Every New Year I encounter the same interior battle between the good business practice of setting goals and my Christian understanding of God’s outworking of our purpose and plan. When does goal setting or making New Year’s resolutions cross the Christian line into self-determination?

On the goal-setting side, I’ve taken business courses on time management and goal setting. I believe you can’t get where you want to go without a clearly defined plan.

On the God’s will side of this equation, I know God is in control and if He planned for me to be the next Beth Moore, that is what I’d become. But, if that was not His plan, I could work my fingers to the bone and never achieve success (or if I did, it would be hollow when I got there).

So how do we marry these two concepts? While searching the Scriptures, I discovered the answer tucked within Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul writes,

“I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong- that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.” (Romans 1:9-13 NIV)

We can glean several things from Paul’s goal-setting process. First, Paul knew God well enough to make a decision that would be in line with God’s character. This sounds so easy, but if it were then we’d all where WWJD bracelets and be done with the whole thing. So, the first goal I am setting for myself this year is to grow in my knowledge and understanding of who God is. This means setting aside the time necessary to build a relationship. It might also mean taking some things off my schedule.

Second, Paul did not shy away from opposition or a challenge. When his plans to visit his brothers and sisters in Rome were derailed, he looked for the opportunity in the delay. How our lives would change if we saw every setback and every delay as an opportunity?

And finally, Paul repeatedly refers to his willingness to submit his plans to God’s sovereignty. It is interesting to note that Paul submits his plans to God; he isn’t seeking to know God’s plans for him. I meet so many people who are waiting for God to direct their steps instead of making choices with God-given wisdom and then saying, “here are my desires Lord, this is what I believe I am to do, but your will be done.” In our Scripture passage, we see Paul fully embracing his gift of free will while resting in the knowledge that, in the end, God is still in control.

What does this mean for you and I? It tells me we are free to set goals and make plans to achieve those goals. But it also reminds me that God is bigger and wiser than you and I, and He will, in His sovereignty, guide us as He walks with us each and every day in this New Year.

Cheri Cowell is a speaker and the author of Direction: Discernment for the Decisions of Your Life, which offers a biblically-sound, non-nonsense approach to making God-centered life choices.

Goal setting is a very vital practice. Do not underestimate the importance and impact of goal setting. When you have a target, it gets you focus on important things, take action and helps you save time and energy by preventing unnecessary actions.

Like the old saying goes ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’.

Differentiating between end goals and mean goals when doing goal setting is very important. End goals is what you ultimately want to achieve or get. While mean goals, as it’s name suggests, are used as means to attain end goals. Anytime when we set goals, we must ensure that we are setting end goals not mean goals.

Let’s take the common I-want-to-get-rich goal as an example. This is not an end goal but a means goal. This is because what you want is not money, but the things that money can bring you. Things like security, freedom, happiness, experience etc. You don’t actually want more numbers in your bank account. You want what you think money is able to give you.

It’s sad to say that unfortunately many people end up mistaking mean goals as end goals. They end up solely focusing on accumulating more wealth, so much so that even though they eventually have a lot of money, they still end up unsatisfied.

Here’s a familiar story: A young man works in a large corporation, aiming to be the CEO so that he can have the money to live a life of security, freedom and happiness. Works hard for 20 years, finally becomes the CEO. But in doing so, for 20 years he spent most of the time working (no freedom, no time for loved ones), the stress is killing him (unhappy), and it affected his relationship with family members and friends.

So although he finally achieved his goal, he found out that it did not give him what he wanted.

For someone to set a goal, give their all, sacrifice and finally achieve it – then finding out later that it did not give them what they had wanted is a very sad thing to happen.

So make sure that you don’t make the mistake of thinking mean and end goals are the same. When setting goals, do it thoroughly and take your time. Make sure you get it right.

There is a wise saying that says it is never too late to follow your dreams. This is especially true when it comes to completing your post high school college degree. Several adults drop out of college for different reasons and then wish later that they had finished their degrees. The truth is that you can still complete your college degree no matter what your age or circumstances. This is where goal setting will help you attain your dreams.

A college degree will enhance your life in ways that you can’t even imagine. Not only will it give you more options in your life, it will also help raise your feeling of self-worth and self-confidence. That alone will have big payoffs. Statistically those with a bachelor’s degree will make about $1,000,000 more in their lifetimes than those who don’t. That’s a huge plus for completing your degree.

Goal setting for returning to college to finish your degree requires several steps in order to be successful. First, compile a list of every one of the obstacles you are facing to complete your goal. Secondly, contemplate ideas for getting over those obstacles. Every person’s circumstances are different. However, there are some general goal setting ideas that apply to just about every one.

