“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
It’s been a loooong winter! I’m ready for spring. How about you?
What do we love about spring? Spring is when the living things that seem to be dead show that they are alive. Light begins to overtake darkness as the days lengthen.
Easter and spring go together, don’t they? Easter reminds us that Jesus overcame sin by his crucifixion and defeated death by His resurrection.
Spring is when the world gets a fresh start. Easter reminds us that we can have a fresh start, too.
Where do you need a fresh start? What if this spring can bring new life to you?
When the calendar year turns, many of us are thinking of what we would like to change and how we want this year to be better than last year. We make promises to ourselves or to God about how we will change. Did you do that? Maybe you even made a list.
But as time passes, we often forget those promises, and we drift. Do you feel like you have drifted off-track? Are you where you hoped to be when you started the year? If you are, then kudos to you! How will you keep yourself on track? If not, what can you do now to re-evaluate and shift your attention so that you head where you want to go?
The God-centered goal-setting process I teach is a great tool for this. Ask, Aim, Act, Achieve.
Ask God. Aim toward what He says. Act on those goals. Achieve your goals and start again.
The beauty of a God-centered goal-setting process is that you can apply it at any time. Now is a perfect time to review, reflect, and restart.
Review your recent actions. Think back over the last few months. What have you accomplished? What tasks have taken the most of your time and attention? Ask God how He wants you to re-orient your priorities. What is important to Him? How does He want you to grow? Then draft one or two written goals that head in that direction.
Reflect on what made those actions important to you. It can be difficult to evaluate motivations. Thankfully, you don’t need to do that on your own. You have the Holy Spirit to guide you.
Ask Him to help you understand yourself. You don’t know what to change if you don’t know what caused the drift. Understanding what causes the drift helps you know what to avoid so you can stay on track. Understanding your motives, your why, helps you adjust it to a why that aligns with God’s purpose. Having a God-centered why helps you maintain your aim and act in a way that helps you achieve your God-centered goals.
Restart from this point forward toward the goal that is most important to God. You won’t know what is most important to Him if you don’t take the time to ask, but once you have done that, now is the time to begin. You don’t have to wait until the calendar year ends, or summer is in full bloom, or school starts. You may not fully reach your goal, but beginning now will help you make progress toward what is important to God. Isn’t that what is most important?
Ask. Aim. Act. Achieve. Today is the day to review, reflect, and restart. It isn’t too late to reclaim your year and become a new person by changing the way you think and act (Romans 12:1-2 NLT). Go for it! A fresh start begins NOW.
Key Question: What does it take to make a fresh start toward God-centered goals?
A Scripture to Consider: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
A YES Challenge: Set aside time this week to prayerfully reflect, review, and restart. Write down one or two God-centered goals that you want to focus on for the rest of the year.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for knowing me completely and loving me anyway. You know my weaknesses. You understand why I have drifted from what is most important to You. Forgive me. As I reflect, reveal my motivations. Help me make the necessary adjustments so I can make progress toward goals that are centered on You. My greatest desire is to live a life that pleases You. Amen.
Check out my book The YES Adventure: Transform Your Life with One Word for encouragement, inspiration, and more about God-centered goal-setting. Please leave a review on Amazon! That will help other people find the book and receive guidance and encouragement in their God-centered goal setting.
If you are stuck and would like a partner to help you process your next step, I’d love to help. Schedule a 30-minute complimentary coaching session here.
