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Goal-setting for 2006
There's lots of conversations going on this week about New Year's resolutions. Should you make them? What are the chances of your keeping them? You know the drill. Everyone of us have gone through the gamut of making resolutions to turn over a new leaf.
This year, I have decided not to make any resolutions. Instead I am going to set some goals for myself this year. And, to help me make this activity realistic, I decided to use the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goal setting method proposed by a fellow named Phil Gerbyshak. (Phil took the standard S.M.A.R.T goal method and added two additional criteria.) Here’s how it breaks down: S - Goals must be Specific and the more specific the better. State your goal in as exact of terms as possible. M - Targets should be Measurable. That which you measure will be treasured, so think about what will be the measurement of your achievement of your goal. A - Goals should have Accountability. Who or what are you accountable to for the goal? R - Goals must be Realistic. Unrealistic goals will lead to discouragement. T - Targets should be Time based. Decide your time-table for completion, and stick to it. E - Goals should be Exciting. Exciting goals will be met far sooner than boring, bland goals. R - Goals should be Recorded, in a place where you can look at it every day.
Got the picture? Here’s an example of how I am implementing this process. My goal this year is to take better care of my health. Using the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goal setting method. I have restated my goal this way: By the end of 2006, I will have written and self-published an e-book entitled, “Real World Christians”, containing at least 150 pages and available for sale on the web. Specific – Yes, it is very specific. I have established the length , title and form my authoring will take. Measurable – Yes, I can measure the progress of the project very easily. I know how many pages I need to complete every day to produce a 150 page e-book in the next year. Accountability. Yep. I just told you and every other reader of this article of my goal for 2006. I am depending upon you to ask me on a regular basis how I am doing. Send me an email at lmspeir@gmail.com from time to time and check up on my progress. Realistic. This idea has been ticking in me for some time. I have the skills and the desire to pull this off. Time based. Certainly. My commitment is by December 31, 2006 this project will be completed. Exciting. Yes! Although a bit scary, also. I know I can communicate the things God puts in my heart to people that listen to me in person. I am excited about sharing my heart with a bigger audience. Recorded. You betcha! It’s here on this web site AND it is in calendar.
There you have it. I hope you will be inspired to set some S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals and get moving. Make this the year you do something great for God!
Top 10 Resolutions
The top 10 most common New Year’s resolutions people make are:
Lose weight
Stop smoking
Stick to a budget
Save or earn more money
Find a better job
Become more organized
Exercise more
Be more patient with others
Eat better
Become a better person Are you making plans yet for a better life in 2006? Aren’t you tired of trying to do it all yourself? And, not doing a very good job? Is this the year you are going to allow God to give you the life He created you to have? God’s a lot like Delta Airlines used to be...He’s ready when you are!
Merry Christmas
And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons.
It came without tags.
It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
~Dr. Seuss
Fractured Christmas Carols
No one can fracture a Christmas carol better than a kid. Sing along with these new takes on old favorites:
* Deck the Halls with Buddy Holly
* We three kings of porridge and tar
* On the first day of Christmas my tulip gave to me
* Later on we'll perspire, as we dream by the fire.
* He's makin' a list, chicken and rice.
* Noel. Noel, Barney's the king of Israel.
* With the jelly toast proclaim
* Olive, the other reindeer.
* Frosty the Snowman is a ferret elf, I say
* Sleep in heavenly peas
* In the meadow we can build a snowman, Then pretend that he is sparse and brown
* You'll go down in listerine
* Oh, what fun it is to ride with one horse, soap and hay
* Come, froggy faithful
* You'll tell Carol, "Be a skunk, I require"
* Good tidings we bring to you and your kid
A Christmas Devotional
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. - Isaiah 9:6-7, TMSG
You Might be a Scrooge...
If you turn on the lawn sprinklers on Christmas Eve to keep carolers away
. . . you just might be a Scrooge. If you buy all of your Christmas gifts at a store that also sells gas
. . . you just might be a Scrooge. If you get your Christmas tree at a rest stop at night
. . . you just might be a Scrooge. If you give bathroom fixtures as Christmas gifts
. . . you just might be a Scrooge. If your favorite Christmas movie is Jurassic Park
. . . you just might be a Scrooge. If your best Christmas tradition involves a fire and reindeer meat
. . . you just might be a Scrooge. If your favorite pastime is putting defective bulbs in your neighbors' string of Christmas lights
. . . you just might be a Scrooge. If your only holiday decoration is a rotting pumpkin
. . . you just might be a Scrooge.
