goals or do regular evaluations for maturity, we are still focusing on something or Someone which moves us in a specific direction.
Thank you for these highlights, “Goals remain mere ideas apart from solid intention” and “having a ‘why’ strengthens our resolve” and “seeking success in the new year pivots on honoring God with our desires for change, growth, and impact for His Kingdom.” I’m definitely going to ponder these deeper.
Lisa, I rejoice you found this post helpful. God impressed being intentional upon me for the very reason I state, that we all move in “some” direction, why not make it count instead of being tossed around. We don’t have to go crazy with a long list of things, even taking the time to set a simple intention for your day can make a huge change in your walk with God!
Living with more intention is a goal for me this year. The Holy Spirit impressed upon me to set my intention for the day as soon as I wake up. this has really helped me with my motivation and I am getting more done each day. Great key, Thanks.
Jodee, thank you for taking the time to read my post. I rejoice that you found it helpful. Incorporating intention into my life is something the Holy Spirit has impressed upon me too for 2022! I love that you set your intention for the day as soon as you wake up, before other things crowd in. I’m going to try that too!
Wow, Donna … Haggai 1:5 is a perfect verse to guide us through this process: “Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways.’” I’m never been one to write out a list of goals at the beginning of the year, but I love the idea of knowing the “why” behind what we are working in when it comes to growth and what God has called us to do. Lots to think about here, my friend.
Lois, I love the way we can stumble upon lesser known verses that speak so much into our lives! Haggai 1:5 did that for me. I am not a fan of writing out a list of goals, but a more thoughtful God guided approach of seeking areas of improvement and maturity. But no matter how you approach moving into the New Year, knowing your “why” makes a huge difference!