This year I will run 2 half marathons in under 1 hour and 50 minutes per race.
I will read at least 5 books on personal development.
I will write 2-3 blog posts per week.
I will pray with my wife every night.
These are 4 of the many goals I’ve set for 2012. All of them have action plans behind them to help ensure I accomplish what I’ve set out, and nearly every goal is activating my why, my purpose – to advance others through personal-growth education.
Hopefully by now you’ve also set at least one goal for the year. But here’s a twist for you.
What one thing will you make it a goal to not do this year?
Right now you may thinking, “What a sec, Joel. Goals are about getting stuff done!” If you’re thinking that, you’re right. Goals are typically aimed at doing rather than not doing. But really goals do more than that. They help us live the most balanced, accomplished lives possible.
Well unless you’re perfect, you have bad habits, characteristics and tendencies that prevent you from living as well as you could, accomplishing your goals and activating your why.
So what is it?
Spending too much time at work? Being online too much? Checking your email during date night with your spouse? Prioritizing the game over everyone else?
Perhaps it’s as simple as interrupting people when they talk. Or always assuming the worst about others.
The one thing I will not do this year is check email, Facebook or Twitter during date night with MaryBeth. Nothing says I’m not here, my mind is somewhere else, more than whipping out the smartphone to see what you’re up to. No offense but MaryBeth and my marriage are simply more important.
I encourage you to give this some serious thought. We all have weaknesses and problem areas. Think about what you want 2012 to look like. What you want your life to look like.
What’s standing in your way? When you decide on it, write it down and place it somewhere you’ll see it regularly.
We hang our goals on the refrigerator so we see them every day. My “won’t do” will be on the same sheet of paper. If your “won’t do” is a bit too personal to showcase along with your magnet collection or kid’s drawings, put it in your sock drawer or somewhere more private.
Like all goals though, don’t write it down and shove it in the desk you never use. Trust me, you won’t not do it.
Question: What one thing will you not do this year?
It’s going to take me a little while to come up with a “won’t do”, just because I want to be very intentional with it.
I like your “won’t do”
Thanks for the reminder that goals are not just about doing more stuff, but also taking stuff out of our lives.
From fear to mindset to habits to unforeseen circumstances, there are so many enemies of achieving goals. We should be as mindful of those as we are of our goals.
This morning our pastor talked about how whatever we have an attitude of fear about can get in the way of us being all we’re supposed to be. Essentially bringing out the point that in our weakness we are strong (if we let God in there). He had us think of the ultimate thing we are fearful of and write it down on a card. Then he invited us to drop the card as we were singing a song, as a display of letting go of that fear. It may sound cheesy to some, but going through the motion had more significance for me than I anticipated. I let go of my fear.
That’s so awesome. Did you get Fearless from Chris? If so, have you read it yet?
I did not receive Fearless from Chris….unless that’s his last give-away. I haven’t been home yet to get whatever it is this time.
I have not read Fearless. Sounds like it might be a good one to read!
It’s one he sent to top 10 commenters a few months ago. In short, it’s about taking fear about anything to God. Since reading it, I’ve been doing that and it’s made a big difference. It reminds me I’m not alone and puts my fear into perspective. By the way, you should have received an email from Amazon from Chris. He gave his top commenters for 2011 a $25 gift card to Amazon.
Fearless would be before I began commenting a lot.
I found the Amazon gift card! Must’ve missed it (obviously). Awesome
….maybe I should buy Fearless
I plan on spending less time watching TV and unnecessary internet use. Like spending too much time on social media site. Having a don’t do list is so important when it comes to accomplishing your goals. Great reminder.
Glad to remind! We intentionally don’t have cable or internet tv for that exact reason. It’s too easy to get sucked in. Sure you can watch something together but that’s a far cry from conversing. That’s where growth occurs.
That’s a good question. Like you, I’ve been guilty of taking out the smart phone too much in the presence of family. That’s probably my biggest one.
The reason I chose it is because date night is about carving out time to get closer to my wife and vice versa. A weekly date night is a shared goal and my bad habit in the past has undercut it.