First, most states have a two year community college system. If you live close to a major city, there is most often one within driving distance. Many returning students begin there. The reason is that it’s less costly as a four year college or university. Set an appointment to converse with a counselor at the school nearest you. This person should be able to assist you with your goal setting by outlining options.

One of the advantages of the community college system is that you don’t have to have a high school diploma to be able to attend. All you have to be is eighteen and older. Be sure and include this option in your goal setting.

The next step in your goal setting to is to choose which option is most beneficial for you. Many colleges and universities give the choice of online degree programs for those people who don’t have easy access to a college campus. You might consider a combination of online and classroom classes. Again, a counselor will be able to assist you. Just make sure that the courses you have opted for are transferable to the degree that you have set as your goal.

Finding the time in your active adult schedule is a challenge that you will face in goal setting. You will need the help and support of your family and friends to attain your goal. Make sure everyone in your family is onboard and supports you. Everybody will have to make sacrifices, but they won’t be insurmountable.

Goal setting should involve everybody in your family. They need to have some ownership in your goal. Sit down with your family and look over the individual days and the weeks in your schedule. You will find the time if you try hard enough.

The good news is that you have many more choices available to you in your goal setting than were available even a few years ago. Evening classes are usually offered. There are also some colleges that offer weekend classes for working adults. Many colleges and universities are now providing accelerated courses where you focus on only one or two classes at a time until those are finished.

Most colleges have support groups available for adults who are returning to school after long periods of time. Take advantage of them. They can offer resources that you probably weren’t aware of in your initial planning. Remember, are able to attain your goal of a college degree and goal setting will help you reach your dream.

It happens every January. New Year’s goal setting, otherwise knows as New Year’s resolutions. It seems that a large percentage of us receive a burst of inventive energy right after the holidays and begin to set idealistic goals for ourselves. We decide to lose ten pounds, change jobs, or entirely change our lives.

What’s wrong with us? Do we have some kind of strange masochistic propensities that lie concealed in our DNA all year long until January comes around? We must. It’s a sad reality that New Year’s resolutions are generally short-lived if not completely forgotten by February. Are we doomed to and eternal circle of goal setting and failure?

Can we actually make goal setting for the New Year successful? Can we interrupt the chain of miserable failure? Yes, the good news is that we can be successful with our New Year goal setting. We can succeed if we follow a few simple steps.

In goal setting, the first thing you must do is select goals that are plausible and achievable for you. They have to be the proper goals for the correct reasons. If you don’t believe that you will be able to achieve them, then you’re condemned from the start. For example, if your goal is to lose 10 pounds this year and you don’t believe you’ll be able to do it, then you have set yourself up for failure.

Effective goal setting has to include thought and deliberation. Think long and hard about what you would like to accomplish. Decide that the goal you have chosen has significance for you and you’re willing to commit to achieving it.

Make your goals achievable but not so low that they lose significance for you. Then again, don’t set them so high that you get disheartened. This is a tricky area of goal setting. The solution is to break your goals down into smaller chunks that you can achieve. For example, if you goal is to lose 10 pounds, then set a reachable goal of one or two pounds a week. This will help keep you motivated.

Another strategy for goal setting is to be specific. Set a date that you would like to reach a specific goal and then work backward, breaking it down in to smaller chunks. If your New Year’s goal is to “lose weight,” then you’re defeated before you begin. It is more effective to decide that you would like to lose ten pounds by March 1st. Stating it this way makes the goal solid and believable to you. You are much more likely to accomplish a specific goal with a time frame than a vaguely stated goal.

Write your goals down and post them, so that you see them often. This reinforces your goal setting. You could try standing in front of a mirror and saying your goals out loud each day. This also makes your goals a formal commitment. Don’t give up. Goal setting can help us make positive changes in our lives if we follow a few simple rules.

Is goal setting a valid strategy to reduce debt? Personal financial debt can appear overwhelming on occasion. It can cause much frustration and tension in our lives. As a matter of fact, financial troubles are one of the leading causes of divorce in this country. Debt can also lead to poor health.

There is a way out of debt. It takes three steps. First, you must admit that you have too much debt. Next, you must commit to adopting the necessary actions to reduce your debt. Finally, you must use goal setting to establish a step-by-step plan to escape from debt.

The first step in goal setting for debt reduction is to analyze how much debt you have. Most people are not mindful of the total debt they face. This adds to your stress because ignoring a problem does not make it go away. Most experts propose making a chart or spreadsheet that lists all of your creditors and the total you owe. Also list the interest rate of each debt. Then prioritize which creditors you need to pay off first.

The next step in debt reduction goal setting is to determine the minimum payment each creditor will consent to. List that on the chart or spreadsheet. Remember that if you only make the minimum payment each month, your finance charges will eat up most, if not all, of your payment. There are a number of free debt reduction calculators available on the web. This will help you determine how much additional you need to pay. It will also help you with your goal setting efforts.

