Organize for the New Year

Organization is the key to accomplishment. Whether a person wants to  accomplish one thing or many, he must  utilize the principles of organization. Most of us  will set "New Year's Resolutions" next month, but may find it difficult to keep them unless we commit ourselves to good organization.

Without the setting of spiritual goals and the employment of organizational principles, we are doomed to remaining where we are spiritually . . . or we may even decline in our relationship to God. Let's make the year 2004 a time of renewal and growth. Assess where you are spiritually and then set some worthwhile objectives that will move you forward toward spiritual maturity. Effective resolutions could include: daily prayer, worship and Bible study attendance, daily Bible reading and meditation, specific areas of Bible study; teaching a Bible class, evangelistic efforts, increased giving, service opportunities, and reading Bible-based books and periodicals.   Now, here are a few organizational principles to help you accomplish your goals:

1. Simplicity. We tend to think that reaching spiritual goals involves complex systems and we are overwhelmed by the prospect. In reality, the simpler you keep your plans, the more likely you are  to accomplish them. Simplicity can be achieved by focusing on what really matters to you and conveniently fitting new ways of doing things into your normal routine.

2. Mental Acceptance. Both accomplishment and organization require the commitment of the mind. We must change our thinking to change our ways, and changing our ways will move us toward spiritual maturity.

3. Time and Planning. It is never a waste of time to make plans . . . unless we refuse to follow our plans. We must take some time to set goals for the new year, but we must also set goals each month to reach our yearly objectives. In like manner, weekly planning enables you to accomplish what must be done for the month and daily planning enables you to achieve weekly requirements.

4. Overcome Hindrances. Almost daily, you will face obstacles  to reaching your goals. Most of the hindrances you will encounter will be those that eat away at your time. You can minimize these by  planning  your day and  observing the rules of time management. (ex. Keep phone calls to a minimum, deal with mail immediately, effectively manage interruptions, avoid procrastination, etc.).  

5. Lists. Making lists can organize your goals into manageable parts. Sometimes we never get started in new projects because we are overwhelmed by the enormity of them.

6. Systems. Having a system can help us to reduce the number of decisions we must make. For example, our garbage truck comes through the neighborhood every Wednesday. Garbage pick-up operates on a system and not on whether my  trashcan is full or not. So, I don't have to put off decisions about what to do with the garbage or make decisions when the can is overflowing. The system demands that I merely put the trash out each Wednesday. Now, if you have a journal in which to write down your thoughts while reading Scripture, you have a system. If you have a notebook or a file folder that stores all your notes and materials for a Bible class you're preparing, then you have a system.   If you schedule certain times during the day for phone calls, exercise, prayer, Bible study, or playing with the kids, then you are employing systems.

7. Maintenance. Every system needs a certain amount of upkeep. Maintenance involves such things as cleaning your desk after each use, putting things back where they belong, keeping up with correspondence, etc. In other words, do not allow things to "pile up" on you. Also, make your maintenance easy to accomplish by having a trash can handy and necessary tools easily accessible

Take inventory of yourself and your resolutions throughout the year. If you find that you are behind in your objectives, then perhaps it is time to try a new approach. Perhaps there are simpler or easier ways to bring your projects to fruition. But always analyze the reasons why you have neglected your efforts and confront them with new solutions. Let's make some realistic resolutions this year that will move us forward in our spiritual development. And let's not allow anything to  interfere with our accomplishing them. Let's truly resolve to do better.

—Guy Orbison Jr., Rocky Mountain Christian