The gifts are unwrapped and decorations are being put away. The radio station that was once playing Christmas music all day, every day, is back to the soft rock playlist. Holiday dinners are over and lights on homes are slowly disappearing. Just like that, we find ourselves in a New Year.
The new year welcomes the tradition of setting new goals and identifying new priorities for the upcoming months. Many of us sit down and contemplate resolutions to improve and be better in a number of areas. Some of these resolutions are likely the same as those that have been committed to before; others may be different.
Consider your resolutions for a moment and what they say about you and what you are prioritizing in your life right now. Based on that reflection you can determine what your personal mantra is for the year. Not sure where to start? Ask yourself the following questions:
- Why do I exist? What purpose do I fulfill, and what difference do I want to make in the world? This is a question we at Spring Hill ask ourselves frequently and feel that is just as applicable as individuals. For us, searching for these answers has led to the recognition and dedication to our purpose – or mission statement. So, our answer to these questions is ultimately, “To glorify God by creating life-impacting experiences where young people can come to know Jesus Christ and grow in their relationship with Him.”
- What’s most important to me? What am I most deeply passionate about and willing to sacrifice and suffer for?
At SpringHill we answer this question with an acronym we have for our core values: ARCH, which stands for adventurous faith, relationally focused, contagious joy, and holy discontent. These core values define the kind of organization we are, how we accomplish it, and why it is important to us.
Ponder these questions for yourself and how they align with the resolutions you hope to accomplish. Try identifying what your core values are and as a result, discover your mission statement or personal mantra for 2019. When you do, your goals will be a manifestation of these values – helping you be intentional and specific about how you approach those resolutions and experiences.
For our organization, our goals and objectives span the entire year but are most actionable during the summer months. At the end of those months, after a summer of executing against those goals, there’s a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. You too can experience this satisfaction with yourself next year as you take stock of how you achieved objectives that supported your personal mission statement. What does God have in store for you this year?