Tips for 2021
How was 2020 for you? How do you think 2021 will go? As much as we may like to guess, we honestly have no idea how the future will exactly play out. 2021 could be the best year you’ve ever had. 2021 could also be the most challenging year you’ve ever had. Here are some tips towards intentionally making 2021 the most amazing year to date:
Look back, but move forward. There is a sense where we need to forget the past. We don’t need to rest on our past accomplishments. We also don’t need to stay stuck in our past failures. We need to learn from what’s behind and push forward with wisdom into the future
Set Goals. We go much further and accomplish much more with specific goals in front of us. Make your goals realistic, yet challenging. Make your goals measurable and have a plan for small steps on the way to a large accomplishment. Find friends to encourage you and hold you accountable.
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30–31).
Set Spiritual Goals. Loving God better should be our top goal every year. He wants us to enjoy Him through Bible reading/listening, time in prayer, commitment to and presence with our local church family, and by obeying and serving Him joyfully.
“train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7–8).
Set Physical Goals. We are a culture that sits too much and exercises too little. Many of us eat too much and don’t eat healthy enough. We know we need to change or else we will feel worse and worse with age. We know if we don’t change we’ll die sooner and miss out on living our years well.
Set Mental Goals. Our brains need exercise. Satan attacks our thought life. Let’s put so much truth and love into our minds that Satan’s accusations and deceit have no place to remain. Let’s keep our minds actively set on eternity.
Set Family Goals. Every year goes by so quickly. May we be intentional to set and protect our time with family, whether through a weekly occurrence or an annual get together or vacation. Our families are precious and grow up too quickly!
Set Workplace Goals. We spend a large percentage of our life in the workplace. Let’s look at it as an opportunity rather than an obligation. Let’s set goals to do our best and to show God’s goodness through our words, actions and attitude.
May 2019 be an amazing year of spiritual growth, progress, and encouragement no matter the circumstances ahead.
“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14).