One of the traits that some older men go through is tending to lose touch with reality or with who they really are in their abilities. Their mind remembers them doing certain things, so they tend to think they can still do them until they are in the middle of doing something that they once did, and it dawns `on them, “ I can’t do this anymore!” I am becoming more and more like that in my goal-setting. I write my goals, remembering past years, and I think, “No problem, I can do that,” then I realize at the end of the year, “I guess I can’t do that anymore.”

As I have been going over and reviewing my 2023 goals in preparation for writing my 2024 goals, I realize that there are a fair number of my goals that I didn’t quite finish and a significant number that I didn’t even start on. I think, “Whooooeeeeee, I am getting wimpy in my old age! There are some men that, when they realize there are things that they can’t do anymore, quit trying altogether, excuse themselves from most all significant accomplishments, and lapse into a lazy, comfortable, no-pressure lifestyle. They aren’t a bad person, but they don’t finish their life well.

As a person writes their goals, balance is key. Our goals must be hard enough to challenge us, motivate us, and press us on to growth, but not so hard that they discourage us, demotivate us, and make us feel like a wimp. I realize that my physical energy is declining, and also my stamina, I get tired quickly. I can’t do as much as I once did physically. That is a difficult pill to swallow for an ex-farm boy, marathon runner, mountain climber, hiker, hunter, and builder. I make and increase exercise goals, thinking I can still do it. I just have to work harder, but somewhere in that process, I wear out and give up and quit.

But I still have as much mental energy, if not more, than last year. I still have as much emotional energy, fire, passion, drive, and maybe even more than last year. My spiritual part is stronger, I have greater faith, and I am more focused on serving God.

So, as I work on next year’s goals, I am cutting back significantly on the physical goals and focusing on the areas I am most strong in. I will still set hunting, fishing, and building goals, just easier and fewer. Instead of bicycling across the USA, coast to coast, I will do some “day rides.”

I will read more, learn more, pray more, write more, memorize more, teach more, visit more, and play more golf. It is all about being a good steward of what God has given us and bearing more fruit for Him. It sounds like a good year.