Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

Articles

Why Micro Goals Are Better than Resolutions

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Stop setting New Year’s resolutions. They’re too vague, too lofty, too idealistic, and nearly impossible to accomplish.

In fact, studies have shown that after 30 days, less than 25% of people stay committed to them, while only 8% will actually accomplish them.

So what’s the better way? What do you need to do to make this next year a year of progress, development, growth, and impact? The answer is to abandon your resolutions and adopt micro goals instead.

Abandon your resolutions and adopt micro goals.
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I’m not talking about S.M.A.R.T. goals, which if you’re not aware of the topic, I’d highly recommend you listen to this episode to learn more and download the template.

I’m talking about micro goals, where you break your S.M.A.R.T. goals down into small and immediately actionable tasks. This is the only sure-fire way to accomplish your greatest dreams.

Let me give you two examples: working out and writing a book.

1. Working Out

After moving back to Canada last year, the one thing that I knew I had to change was my exercise routine. For my entire adult life, I’ve never been able to figure out how to work out more than twice a week—if I even went at all. And with my metabolism slowing down (and love for food increasing), I had to crack this code.

Enter: Micro Goals.

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Launch Team Application for My New Book

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I can’t believe it, but the book that I’ve been working on for the last two years is finally here, and I’m looking for help getting the word out.

We only have 100 spots available, so I’d be honored if you would consider joining the launch team for my next book, You Are What You Do: And Six Other Lies about Work, Life, and Love.

If selected, you’ll receive a free paperback copy of the book once it’s released, a copy of the ebook to read early, and a free downloadable poster.

Here’s the application form. Thanks for considering!

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A Lonely Christmas

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Every year, classics like The Grinch, Elf, and Home Alone make their rounds in homes decorated with tinsel and Christmas cheer.

And while nostalgia might be the primary reason we have these films on repeat, many of us don’t often take the time to examine how these story lines might be shaping us.

Let’s take Home Alone as an example.

Beyond the laughs, gags, and slapstick comedy, have you ever considered the underlying narrative that this movie is trying to communicate?

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not about to boycott Christmas movies—they are some of my favorite films. But there’s a big difference between watching them with a discerning eye and passively letting them shape our minds and hearts.

Underneath it all, Home Alone is celebrating and shining the spotlight on the age old lie of self-sufficiency.

Just consider the fact that Kevin McAllister decides to take on the two cat burglars himself. He doesn’t call for help. Instead, he takes matters into his own hands and outsmarts the burglars. Remember how he put a life size cutout of Michael Jordan on a train? And a mannequin on the record player? Genius.

And even later on when the cat burglars realize that Kevin is all by himself, Kevin still decides that he’s the king of his castle and the master of his own destiny.

If you’re interested in digging deeper, you can watch the sermon that I preached on this movie here to see how the parable of the rich man is a fascinating response to this age old lie of self-sufficiency.

But here’s the thought regarding self-sufficiency that I want to leave you with: Isolation is the end result of disconnection.

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The Tension of Not Having “Enough”

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These last couple of weeks, the following lyrics have been playing on repeat.

So let all that I am
Be consumed with who You are
All the glory of Your presence
What more could I ask for?

The phrase, “What more could I ask for?” is such an apt phrase to describe the tension that December holds.

Everywhere we look—especially since we’re in the throes of Black Friday, Bright Friday, Cyber Monday, Happy Tuesday, or whatever it’s called now—we are being conditioned to believe that we don’t have enough. Even this past week, I went online to make sure that I didn’t “miss” any deals. And after browsing for a bit, I ended up buying batteries on Amazon because they were 30% off.

Everywhere we look, we are being conditioned to believe that we don’t have enough.
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Did I really need them? Perhaps in a month or so, but definitely not now…

When we are consumed with the glory of God’s presence, there is nothing more we need. There is nothing more we have to ask for.

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Whose Responsibility is it to Recruit?

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A few weekends ago I met one of our volunteers who was operating the stage camera.

As I got to know him, I was surprised that it was his first time serving at Beulah—after attending for 23 years!

Oftentimes because of the pace of ministry, and a lack of contributors, leaders, coaches, and ministry catalysts, we end up doing ministry, rather than equipping our church to do the work of ministry. We do this because it’s easy. We know how to get things done. We have the responsibility for the ministry and it’s sometimes just faster to get it done ourselves.

However, here’s the catch-22. The more we do the ministry, the less time we’re going to have to equip our church to do the work of ministry, which then unintentionally creates a culture of professionalism where our church doesn’t think there’s a place for them to serve!

The more we do the work of ministry, the less time we have to equip.
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The responsibility of recruiting volunteers is NOT all on you.

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A Vision to Reach 1% of a City

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Our vision is to reach 1% of Edmonton.

I know it doesn’t seem like a B.H.A.G. (big hairy audacious goal) or a W.I.G. (wildly important goal), but it’s the specific vision that God has given our church.

And reaching this vision in Edmonton—through Beulah Alliance Church—is the very thing that God broke my heart over as Christina and I were discerning our calling to move back to Edmonton. You can read about our story in these two posts:

But why Edmonton?

I used to think that Edmonton was the “Bible Belt” in Canada—if there was even such a thing—because of the number of churches and megachurches here. But when we were candidating to come back to Edmonton, God showed us otherwise. On the one hand, he showed us the spiritual dynamics that have changed (and are changing) in this city—making it a mission field. On the other hand, based on the recent Vital Signs report, it’s clear that the rapid growth and change in our city is going to necessitate an increase in healthy, multiplying, missional churches. Here are a few statistics:

  • Edmonton grew by close to 200,000 people in the last 10 years, making the city’s population 972,223
  • 53% of the city is a millennial, Gen Z, or younger—making the median age 35.7
  • 4 in 10 of Edmontonians are a visible minority—this is more than a 100% increase in the last decade

So reaching 1% of any city that’s growing and changing is actually quite a dynamic vision statement.

