Well, it's almost the end of January, so it's time to review the resolutions I have made. I have said that I really think it helps to look over our resolutions regularly, to make sure we are still on track. This year I made my resolutions, and just a few days ago I stumbled upon this post at Passionate Homemaking, about mission statements. She links to Kat's ebook on creating mission statements. Also, in a similar post Lindsay linked to Ann's (at Harvest Ministry) 2011 Mission Plan. Now, some background- I have read various books on mission statements (I almost went into a business major) and have even incorporated similar ideas into my New Year's resolutions in the past. Still, these resources (which I am not even completely through yet!) has proven to be invaluable to me.
I set my resolutions according to the "SMART" principle, that is that goals should be: specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, and timed. This is meant to ensure that instead of vague, wishy-washy ideas, we make actual resolves (a root of resolutions) that we can achieve. So, here I am thinking I have a good practice set up, all proud of myself. (And this should have been the first sign that something was wrong, since pride is not something I should be taking lightly.) Unfortunately, when reviewing my goals from last year while making this year's, I had to rewrite some of them since they had not been achieved (and that should have been the second sign!) Going through Ann's workbook, however, I have made a large shift in my thinking.
I have rearranged my goals to really focus on what is important to me to do for this year, and to really work on what is important for me to accomplish, to fortify my weaknesses. I have a strong plan for my family, and for the mission work I want to do. If you feel that your resolutions aren't actually pushing and guiding you, or that your life is 'unbalanced' I highly recommend you check Ann's book out for yourself.
One of my favorite parts is the 'Alignment'- this helped me rather painfully become aware of how little progress I was making in some parts of my life. The things I was focusing on, which I felt were the weakest areas, are actually in better shape than other aspects. I feel much more equipped to create a plan that I can use to achieve my goals. I hope you are aiming true on your resolutions this year. Everyone needs help sometimes, so if you feel like these books could assist you, have a look at them. And, I always love to hear from you, so any tips you have for creating or implementing your resolutions please comment!
Shelley
