Happy New Year!! We made it! Every year, I am so grateful to roll into January because it's the beginning of a new year. A time to start fresh with renewed hope that this will be THE YEAR. The year to accomplish that BIG goal, the year to redecorate my home, the year to get better at tithing. I get the opportunity to finish what I started, set new goals and assess what transpired in the previous year. Yes, I make resolutions but I don't give them a time limit. It doesn't matter if I finish the project in this season or the next, the point is to achieve the goal. This has helped reduce the anxiety of meeting a specific deadline in my very busy life. I have learned to be a Finisher and so for me, setting a specific deadline is not as important as completing the tasks necessary to achieve the goal. If you struggle with finishing, you should set a hard deadline. A hard deadline will force you to be more disciplined and when the date arrives and you have not "finished", you can set another deadline. You must learn to finish! Someone once told me, "Write your goals in pencil and give God the eraser." This tidbit of wisdom helps me detach from a time limit and to trust the holy spirit to direct my path. It also gives me peace of mind and patience to endure the things that take time and not rush important matters.
It took me seven years to write my first book. Every year, I would set another goal surrounding the completion of it and eventually, it was done. Many of you are beating up on yourself because you did not accomplish your 2017 goals and have given up on making any resolutions for 2018. I encourage you to sit down, be quiet, breath deeply and write the life you want to experience on paper. There is magic in writing down your goals and dreams. Once you have listed them, prioritize them by what you want to happen first. When they have been prioritized, write down what must be done to achieve them. This is the most important part! My success in life is a direct result of the goals that were written when I was very young. They are chronicled in the many journals of my youth. I am living the life that I dreamed of as a young girl laying on my daybed in my purple bedroom in East Palo Alto, California. Through discipline, desire, and determination, I am Living the Dream! You will achieve your goals/dreams by focusing on your behavior, NOT the goal. There is an that old adage which says, "Talk is cheap." In 2018, don't talk about it, write it down and make a habit of taking action. In time, many small behaviors create large results. Your ability to become whatever you desire is predicated on your ability TO TAKE ACTION!