How to Really Reach Your Goals by Heather Creekmore

I'll be honest.  I hate that saying.

I understand it, of course.  January fills me with excitement over what could be in the coming year.  If I could just do all the things, then I'd have the life of my dreams. Right?

Here's how it looks for me.  Near the end of December, I write goals about how I'll be different this year.  I'll meal plan. I'll keep a better schedule.  Yell at the kids less.  Read the Bible more.  Eat salads not Starbucks.  Oh, and workout.  Every single day.

And for an amazing week or two, I'm mom of the year.  I'm a superstar.  I'm doing all the things!  I am on my way to awesomeness.

Then it happens.  A kid gets sick and my schedule is shot.  Someone at the office needs me to cover, and I miss my workout.  The bag of salad turns slimy, so it's Oreos for lunch.  My goals get put away with the Christmas decorations.

The weight of trying to be a "new me" crushes my spirit long before Groundhog's Day.

So where's the happy middle?  What if you really do want to change this year, but you know from past experience that January makeovers never last?

My strategy: Be the tortoise.

I'm referring to the classic tale of The Tortoise and the Hare, of course.  But, I understand.  No one really wants to be the tortoise.  Our world is so fast-paced.  Even microwave dinners take too long when kids are hungry.  We want results, and we want them now.  We don't have time to wait.

I don't mean you have to slow your life down. (Although, that may be good for you too!)  Instead, think about how to slow your goals down.  Break out of the "get it all done by tomorrow" mindset that causes you to ramp up and then fall over board.

What if you could give yourself the grace to inch your way to where you want to be?

Grace. We don't use that word enough when it comes to the little things in life.  But, I believe God wants us to.  In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul tells us about a conversation he was having with the Lord.  Paul asks God to take away his, "thorn in the flesh."  We don't know exactly what that thorn was.  Instead, we only know God's answer, "My grace is sufficient for you."

Let's look at the passage:

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me."
~ 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Paul's reminds that we are never going to get it all together.  And, that's good news.  Because, although we'd like to accomplish all that leads to an awesome "new year, new you" outcome, the truth is, the power of Christ is perfected in my weakness.

If I get it all done, I get all the credit.  I created my own awesomeness.  Instead, God wants us to surrender so we can see him work through us.

Grace: New Every Morning

So, back to the tortoise.  He doesn't stress over being first or fast.  He goes at his own pace, runs his own race.  He doesn't let being slow discourage him from reaching the finish.

Likewise, I wonder how many more goals we'd accomplish this year if we took the long view.  What if, instead of getting derailed and discouraged, we looked at each day as a "new beginning" of sorts.  Each morning becomes a fresh start when we live in light of the sufficiency God's grace.

If yesterday didn't go as planned, that's okay.  God's got new grace for this morning.  And guess what?  Growing and changing on His timeline is so much less stressful than striving to change on a deadline.

Want to start eating better?  Why not ask God to give you the grace to approach it one day at a time, one meal at a time?

Want to exercise more this year?  Ask him for the grace to help you move your body joyfully when you need to and give yourself permission to rest when your body needs that, too.

Want to have more patience with your children?  Ask God each day (or hour) to fill you with a heaping dose of his understanding and love.

What we really need this year isn't a life makeover.  It's a heaping dose of God's great grace — lived out day-by-day and moment-by-moment — that can take us to any finish line.