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Happy New Year, friends!
I always love the fresh start of a new year and all the possibilities it holds. If you want to know how to have the best year ever, I have a little secret for you – have goals. Study after study shows that people who have goals and write them down are the happiest people. And the beginning of a new year is the perfect time to reflect on the past year, pray over the new year, and write out the goals you want to accomplish. I’ve written before on the process I use every year to set new goals and plan for the year ahead. You can read about those here:
What I’ve learned about goal-setting and planning is that it is a skill that can be learned and improved upon with each passing year. I’m constantly learning new ways to improve productivity and manage my time better. I’m also constantly learning how to revise goals, make them more manageable and specific, and how to persevere when I face setbacks.
So, how do I keep learning, growing, and improving upon this most important skill?
Books.
As you know, I love to read, and I think books can be some of our best teachers. As Matthew Kelly says, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body and prayer is to the soul. We become the books we read.” Therefore, it’s essential that we read good books! So, if there is a subject I want to learn more about or an area in which I want to grow, I read as much as I can. Goal setting and time management have been no exceptions.
So, without further ado, here are some of my favorites (so far!) and why I’ve found them so helpful:
Success is Not an Accident
Tommy Newberry is one of my favorite authors, because he is like a friend or coach pushing you to do and be your best. His books are extremely practical and chock full of actionable steps you can implement immediately. If you’ve never set goals before and have no idea where to begin, this is a great book to get started with. And if you are a well-seasoned goal-getter, you can still glean some incredible insights from this book. I highly recommend!
Mastering Life Before It’s Too Late
If you’ve never thought about the concept of time, how you’re using it, or if it really matters, then this book by Robert Morgan is for you. This gets to the heart of ‘why’ we should manage our time and pursue God-given goals. It’s full of great stories (you can tell Robert Morgan is well-read) and rich in Scriptures that point to the wisdom of living a life of purpose. I love this book!
Eat That Frog
Brian Tracy’s classic on productivity is a quick read and contains really helpful ideas on how to get things done. If you struggle with procrastination in any area, you’ll find this book really helpful. He highlights the 3 D’s of productivity – decision, discipline, and determination and then fleshes those out for the reader. If you need a quick read with ideas you can implement right away, check out this book!
The Miracle Morning
Mornings have often been touted as the best time to be productive and set yourself up for success the rest of the day. If you’re not already convinced of this, this incredible book by Hal Elrod will do the trick. This step-by-step guide will show you how to set up an effective morning routine as well as thoroughly explain why having one can be life changing. This book makes me want to be a morning person!
I know I will continually be adding to this list of books and frequently updating this post. How about you? Have you set goals for 2018? Do you have a favorite book on time management, goal-setting, or living a purposeful life to the Lord? I’d love to hear about it!
