The start of a new year is always a great time to reflect on where you’ve been and what you hope to accomplish. Along with the reflection we often create a set of resolutions or goals to guide us into the new year. But how do you ensure you’re setting the right goals? How do you ensure your path forward is really where you should invest your time, energy, and resources so that you can bolster your personal growth?
If you want to create goals that bolster your growth, I would recommend that you start with a series of questions. These questions provide perspective, help you clarify what’s most important, and provide a framework to establish better priorities as you move forward.
- What can I learn from last year? Before rushing into a new year with a robust list of goals, first stop and reflect on the previous year. What did you learn? What worked, what didn’t work, and why? What new habits did you develop (good or bad)? How did your character grow? What did God do in your life over the last twelve months? Giving adequate attention to the previous year has two benefits. First, it helps you mine and assimilate valuable lessons into your life. Second, it gives you context and clarity for setting future goals.
- Where do I sense the Holy Spirit leading me to grow this year? It’s very easy to rattle off a list of growth goals when the year starts. “I want to lose weight and get in shape.” “I want to start a new hobby.” “I want to save more and spend less.” Most of us intuitively know what we could do better and the areas of our lives where we need to make adjustments, or even complete overhauls. But have you stopped to ask the Holy Spirit what He wants you to do? Yes, getting in shape, starting a hobby, and becoming financially disciplined are important—even biblical. I’m confident the Holy Spirit wouldn’t have any problem with you giving attention to these areas. But the purpose of seeking the Spirit’s direction for your growth is to attune you to the areas you may not be thinking about. Silencing the noise in your head and taking time to simply ask the Holy Spirit what He wants you to focus on may very well reveal insights you’ve never considered.
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- What single step this year would make the biggest positive impact in my family relationships? All of us want thriving relationships at home, but if we’re honest, we can easily take advantage of these relationships because of the constant demands placed on us at work and in ministry. One of the best things you can do is to get painfully specific. What is one thing you can do to strengthen family relationships? What is one step you can take to make a daily deposit in your family’s health? Rather than beating yourself up over a litany of things you could do better, pick one action step that would have the single greatest impact on the quality of your family relationships. A single step could be, “Don’t be away from home more than two nights per week.” Or “Be home from work by 6:00 pm every night.” Or “Eat dinner as a family five nights a week.” Or “Do a date night once a week.” You get the point. One step that would have the singles biggest impact.
- What would make me a healthier leader this year? The health of the organization is often a reflection of the health of its leaders. So, rather than asking, “How can I become a better leader?”, ask yourself, “What would make me a healthier leader?” Could the answer to both questions be the same? Maybe. But health isn’t just focused on competencies. It looks at the whole of the leader. For example, “working less” so you are adequately rested might actually make you a healthier leader. This has nothing to do with competencies or organizational strategies, but there’s no doubt the organization would benefit from a leader who feels rested and refreshed.
- How can I better align my life and resources to live out my purpose and values? God created you with a clear purpose. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” The more time you spend doing the “good works” God created you to do, the greater impact you’ll have in the world. It doesn’t do much good to have a life mission or a set of core values that have no impact on your life, your time, or your resources. How can you create better alignment? Perhaps you need to focus your schedule so you can give more time to maximizing your gifts and abilities. Maybe you need to rework your budget so you can invest in causes where you have the greatest passion. Maybe you need to develop a more disciplined morning routine so that you can give energy and time to your value for personal growth.
You could ask yourself dozens of questions, but these five are a good place to start. Carve out a couple of hours—or maybe a full day—to answer these questions and then craft a roadmap forward. I believe the outcomes will bolster your personal growth this year.
