"Planning for the New Year"

With the New Year, many people are trying to make some positive changes in their lives, such as paying off bills, exercising more, reading the Bible daily, and losing weight. While these are all admirable goals, studies have shown that most people will be unable to attain them. Why? Many people would say it is due to a lack of willpower. While willpower may have something to do with it, the failure to achieve goals probably has more to do with inadequate planning than with strength of the will. If a person wants to achieve a goal, then he or she needs to do more than just want it. They need to plan for it.

Jesus speaks about the importance of planning in the Gospel of St. Luke, specifically about following him as his disciple.

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, "This man began to build and was not able to finish." (14:28-30)

If you want to be a follower of Jesus, then you must be intentional and plan your steps accordingly. Just as beginning to build a tower without first making plans—construction as well as financial plans—is foolish, so is trying to follow Jesus or accomplishing any other goal without planning.

While plans will vary according to their goals—finances, exercise, discipleship, and weight

loss—some aspects of planning do not change. If a person wants to achieve his or her goal, then three steps must be taken. First, a plan for achieving the goal must be developed. Second, the plan must be implemented. Third, the results of the plan must be evaluated. For example, was the plan successful or not? Are there parts of the plan that need to be modified or perhaps eliminated altogether? Then the plan must be re-worked, re-evaluated, and so on. By following this simple strategy, most goals can be achieved.

Financial Peace University is a proven way to reduce your debt, and the same organizational principles can be used to plan for other positive changes in your life. Just remember: You must work the plan for the plan to work!