SMART Start for 2009

I received the following in an email from a friend and thought it was worth sharing here. I don't know who the original author is, only that my friend got this from a daily devotional. Who ever wrote it, it is good advice.



S.M.A.R.T start the New Year!

"The righteous keep moving forward...and...become stronger."
Job 17:9 NLT


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 20 minutes earlier in order to read your Bible and pray before going to work. Not work past 7:00 so you can be with your family. Exercise for 25 minutes a day. Take care of your body; it's God's temple (See 1 Cor 6:19)



(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.

(A)chievable: Don't try to swallow the whole elephant in one bite.
Baby steps are the name of the game.
Paul said, "One thing I do" (Philp 3:13 NKJV).
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 Philp 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've come and what you need to work on.



(T)ime-specific: Review your goals weekly (or daily if you're struggling). That way you can troubleshoot early, and change direction when necessary.


The Bible says, "Throw yourself into your tasks so...everyone will see your progress" (1 Tim 4:15 NLT).


Come on, make up your mind, get up off the couch and go for it!