Sonya Lee Thompson

Every January my husband and I get away together to have our annual State of the Family and Finances review.

Getting away from the hustle and bustle of your normal life is extremely important because sometimes the only way to see the solution to a problem is to step outside of the issue for a moment.

We both write out our annual goals, then pray together about the lists.

We discuss any major purchases we see in our upcoming year (i.e.. drivers ed for our almost 16 year old, vacation’s, etc.).

Next we talk about any character issues we are having with the kids. At this point, we focus on each child, one by one, and discuss issues and possible solutions. Then we discuss how to implement these new solutions.

We discuss our family life and make sure we aren’t too busy and that we are getting fed at our local church as well as evening Bible study.

Finally, we check in to be sure we are both satisfied with our marriage life.

Of course we take lots of breaks to just relax and recharge our batteries (This year we added prayer walks which were amazing).

For 2012 we stole away to the mountains for 5 days in a small two bedroom cabin with a fireplace and hot tub.

When we finish, we are both revived, refreshed and recharged. The kids know enough to be tense when we arrive home, because change is imminent. But we know the issues we’ve come to expect are now going to be addressed and in time resolved.

When’s the last time you and your honey got away for a time to reflect? If you aren’t married, you can still get away with a girlfriend and disconnect long enough to work out any kinks in your daily life.

This is an annual investment I believe everyone should make. It’s well worth the money spent for a better year and mentally refreshed you.

What are you waiting for? Make a reservation, hire a baby sitter and get going!

Goals are not so easy to meet. We want them to challenge us and improve our lives, but boy do they get in the way when things get busy.

Here are a few tips to help you (and me) reach our goals by the end of 2012:

1. Be realistic. Don’t set goals so lofty you need a miracle to reach them.

2. Be prayerful. Once you have goals in mind, take them before the Lord.

3. Be specific. Be sure to write down the specific steps needed to reach those goals.

4. Be committed. Research has shown that people who actually read over their goals on a daily basis are 80-90% more likely to reach them, so get into the habit of reading them over daily.

5. Be flexible. By February, most of us will have missed it on at least one goal. Don’t throw them all away, instead ask the Lord to give you fresh resolve and start fresh that day. You still have many more months to be faithful to reaching your goals.

6. Reward yourself. As you meet goals consistently, reward yourself. Buy a book you’ve been pining for, or go for a peaceful walk with the Lord, basking in His creation. Pat yourself on the back because you did it with His help!

“And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” Habakkuk 2:2

Well, you probably don’t realize it, but my website has been frozen in time since December 13, 2011.  As crazy as it sounds, I couldn’t get into the administration part to edit or update or even approve comments!

Thankfully, the issues are finally resolved and my site is back up and running.  I am looking at it as a fresh start for 2012.

I am excited about 2012. I have big plans for the new year. I have my goals set, with steps needed to take to reach them.  And I am ready with my resolve.  I sometimes think half of the battle is my resolve.

I also found a study that showed people who read over their goals daily are 80 or 90% more likely to meet those goals than people who don’t read over them.

Given these facts, I’ve put my goals in a place where I will read them daily. I hope to post at the end of the year about my success in reaching my goals!

Have you set any goals for 2012? Have you heard of anything to help us reach those goals?  Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts.