Welcome to a new year and a new decade! It is the morning of January 1st and I am noticing there is already a lot of chatter on what our goals can or should be and how we can or should achieve them. Thinking about how to improve is a good thing! But feeling overwhelmed by too many voices on the subject is paralyzing. Though I am not an expert on goal setting, I can say with certainty that there is no one size fits all approach to a new year. We are all different and so are our goals and the ways we achieve them. What I do believe can be helpful for any one of us:

-Evaluate what is already working for you and GO and DO it.

-Think about what you would like to start doing, make a plan and GO and DO it.

-Decide what is most important to you, what you want to be remembered for, and GO and DO it.

-If you are feeling a nudge to do something you have never done before and are feeling some fear, ask for courage and GO and DO it.

-Ask God for guidance on what HE has for you to GO and DO this year. Ezra Taft Benson taught, “Men and women who turn their lives over to God will find out that he can make a lot more out of their lives than they can.” Pray and listen. Have faith that you have heavenly help. Then GO and DO.

When things feel hard and the going and doing are not going as you had hoped, think of these words from Gordon B. Hinckley: “Please don’t nag yourself with thoughts of failure. Do not set goals far beyond your capacity to achieve. Simply do what you can do, in the best way you know, and the Lord will accept of your effort.”

Happy New Year friends.