Set Hard Goals

photo © 2009 Martin Abegglen | more info (via: Wylio)

My previous post was entitled “Set Easy Goals“, so you may be wondering, “What gives?” No, I’m not changing my tune. What I’m saying is this New Year, set some easy goals, but you should also set some hard ones.

Remember, it may be five days into January, but it’s not too late to set some goals. I hope you already have some, and if you’re new to goal-setting, or have never been good at completing your goals, check out my post on easy goals. Then, you should also consider setting some hard goals.

Set Easy Goals

It’s still early in the New Year, and if you haven’t already set goals for 2011, there’s still time. Take the time this first week of January and set some goals. Remember, not all goals for the New Year have to be big or particularly challenging, in fact, let me tell you today why at least some of your goals should be easy ones.

How are those resolutions coming?

I had a great run earlier today. It wasn’t great because I ran really fast or really far (in fact, I was just surprised that I could be outside in shorts and a t-shirt in February). It was a great run because I went out and did it.

Earlier, I posted some thoughts about goals for the new year. I hope that you set some goals for the new year, and I hope you’re sticking to them. Since I set those goals, I’ve been thinking about some things I heard Dave Ramsey say on the Fox Business Network. He talked about goals. He said that they must be specific and measurable, and that you should write them down. He also said that most New Years Resolutions peter out by Valentine’s Day (2/24 – a Saturday this year, FYI).
One of my goals has been to be able to score above 80 on the Air Force fitness test by this summer. That involves running 1.5 miles, doing push-ups, and doing crunches. In order to meet that goal, I’m working out more, because I have a specific goal. (Also, because I got my promotion last week to First Lieutenant in the AF reserve–which has lately motivated me).

I want to encourage you to continue on with those resolutions, set some solid goals, and achieve them. I’ve been encouraged today. Here’s where I’ll spotlight one of my blog links. I read Pastor Steven Furtick’s blog, and am often encouraged and challenged by what he is doing and talking about. This is a guy who is only a couple of years older than me, and doing some big things–he makes me aspire to more (it’s humbling and challenging to see that God can use young ministers to do big works). Today Steven Furtick had a post entitled, Just Do One. It’s motivating. He talks about some advice he’s received (specifically in the context of working out): if you have a goal to do pushups, or situps, or whatever — just do one. The point is, that once you get the first one out of the way, you’ll be able to continue on to more, but the first one is often the hardest.

So get back on track with those goals, have the discipline to just do the first one (push-up, sit-up, steps walked, Bible verses read daily, etc). You can meet those goals, and this year doesn’t have to be like all the other ones.