In "The Word for You Today" devotional I ran across one that really hit home so I would like to share it with you.
The Title of the devotional is "The Righteous Keep Moving Forward" Job 17:9 for Dec. 31, 2008
The subtitle is S.M.A.R.T start the New Year! (I figure it is good ANYTIME!)
"Whoever said "Procrastination is the thief of time" was right. We keep postponing, promising ourselves we'll do better. Be honest, how many of last year's resolutions did you keep? This year do things differently. Make your goals S.M.A.R.T. In other words make them:
(S)pecific: Get up earlier in order to read your Bible and pray before going to work. Make time for your family. Exercise. Eat right. Take care of your body; it's God's temple. (See 1Co 6:19-20).
(M)oderate: Tackling more than one project at a time dilutes your focus and makes it harder to stick with. When you start too much you finish too little. Start small and build on your successes by mastering and maintaining one thing at a time (See Php 3:13).
(A)chievable: Don't try to swallow the whole elephant in one bite. Baby steps are the name of the game. Talk in terms of what you will do instead of what you won't. For example, instead of saying "I'm not going to be so critical," say "Today I'm going to look for something good in everybody I meet" (See Php 4:8).
(R)ecordable: You can't manage what you can't measure. Documenting your progress (or lack of it!) makes you accountable, shows how far you have come and what you need to work on.
(T)ime-specific: Review your goals weekly (or daily if your struggling). That way you can trouble-shoot early, and change direction when necessary. The Bible says: "Throw yourself into your tasks so...everyone will see your progress" (1Ti 4:15 NLT).
Come on, make up your mind, get up off the couch and go for it!
