What will you accomplish in the new year personally, professionally and spiritually? As the clock strikes 12:00 on January 1, many men “take stock” of their lives and leadership during the New Year’s break. How might you invest your time and resources in the coming year to do something meaningful and memorable? Here are ten choices into which you might put effort, that will lead you toward a powerful and purposeful ending on the next December 31…

Read the Bible through. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” Psalm 119:105. You’ll find many excellent Bible reading plans at https://www.bible.com/reading-plans.

Make a family memory. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6. Commit to spend at least an hour a day with your family, with at least one whole family activity day each month. 

Pray regularly. “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16. If you don’t already have one, get a blank journal and begin a prayer list that you refer to each day. More on prayer…

Give to someone in need. “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed” Proverbs 19:17. Identify an individual or family at work, school or in the community you can “adopt” for a few months and help with provision like food, school supplies or winter clothing.

Serve the community. “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2. Your local church will have ministries that reach out to the community around you. Consider foster care ministry, feeding programs, tutoring support or ministry to the elderly and shut-ins. 

Stay (or Get) in Shape. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. You don’t have to join a gym. Take a walk in the evening after work. Or get a used treadmill on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace and jog at home while you prepare for work in the morning.

Explore a hobby. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10:31. Life becomes a chore if you don’t spend time doing something you truly enjoy. Set aside a few hours a week for your personal passion.

Laugh more. “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” Proverbs 17:22. Never underestimate the power of a joke to lift spirits and make others feel at ease.

Build a friendship. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” Proverbs 17:17. Identify someone in your circle of influence you want to get to know better. Schedule a lunch or a sports outing. Make a point to make a new friend this year.

Invest an hour weekly in personal development. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” Proverbs 27:17. The hour you spend at Friday Morning Men’s Fellowship weekly helps to shape you into better husband, father and leader. Find a fellowship…