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Why Guilt is a Cheap Motivator

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Sharing my faith was the last thing I felt equipped to do.

As a first year student in university, I knew that there was something called the Great Commission, but I didn’t know what to do with it. So after looking through all the Christian clubs listed online, I decided to join Campus Crusade for Christ, since they were all about evangelism (it’s now called Power to Change in Canada, or Cru in the U.S.).

That first year was incredible and I owe so much of my spiritual formation to that ministry. I learnt how to share my faith, I was filled with the Holy Spirit, I saw multiple people give their lives to Christ, and I went on a mission trip where I met my wife, Christina.

Everything was perfect, except for the fact that I was doing it all out of guilt.

At some point that I don’t remember, things shifted and I realized that I began sharing my faith with others because I felt like I had to, not out of a joy that I got to.

I wasn’t introducing people to Jesus because God loved them, I was doing it because I wanted God to love me more. And I was afraid that if I missed an opportunity to share Jesus with a stranger, that somehow it would be my fault if they went to hell. After all, what if they never met another Jesus loving, Jesus believing person again?

Honestly, I can’t pinpoint the moment I started to believe these lies, but I know that I didn’t get it from this ministry.

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Best Resources on Transition

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Are you praying about making a move? Trying to discern God’s will, but not sure how to decide?

Change is the one thing that’s constant in life. And as I recently outlined in my last two articles, Christina and I have gone through a lot of change!

So, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite resources on transition to help you discern your next step in life and leadership:

1. Bible and Journaling

The Holy Spirit is the ultimate guide. So the best way to position yourself to hear from God is by spending time reading and praying through the Bible. Although I haven’t always been the biggest fan of journaling, I’ve actually found that it’s helped me focus and process what’s going on. After all, moving and changing jobs is one of the most stressful transitions that no one talks about.

And here’s a #protip for journaling: Journaling isn’t about you and the journal. Journaling is about you and God. So when you journal, write down your prayers to God and process what’s going on as a prayer to God.

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The Difference Between an Opportunity and a Calling

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“That was the worst sermon you ever preached. Why are you even here? Just go back to Nashville.”

It’s true. I heard those words.

It happened when Christina and I were interviewing at Beulah Alliance Church this last year. As I shared last week, God had unsettled our hearts and led us to the point where we knew our next right thing was to go up to Edmonton and interview.

Now whether coming back to Beulah was just an opportunity or a calling, we weren’t certain of. All we knew was that the next right thing was to go to Edmonton. So that’s what we did. With an open heart and a deep desire to live our lives wholeheartedly for God—wherever, whenever, and doing whatever—we hopped on a plane and flew to Edmonton. After all, for as long as I can remember, this has been our family motto: “Lord, here I am. Lord, here we are.”

So we went. And it went well.

Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Interviews. Meet and greets. Meals. Everything went well. Incredibly well. Honestly, I don’t know if I could’ve planned it any better. So clearly this meant that God was saying yes, right? That He was opening up the opportunity for us to come back and help lead Beulah to accomplish its vision to reach 1% of greater Edmonton for Christ…right?

Isn’t that how God leads?

Didn’t someone say that a lack of obstacles is another sign for God’s leading? That if you’re in God’s plan, no man can be against you?

I hope you’re shaking your head and vehemently disagreeing with me because that last paragraph was 100% sarcasm.

In the Bible we see that trials and opposition are actually a good thing—and to some extent a matter of joy—because it’s one of the ways that God shapes our faith and matures us (James 1:2-4). We see this all throughout the Scriptures with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, Paul, and the disciples.

Trials and opposition are actually a good thing—and to some extent a matter of joy.
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But if you look at it the other way, the presence of opposition doesn’t necessarily equate to God’s leading either.

So what is it? How does God lead?!

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The Most Important Question When Discerning Your Next Steps

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Not making the decision isn’t the issue. The issue is not even having the option of making the decision.

It’s not that I don’t like double negatives, it’s just that they can sometimes be tricky to navigate—much like decision making. And boy, was this last year ever a year for decision making.

Five years ago, when we moved down to Nashville to serve the Church in her mission of making disciples with LifeWay Leadership, I never thought we’d be back up in Canada this soon. In fact, we had just gotten permanent residency in the States, which was a long, complicated, and expensive process.

But last Fall, Christina and I began sensing that change was on the horizon. There was this unsettledness in our hearts that couldn’t be explained. We loved everything about our lives in Nashville. Our community was incredible, our church was healthy and growing, our podcast was impacting marriages and families, and my work at LifeWay was affecting and changing church practice. I was also in the middle of writing my third book, while continuing to accept invitations to speak on my previous one. In other words, there was no human reason for us to move, or even consider a change—especially if you’re an Enneagram 3 like I am. In fact, I even heard some people remark that I had their dream job.

So you can probably anticipate how surprised I was when, only a few months later, Christina and I started praying about coming back to Beulah Alliance Church—especially since it was in the middle of an Edmonton winter (#ifyouknowyouknow). And to be crystal clear, this wasn’t some trite little “prayer” that we carelessly tossed up to God. No, this was one of those all-hands-on-deck, get-on-your-knees, everything-is-up-for-grabs, I-can’t-believe-I’m-actually-praying-this kind of prayer.

Here’s why it was one of those prayers.

When Keith Taylor, the Lead Pastor of Beulah for the last 28 years, asked us to pray about coming back, it wasn’t just to fill a gap. He had been asking God to unsettle the right person’s heart who was going to come alongside him and lead Beulah into the future.

Unsettle?

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