Are you living your best life? As we move into the first week of 2013, have you decided what you want your life to look like in about 12 months? As the last moments of 2012 slipped away, my thoughts turned to missed opportunities, loved ones no longer with us, consequences of my decisions (both favorable and those that appeared to be less than) and the blessings, which have flooded my life as God has allowed me to be present for the dawning of another year.

When we live our life examining ourselves, we get an opportunity to deliberately live our best life. Each day we are either moving toward our best life or we are moving away from our best life. The appearance of standing still is evidence of the lack of progress, indicating we are in fact moving backward, losing ground.

Millions of people are making resolutions during this part of the year. Some of the top resolutions for the New Year are: drink less alcohol, eat healthy food, get better educated, land a better job, manage debt, quit smoking, volunteer more time, lose weight and save money. If you have announced a formal resolution or secretly made a resolve, a pledge, or a goal for this year do you truly plan to follow through with those affirmations?

Without a plan a goal is simply a dream. To move your dreams into reality you need an actual plan, a plan that you will to enact! Even a smartphone needs you to operate it!

To move your life ahead on the course of being the best you can be and living your best life, smart goals are helpful. SMART goals can move your thoughts into actions, your dreams into the reality of a better you, living your best life! The acronym S.M.A.R.T. represents aspects of effective goals. S is for specific, M is for measurable, A is for achievable, R is for relevant and T is for time-based.

When SMART goals are in place they are specific and well defined, you know exactly when you have succeeded, no fuzzy gray areas. You or someone else can objectively determine, based on the measures you have in place that the goal was reached. They are attainable, within your ability to achieve. They are likewise relevant to you and your core values. You truly see the value of reaching these goals. Finally time-sensitive goals will have a clearly defined time by which they are completed.

Here is an example of a SMART goal I have set for me this year: I will walk for 30 minutes continuously per day, five days each week (Sunday through Saturday) between January 7^th and January 28, 2013. In other words beginning tomorrow I will walk, for two and one half hours during five of the seven days each week for the next three weeks. Over those weeks each day I will plan my day and determine which days I will walk. I will track my progress daily. Every seven days I will be able to objectively see my progress. I can work this time into my schedule and I find this goal highly relevant, in line with my value on healthy life-style, as well as a goal that I am actually able to impact.

At the end of the three-week period I believe I will find that I have walked more than the one hundred and fifty minutes I originally committed to complete. Likewise because of my focus on my health, I believe other areas of my health will improve also due to my mindset and positive momentum. During the 21 days I will journal my results and feelings as I progress. I will share some of my thoughts with you. I anticipate victory in my minds eye and look forward to sharing and hearing from you what your 21-day SMART goal will bring to you. It is said that in three weeks we can establish new habits. Let’s see how we can be changed over the next few weeks.

As long as we are breathing here, we have time to make changes in our human experience. Join me in looking and drawing forward to the best we can be. A very dear friend of mind shared with me this week that she, if not for the efforts of her family members (and God) would have transitioned from this body. Yet it seems that her work here was not finished yet, Glory to GOD! When I take my last breath I want to have used up all of my human potential, totally!

While none of us knows the day or the hour that our time here will end, we can decide how we will spend our time. We can lament about how life stinks, and at times, it does, or we can be empowered to smell all of the roses we can while we are here! I would much rather have to figure out how to fit everything into my day and spread those gifts that God has so lovingly placed within me, than complain about not having the life of which I believe I am worthy. Our loving Father and His infinite wisdom reign supreme! He loved me enough to give me so much. My charge is to give Him glory through the work of my hands. I live on purpose! Everyday I am working towards living the best life that He would have for me to live, by examining myself continually, and moving toward loving my neighbor as myself. When I fall down, as we all do, I get back up and start all over again.

Join me over the next 21 days, Take Inventory and Take Action!

Love,

Deborah

“Lighting the path to loving your neighbor as yourself.”