A Shopper's Psalm
I'm weary, Lord. Bone tired. In spite of the fact that my shopping's half done I need to crash. The crush of the crowd has gotten to me. So, too, the deafening sounds of a pre-Christmas city throbbing with incarnate greed. I need to be reminded that this season's more than plastic Santas, perpetual sales, and Muzak. I need back on the track of reflection. I've derailed, Lord. My emotional fuel is leaking. I'm about to explode. And then I see it. A miniature creche in a gift shop window. A guardian father; a grateful young mom; a baby asleep on the hay. A trio maintaining their harmony despite the dis-chord all around them. And with my nose pressed against the frosted pane my inner pain subsides. At once I am rested, renewed, and revived. And I linger and ponder God's peace. By Greg Asimakoupoulous
At War Over Christmas?
I know you are probably frustrated by the verbiage battles related to Christmas this year. Should we say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? Should we have church on Christmas Sunday morning (December 25) or give everyone the day off? Should holiday decorations on public property include a nativity scene or not? It seems this Advent Season, more than ever, we are at war over Christmas. I hope not!! On November 29, the Fox News/Opinion Dynamic conducted a survey asking some questions that you might find interesting. For instance, those surveyed were asked: — Do you consider Christmas a religious holiday or cultural holiday?
Religious: 57% ... Cultural 14% ... Both: 12%
— Do you agree there is a war on Christmas in the United States?
Agree: 42% ... Disagree: 48% — Does it seem that the public display of Christian/Christmas symbols is under attack more this year than normal?
More: 58% ... Less: 13% ... Same: 15% — When greeting people you don't know well during the coming month, are you more likely to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays"?
Merry Christmas: 61% ... Happy Holidays: 26% ... Depends: 10% — Are you offended by stores that instruct employees not to say "Merry Christmas"?
Yes: 45% ... No: 49% — Do you agree or disagree that the courts have gone too far in taking religion out of public life?
Agree: 77% ... Disagree: 17%
The Inner Peace Virus
There is an email going round that warns of a very powerful virus spreading in epidemic proportions. The virus is called “Inner Peace.” Be on the alert, it says, for symptoms of inner peace that could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.
Some signs and symptoms of inner peace:
• A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.
• An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
• A loss of interest in judging other people.
• A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
• A loss of interest in conflict.
• A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)
• Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
• Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
• Frequent attacks of smiling.
• An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.
• An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the
uncontrollable urge to extend it.
“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’” Luke 2:13-14 NIV
Let us hope we catch this Inner Peace virus this year.
Merry Christmas
The MasterCard Challenge
By now you should have seen the catchy television commercials for MasterCard. They start by identifying some things that people can buy with their MasterCard, then show a moment that is priceless and end by saying, "There are some things money can't buy, for everything else there's MasterCard." As we enter this Christmas Season, this advertising concept is one we need to remember. Oh, not that most of us need any help in remembering to use our MasterCard; we are expert shots when it comes to using those things. But, remembering that it’s the little things that make a real difference in life. Can you remember all of the gifts you received last year? How about the year before? Me either. But, we can remember the special times we spent with family. Those special memories of laughter and good times; the sweet remembrances of watching the kids grow up; the echoes of kind words and good deeds are with us for a very long time. Our life is the culmination of the little moments, which over time, have a huge impact. Unfortunately people tend to take them for granted. With so much emphasis on holiday shopping, and on buying the perfect gift, we can lose sight of the importance of the less flashy, but "priceless" gifts: gifts such as thoughtfulness and gratitude that we can give to one another all year round. A diamond may last forever, but its value is nothing compared to a lifetime of moments that money can't buy. This Christmas season would be a great time to add a few things to your seasonal “to do list”. Here are a few “priceless” activities you might want to try:
- Show your appreciation with a thank-you, a smile or a hug (or all three). It takes just a moment, but it can make a person's day.
- Practice a random act of kindness every day. Make this your "gift" to a stranger. For example, let someone in front of you in line. Hold a door
open for someone. Smile and greet people you pass at work. These acts take only a few seconds or less, yet they create a mood that can last for
hours.
- Call up someone you haven't spoken to in a while, just to catch up on how they are. You've probably been meaning to do this for a long time.
- Write a note of appreciation to someone who is important to you. Don't be surprised if that person keeps the note for years to come.
Come on, you know you want to. Give it a shot!
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