Life goals and laundry

I came across another writer's website where she posted about her goals for the summer and what she'd accomplished.

Which made me sigh. First of all, because I guess I have to admit summer is over, now that school has started again. And second of all, because my goals seem to have all slipped away. (But please don't think this is a gloomy post. I did have a wonderful summer. And it still feels like summer, despite the school buses causing traffic jams again).

I set myself a bunch of goals at the beginning of the year. Really good goals. Like spending more time with God and spending more time sharing what I've learned about God with my kids. And losing weight and writing more and not always showing up 10 minutes late to everything.

I should know better! When have I ever kept working on my new year's resolutions past February? Why would this year be different? Why would INCREASING my number of goals actually make think I had a better chance of accomplishing them?

I came across another post, Goals are Dumb, and I think this guy had the right idea (if may be not the best title). Hope he doesn't mind me quoting:

I know goals help people and are probably not at all bad. In fact they might be necessary in some situations.

I just don’t think Jesus really had goals in the sense of accomplishment. That’s what I mean when I say goals here. I feel like usually when we talk about goals its some new accomplishment to strive for. Now there’s nothing wrong with living like that. I mean I do every day probably.

I just think that Jesus lived differently.

Not that surprising to think that he lived differently. But even now I know some of you are totally disagreeing with a lot of what I’m saying.

Before you do that though, take a second and just think are you making Jesus out to be who you want him to be, or who He was and is.

Jesus lived a life completely led by the Spirit, at least thats what it seems like to me. I hear pastors and speakers say this some times too.

Jesus didn’t come and say by the time I die I want to feed five thousand people. Maybe he did. But I think He just listened to what God was telling him to do.

I want a life like that.

Contradictory huh? My goal is be completely led by the Spirit and thus having no goals because I am too busy doing what God is asking me to do.

The great thing about this is I know that when I let this happen, that a lot of the goals I have now will probably just come to pass.

A couple weeks ago, I came to the same conclusion myself. No, I didn't cross out my nine original goals. In fact I printed them out and hung them on my bathroom mirror. But this time what I did was circle the first one.

Spend more time with God.

That's the only one I'm working on right now. Trying to listen to God more about what He wants me to do.

And oh, I should mention the laundry part of it. Here's another great post, Striving Laundry, on kind of the same idea.

What do you think about setting goals?