As a student of education, I learned that teachers should have measurable goals, even for goals that have more to do with attitudes and values than with academic accomplishments or development of skills.

I have some ongoing goals that are hard to measure, but my prayer is that by the end of 2011, I will see discernible changes and growth in those areas—more than what I saw in 2010. These goals are more private than the ones I’ll share here.

These are four of my goals for 2011:

1. To finish writing a book I started, and to finish it by the middle of March. It is a book for children about  missions. When I finish it, I want to pass it out for evaluation. Trying to get it published may be a goal for  2012—it depends on how the Lord leads when I’m done.
2. To start a second book while the first book is being evaluated. Because the second one will be in a different genre and will be longer than the first book, I don’t expect to finish it before December 31, 2011.  That will be my target finish date.
3. To read through the Bible in a year, using the schedule we recently received in our church bulletins.
4. To make more phone calls. I hate making phone calls (but I don’t mind receiving them). I’d rather clean toilets than make phone calls. (And I cleaned toilets at Skyview Baptist Ranch one whole summer, so I know what I’m talking about.) However, as a care cluster leader, I need to be more faithful about making personal contacts. So my goal is to call each woman in my group at least once during the year—and calling to ask the ladies to do something doesn’t count.

Thank you for reading this blog. Please pray for me to reach my goals, and please feel free to hold me  accountable. I value the accountability. And I appreciate you for caring enough to read this article. God bless you!

Other Posts in our “Goals” Series:

• Set Goals for the Coming Year (by Stephen Simpson)
• My Goals for 2011 (by Jonita Barram)
• Resolutions (by Lou Gentry)
• My Goals for this New Year (by Lee Dusing)
• Here’s What I Hope to Accomplish in 2011 (by Stephen Simpson)
• From Florida to Niger to Florida to Brazil and back to Florida (by Jared Malcolm) 
• How About Goals for 2011? (by Gerry Hill)
• Bleed Bible Like John Bunyan (by Matthew DelValle)