When you think about goal setting and resolutions, what phrases or questions come to mind? This popular Stilwell family saying causes our children to cringe:
“If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”
I think they hate it because I barked it so often during their slackish teenage years. No matter how annoying or overused it was, one fact remains:
It’s true.
Not everyone likes to set goals. I appreciate its importance, what with my Type-A personality and all. I love project organization, ordering all the steps in a logical fashion and anticipating the threats that might sidetrack any progress.
Not everyone shares my love of logic.
Some people are more comfortable with a fluid approach to life. And as unbelievable as that sounds to us Type-As, they get along just fine. And can be quite productive! But whether you’re a list lover or a list loather, all of us have days that are… well…
A complete bust.
You wonder why you even got out of bed and wish you could crawl back under the covers and hide until tomorrow.
But there are three goals we can accomplish every day, no matter what type personality we are, and no matter what life throws at us:
Be Flexible.
As Rosanne Rosannadanna said, “It’s always something.” And it is. When the “somethings” in life pop up, we can adjust our schedules and give those “somethings” (or somebodies) our full attention. To be present in those moments and deal with them the best way we can.
Be Gracious.
Another adage my children could parrot: “It’s never wrong to be classy.” Just because someone dumps his or her rotten attitude on us doesn’t mean we have permission to respond in kind. Instead we can respond kindly, extending forgiveness and refusing to be offended. Everyone has an occasional “off” day, but many people have “off” lives. Jesus understood this and we can, too.
Be Positive.
One of my favorite Zig Ziglar quotes:
“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”
Be thankful for a blessing. Find an opportunity to smile and laugh. And find some task you can finish, even if it’s only dropping dirty clothes in the hamper.
There’s no shortage of negativity and difficulty in the world, which is no surprise. Jesus warned, “In this world you will have trouble…” and then comforted us, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) One way to take heart is to remember that God’s mercies are new every morning and bring the opportunity for a “do-over.”
A flexible, gracious and positive approach to life.
It’s a goal we can hit every time.
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