Setting Goals

I'm sure at the beginning of the year many of you set New Years Resolutions that have been long forgotten by now. We all do it, they may be goals full of good intentions yet in the business of life they tend to fall to the side and not be attained. How do we set goals and then carry through with them? First of all they should be measurable. Secondly it is always helpful to have a person to keep you accountable. This past year I  have been blessed to be able to audit a few Bible classes at a Bible College about 30 minutes from where I live. This semester I am taking a womens discipleship class and our teacher had us all right out goals we had for the semester. They needed to cover three areas and be measurable. All the ladies in our class had varying goals. I ended up picking four areas. Many of my goal are measurable but a few are not.

Spiritual

• Stick to my Bible reading program (reading through the Bible in one year) There are days when I get overwhelmed by the amount of reading in addition to my own study time. I decided to listen to it on CD while I exercise or cook.
• Memorize John 15:1-17 by May 19 (the end of my Bible class)
• Write down five new things I am thankful for daily. You will be amazed at the amount of things you can give thanks for. It is a wonderful way to look at all the ways God has blessed us. Especially at the end of a hard day.

 Physical

• Exercise 30 minutes five days a week . A few days a week I walk with a friend, the other days I have to be accountable to myself. Sometimes I take my girls hiking.
• Drink more water. I try to mix it up a bit by drinking a few cups of herbal tea as well.

Intellectually

• Research two herbs a month and write about them on this blog. There are so many wonderful herbs that God has created for us to use for health and healing.
• Learn how to make lacto-fermented sauerkraut and pickles before the end of the school year. I've tried making a couple batched but I didn't like the taste. So I need to make some more.   

 Others

• Write one or two notes of encouragement or thanks weekly. I love to be encouraged by others yet I don't return that encouragement to others. Writing notes is an amazing way to brighten a person's day. 
• Be more hospitable. When people come by our dorm I want to take more time to focus on them and not various things I have on my list for the day. There are times when we may consider those interruptions an inconvenience yet taking time with that person may be exactly what they needed. I want everyone  who enters my home to feel loved, wanted and cherished. 

Now that you know about my goals, what goals do you have for yourself and your home? Be sure to share them with a person that will keep you accountable.