At this point, a lot of people feel completely overcome by the amount of debt they may be facing. If you find yourself in this position, you might want to think about a credit counseling or debt consolidation service. There are a number of good ones available. Check with you local Better Business Bureau and online to decide which is right for you.

In your goal setting and analysis, you may decide that you are not able to afford to make any increase in your current debt reduction payments. This is not necessarily true. Look over your present family budget and look for areas where small modifications can be made. Remember, it only requires a few dollars added to your monthly debt payments to make a difference.

Other goal setting suggestions for debt reduction are to reduce your expenses. Analyze your utility expenses. This is an area we have a little control. Also take a look at reducing your grocery spending. Buy only those items you genuinely need by avoiding impulse items. Shopping at wholesale warehouse club stores will usually save you money. Throw away your credit cards. Drastic but it works. Carry only one major credit card and use it only for emergencies.

Goal setting will help you stay motivated to reduce your debt. Place your chart or spreadsheet so that it is visible. Break your goals into small chunks. This will produce some easy wins. Record those wins on your chart. It’s also important that you give yourself rewards for accomplishing those goals. This will help you stay motivated. Goal setting to reduce your debt can be enjoyable if it is approached with the right intent. Finally, statistics indicate that the majority of people who apply goal setting to reduce their debt are debt free in three to four years. In the scheme of things, that is a very short time.

What’s holding you back from succeeding in your dreams? Jim Rohn, a leading expert in personal achievement and goal setting, says that neglect might be holding you back.

In order to succeed, then, we need to do the opposite of neglect. What’s that? The thesaurus indicates that the opposite, or antonym, of neglect is to look after or to care for. In other words, we need to look after the things that we have neglected.

Jim Rohn succeeded at an early age, 31. While most of his friends struggled, Jim Rohn became a millionaire. He says that he took care of what others neglected. He further says that it was early for him to do.

Jim took care of listening to successful people.

While his friends neglected to set goals, Jim Rohn carefully cultivated his goals.

Jim Rohn read good books to improve his intellect and his attitude. His friends neglected to pick up the right kinds of books, or any books at all.

Do we have enough opportunities? Yes. Is there enough money for everybody to get their piece? Yes. Can everyone get an education? Yes. Are there enough jobs? Yes. Is there something out there that you would be good at? Of course.

So why do we fail? Why do we live mediocre lives? Because we neglect.

We neglect to live our lives. We neglect to surround ourselves with people who will help us succeed. We neglect to set meaningful goals and then to strive to achieve them. We neglect to work on our attitudes. We neglect…

Unfortunately, neglect brings us down. Just like a neglected house, the problems go beyond just the cosmetic.

Neglect actually affects us on a spiritual and mental level. We lose confidence in ourselves. Our attitudes turn negative. We let down the people we love most. We doubt we can succeed. We doubt our talents. We lose ourselves.

If you want to break the cycle of neglect in your life, you need to get in the habit of action. “Just do it,” like the old Nike ads admonished. Study the habits of successful people. Do what they do.

Acting will remove neglect from your life. Period. So start doing something. Now.

According to Jim Rohn, a leading personal development expert, most people don’t succeed because of neglect.

So his secret of success is to not neglect. Right. Do the opposite. A quick trip to the thesaurus reveals that the antonym, or opposite, of neglect is the care for or to look after. Are there things in your life that you should look after that you have been neglecting?

Jim Rohn succeeded at an early age, 31. While most of his friends struggled, Jim Rohn became a millionaire. He says that he took care of what others neglected. He further says that it was early for him to do.

Jim Rohn listened to successful people. His friends neglected to do this.

Jim took are of setting goals.

While his friends neglected to read books to improve their thinking, Jim Rohn took care of his mind and his positive thinking by filling his mind with the motivational words of the book he carefully chose.

There are enough opportunities, money, education, and jobs for everyone. There’s no shortage. Don’t blame you lack of success of some external factor. You know the old saying, “The buck stops here.” If you’re not achieving the kind of success that you want in your like, take ownership of it.

So why do we fail? Why do we live mediocre lives? Because we neglect.

Don’t neglect your life. Don’t neglect to surround yourself with worthwhile associates. Don’t neglect to set goals that ignite your passions and desires. Don’t neglect your attitude. Don’t neglect those around you.

Unfortunately, neglect brings us down. Just like a neglected house, the problems go beyond just the cosmetic.

Your self-confidence will wane. Your faith in yourself and others will diminish. Where you once were positive and full of dreams and hope, you will have become negative, pessimistic, and cynical.

If you want to break the cycle of neglect in your life, you need to get in the habit of action. “Just do it,” like the old Nike ads admonished. Study the habits of successful people. Do what they do.

