Goals for the New Year

One of the couples in our group, the Clarkes, gave the talks today in Sacrament meeting.  They were good and I've quoted a few thoughts here for us to consider.

• In 1975, President Kimball counseled us to set goals that require us to “reach and strain. … Growth comes from setting your goals high and reaching for the stars” He also said: “We do believe in setting goals. We live by goals. … We must have goals to make progress”.
• "In addition to setting our individual goals, we should talk with our families and set goals for the entire family to achieve. We can be working on some individual goals and some family goals at the same time."
• "Bishop John H. Vandenberg said: “I feel that goal-setting is absolutely necessary for happy living. But the goal is only part of the desired procedures. We need to know which roads to take to reach the goal. … [People] need to make commitments with themselves by writing down their goals and keeping a record of the fulfillment of their achievements” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1966, 94; or Improvement Era, June 1966, 534).

I've never been one who likes to make goals at New Years.  I always made goals at the beginning of the school year however.  That was more my "new year."  Whenever we feel more like the start of a new year or period, we ought to make goals.  By writing them in a journal they may be more likely to be kept!  Don't make them unrealistic, and do set out a plan to accomplish them step by step.