Keith Chandler, Journey Christian Church
The New Year is a time to reflect on the changes we want or need to make. Many of us commit to exercise, eat healthy, get organized, or learn a new skill. But what if this year was the year we aligned our priorities with God’s priorities. Maybe it’s time to make a new resolution.
Statistically, 50% of Americans say they set New Year’s resolutions. Others are on the other end of the spectrum. My New Year’s resolution this year is to NEVER think about resolutions.
The top New Year’s resolutions every year are: lose weight, something financial (manage debt, spend less, save), get organized, live life to the fullest, and quit smoking.
I bet Jesus never had to set resolutions. He was going to do exactly what he did last year. It was easy for him, but it’s not so easy for the rest of us… right?
The problem is all the data collected says within one week of setting New Year’s resolutions, 50% will fail at them, and within six months, 90% fail.
I want to talk about a principle that most people have missed in the process. That’s why we struggle with keeping our resolutions or goals. I want to talk to you about a principle that you are either going to embrace in your life or later on bump up against and regret it. In a nutshell: You should always define who you want to be before ever deciding what you should do.
Every January we dive into, “What am I going to do this year?” Most of us never step back and define who we want to be. Have you ever defined your life purpose? Why you are here on Earth? Doing so will transform everything about your life.
Here are two practical steps you can take to define who you want to be.
Step #1. Write down your personal mission statement.
Think about the end of your life. What do you want written on your tombstone? Because if you don’t think about and define what your life should be all about, imagine what you could drift towards?
When you don’t define who you want to BE, your goals are usually motivated by one thing—ME. Don’t make your mission statement just about you.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21
Besides a personal mission statement, you need to #2. Write down your personal values.
Your personal values are guardrails in life that help you stay on the path that leads to where you want to go. If your mission statement is what’s written on your tombstone, your personal values are how you want people to stand up at your funeral and describe you. Define who you want to be so at the end of 2018 and at the end of every year from now on, you will not drift to a place where you are living a life that’s empty.
Yours for a purposeful 2018,
Keith