2016 Personal Goals

It has now become my trend to share my new year’s goals on the blog. This provides me both with some level of accountability, motivating me to keep my word and strive after my commitments, and it is also a way for me to put some more detailed thought and formalized structure to my desires for the new year. So, here are my personal goals for 2016:

Continued and Consistent Workouts —> I struggled at the end of the year to be motivated. I dropped from five days a week working out to two! And those two days were still a challenge to make myself do. This year I want to get back to a more rigorous and consistent schedule. I am hoping to get back with a trainer at the beginning of this year and get some more insight on how to get over this hump, my results have plateaued and I need some motivation to keep going.
Pursue Deeper Friendships –> This was one area from my 2015 goals that I did not stay strong on. I made a good start at the beginning of the year, but by mid-year I had gotten preoccupied with work and busy with life and didn’t keep up with this commitment. So often I expect meaningful relationships to just happen organically, but that’s just not reality. Friendships take hard work and diligence and I need to commit to that. We have been in Michigan almost three years now and I know that I and Krista need some deeper relationships with people. So, that has to be a priority this year.
To Add Four New Lay Counselors to Our Team –> The Cornerstone Counseling Ministry has a professional goal of having 20 counselors by 2020. Currently we have four, with two trainees waiting in the wings to get permission to launch on their own. That will take our total up to six counselors serving in our Thursday Counseling Day. I want to add four more team members this year to take our total to ten. I am very excited about this ministry and about all those who have expressed excitement about it and a desire to learn about it.
To Write A Complete Rough Draft of My Book –> A year seems like a reasonable time length in which to write a complete rough draft of my book on Recovery Culture Churches. I’ve still got a good bit of research to do and an outline of the book to write, but I want to complete the entire rough draft by the end of the year.

There’s obviously lots more that I want to do, but these four things stand out as my significant personal desires for this new year. As you have occasion I welcome your checking up on me and encouraging me. None of these goals, I know, will be possible without the grace of God and the support of others. Happy New Year, friends.