Acting will remove neglect from your life. Period. So start doing something. Now.

Almost everybody has heard the hit single ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’ by Bobby McFerrin. This song has a very attention-getting way of conveying its message of being happy to everybody. Bobby Mcferiin’s simple message surely made many people happy by telling them not to worry.

Living a happy, lively and cheerful life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy in reality protects you from the tensions of life. Stress is linked to many of the top killers such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

Among the best things ever said is – ‘The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change’, and in our life we have the power to make the necessary changes if we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always discover solace in knowing that it too will change.

Social networks or relationships are all-important to happiness. People are different, accept people for who or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of all kinds of bitterness. If arguments seem unavoidable still try and make an effort to comprehend the situation and you might just work through it.

Happiness is in reality found in everyone, increasing it is a way to make a life more wonderful and also healthier.

To be happy is relatively easy, just make a decision to be a happy person. Abraham Lincoln observed that most people, most of the time chose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their mind-set was going to be. The choice is easy really, choose to be happy.

There are several ways by which you can do this.

Showing gratitude is an excellent attitude. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the guy who cleans your windows. Also thank the mailman for bringing you your mail, thank the policeman for making your place safe and thank God for being alive.

News is stressful. Get less of it. Some people just can’t begin their day without their daily dose of news. Try and think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news. Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a wise thing to do.

A spiritual association is also recommended. Belonging to a spiritual group with its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace.

Manage your time. Time is priceless and too crucial to waste. Time management can be considered as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, producing lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the essential basics of time management that should be understood to develop an effective personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned more to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the outcomes you desire.

Laugh and laugh warmly each day. Heard a funny joke? Tell your friends or family about it. As they say -’Laughter is the best medicine’.

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to others around you. They will more than likely reciprocate your actions. Make an effort to not keep pent up anger or frustrations, this is not good for your health. Rather find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone.

Working hard makes for tremendous personal gratification. It gives a sensation of being competent in finishing our tasks. Achievements are essential for all of us, they give us a sense of value. Work on affairs that you feel are worthy of your time.

Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new everyday. Learning also makes us extend and widen our horizons. And could also give us more opportunities in the future.

Run, jog, walk and do other things that your body was made for. Experience life!

Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

These are the few simple things you can do day-to-day to be happy.

And always think of the quote from Abraham Lincoln, when he says that, “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Starting a new business isn’t for the timid. When you decide to start a business, you should be aware that it consumes a tremendous amount of your time and energy. This is where goal setting will help you through the obstacles you will encounter.

Planning and goal setting are necessary factors that you must accept in order to launch your new enterprise. Let’s take a look at what’s confronting you when you begin an adventure that can be both energizing and rewarding.

In order for your business adventure to be successful, you must objectively evaluate your business skills, abilities, and motivation. Business goal setting necessitates writing down why you want to start a business to begin with. Be honest with yourself. What is your motivation? You’re the only one who can determine if you’re motivation is strong enough to carry you through the ups and downs of a business startup.

The following step is to also be honest with your self about your business skills. Do you need to take some courses to fill in the holes? Take a trip to your local bookstore. Browse the business book section. Buy a couple of business primer books and read them. This will help you learn what are your strengths and weaknesses.

Goal setting for business startup needs you to know just what sort of business you want to start. Your local bookstore is also a good resource for business suggestions. Not only will there be business books, but there are also several magazines published especially for small business owners.

Your goal setting should include attending some business trade shows where you can speak to vendors. The internet would also be a good resource. A number of sources on the internet release the current trends of the buying public. This will help you evaluate your ideas.

Now that you have measured your business skills and come up with a viable business idea, the next step in your goal setting is composing a business plan. Your business plan will include the type of organizational structure that is best for you. They range from a sole proprietorship to corporation structures.

In your business plan goal setting you must also evaluate your tax implications, licenses, and insurance coverage. Check your local chamber of commerce. They’ll probably be able to point you in the right direction for getting the answers you need.

Do you need money for startup and operating expenses? There are a number of potential sources at your disposal. Do you have the business capital yourself? Possibly family members could help fund you as investors. Check to see if you qualify for an equity credit line. There are also a number of banks that will give small business loans under the right circumstances. Goal setting involves doing your homework.

One of the final steps in business goal setting is deciding if you can afford to devote your full attention to your business adventure. Maybe you will be able to keep your current job while you get your business up and running. Maybe you can find a business partner who will share the expenses and the time to run your new business.

In conclusion, your business goal setting should include establishing a support organization. Check with your local office of the Small Business Association. There are retired business owners who volunteer to help new business startups. Also check the web for small business resource centers. Goal setting for your new business will help you succeed if you write down your goals and plans and stick with them.