New Look at New Year's Goals

We had a great family night last week.  I wanted to impress upon my children the idea of creating goals in a different way.  Usually we come up with a few things we want to accomplish that year, write them down, probably lose the list within the first few months, or just forget about it and move on with our lives.

This year I took a different approach.  I was deeply impressed with President Eyring's talk from the Priesthood session of General Conference wherein he discussed the spiritual gifts given to each of his children and wanted to do something similar for my own children.

So last Monday I wrapped up tiny boxes and presented one to each child.  Inside was a type-written word (a gift I felt impressed each of them had) and a scripture to go along with it.  They each looked up their verse and read it aloud to the family.

I had also typed up each gift and scripture on a full sheet of paper.  Below the scripture was written two questions:

 1) How will I use my gift for good this year? 

 2) What is another gift I want to develop this year?   

I don't know if this will have any greater affect on them than the previous way of setting goals, but I know it helped me to look at things a bit differently.

"Now, I cannot tell every leader of youth the details what is best for you to do.  But I can promise you that you will bless them to help them recognize the spiritual gifts with which they were born.  Every person is different and has a different contribution to make.  No one is destined to fail.  [What] I have describes are only one way to help young people glimpse the grandeur God sees in them and their futures and the unique service He has prepared them to give.  He will help you see how to do it for your children or for other youth you lead." 

 - - President Henry B. Eyring - -