Monday Memo 381: New Year Ramblings

Happy New Year!  I hope 2009 will be a purpose-filled and productive year for you.  Hoping, however won't get the job.  Purpose and productivity are never accidents. They occur through focused and specific actions that emanate from a vision of what you want to achieve.  Purposeful action is just that -- action -- and is never the result of passive wishing or praying.  So with that in mind, I hope you will allow me to think out loud as to what kind of 2009 I intend to have, Lord willing.

HARD WORK

I was reflecting the other day on a verse that has impacted my life for the last 25 years.  It is found in 1 Corinthians 15:10:  "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me."  I remember reading an anonymous quote a few years ago that stated, "There are many people who want to change the world who don't know what to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon,"  In other words, wishful thinking won't impact the world unless the thinking translate into action and hard work. 

So I have set these goals and objectives for 2009.  Have you set yours yet?  If not, there's still plenty of time.  That's what January and rainy or snowy Sunday afternoons are for. 

2009 GOALS

By God's grace and with His help, in 2009 I will:

1. Improve communication with my audience through Facebook (I already have a page), my website (check out my "Latest New" section on my homepage), my blog and a service called Twitter (where I am @johnstanko).   
2. Delegate more of my work to a team of interested people in the U.S and around the world.
3. Publish The Faith Files, Volume 2.
4. Have 90% of my classwork for my Doctor of Ministry completed, including my ministry project.
5. Resume broadcasting on radio and begin on television.
6. Hold more leadership training sessions here in my hometown.
7. Establish a regular savings plan (I have the figure established).
8. Read 50 books (I finished 54 in 2008).
9. Resume teaching college classes (I have two scheduled for the coming term).
10. Work smarter, not harder.
11. Establish better and more regular streams of revenue from books, training sessions and courses I have written and developed over the years. 

I won't bore you with all the specifics of those 11 objectives but I have them. I hope to do these in partnership with my local church, but if that doesn't work out, I am prepared to do them on my own time.  So what will you accomplish in 2009?  Why not take a moment and share at least one goal for 2009 with the rest of my readers on the site where this entry is posted?  Help create a wave of goals from around the world that will stimulate even my most casual reader to take action on a dream today.

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THE SOPHIA FUND:  I launched what I am calling The Sophia Fund on January 1.  You can read my rationale for doing so here, but it is a charitable fund named after my mother that will help feed widows and orphans in Kenya and Zimbabwe.  We have already raised $600 and I am asking you to contribute at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more.  You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Monday Memo site to contribute,  or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund.

BIBLE STUDY:  In the coming week, I will send out the first study of my devotional studies from the gospel of John.  If you would like to subscribe to these free weekly studies, you can subscribe here. 

PROVERBS:  The January chapter from my book, A Daily Dose of Proverbs, is below as a New Year's gift to you.  Enjoy! 

Download January

Comments

[Jessica Morrison]

Faith Goals 2009

1. Turn to God before anyone or anything else
2. Read One Year Bible
3. Use my tools to stay free everyday from the power of the enemy
4. Keep a journal
5. Start a study group on the battlefield of the mind
6. Continue meeting/studying with my mentor
7. Share with others what God has done for me

[Terry]

Have been reading your Monday Memo for quite sometime. This year my new year resolution is to finish reading the whole Bible. I have never done it before. I tried but I can't. Just need the grace of God to give me understanding. I admire you guys but I can't do it.

[Felicia Linch]

Loved today's Monday memo. It mentioned the one thing that I need to do more of 'deliberate action.' Every year I reflect, write SMART goals etc but those I fulfill are more by accident than by design, or should I say more by 'God's Grace than my deliberate actions!!!'

This year my goals are simple and are tied to the verse; (3 John;2)
"Beloved I wish that you would prosper and be in Good health, even as your soul prospers"

Another new feature I am trying is, just as I do for my consulting clients is I have set Key Performance Indicators (KPI;s)to make me do 2 things: review progress and clearly demonstrate when a goal is achieved.

yes sounds a little annul I know but this year i want to hold myself accountable so that's my way of doing it- anyway to the goals for 2009:

1. For my Soul to prosper through growth of my spirit man, all of which aligns with the Holy spirit (I have specific actions for this goal, e.g. taking practical classes on specific Gifts of the Spirit) BTW Jessica i loved your Faith Goals, hope you don't mind if I use some of them to revise my own!

KPI- manifesting the Fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22) and also specific Gifts of the Spirit (1st Cor 12;7)

2.living in good health; I'm not out to just lose weight or have a supermodel body;
I want a healthy lifestyle that is going to see me though my older years and help ensure I have quality of life, God willing.
I have set specifics on eating a healthy diet, getting exercise (in a manner and form I both enjoy and can actually stick to- I hate gyms!), and lastly getting sufficient rest & relaxation. (Stimulating my mind is included in my soul prosperity so those goals are specified in there).
KPI's Change of purchasing habits, weight loss, improvement/eradication of minor ailments/health challenges

3. Financial prosperity; starting with or continuing with my debt eradication goals and continued implementation of my business strategies and goals.

KPI's - eradication of specific debts, savings target, achieving specific milestones concerning my businesses.

So that's me, for what its worth. I once heard someone say 'It's in God's hands anyway so you can over plan all this stuff'. Its true but I agree with you John, if you don't take action, then God cannot work through you as "Faith without action is death" right!

Happy New year to everyone
Felicia

[festus r.k.]

I read your new years resolution and found them admirable and very specific.It gave me inspiration to make mine.They are:
1.To intentionally reduce
my debt.I intent to do
so by listing all my
debt,however small they
might appear.I realise
that debt can be a
source of frustration and
hintrance to personal
growth.

2.Intentional savings for
my retirement.

3.Plant 5,000 trees on my
land and encourage
others by giving them
seedling gifts.

4.Sending my friends and
family members
motivational messages
thru' SMS and e-
mails.This I have
been doing but this time
I want to be more
focused and consistent.

5.Read 2 motivational
books per month.

6.Intentionally and
consciouslly read the
entire Bible.

7.Lastly and more
importantly be physically
and spiritually closer to
my family.

I intent to monitor myself on a quarterlly basis,and I will be sharing my performance with you and other readers.Jessica and Terry lets share how far we are moving with this important resolutions touching on personal growth.God bless the Monday memos.

[Shepherd]

Thanks very much John for all the messages. I find them inspiring and quite a blessing in my life. Thanks for The Monday Memo, for it has inspired my purpose search since 2004 when I got introduced to your works by a friend and former workmate. Your radio interviews last year have been so great. I liked your list of goals for this year, 2009.

As such, I would like to share with you two of my goals for this year:
· I want to be closer to God and to do that I want to read more of scripture this year.
· I want to acquire more knowledge, and to realize that I want to watch, listen to more documentaries and read about four books per month.

Many thanks. Keep up the good work.