July 16, 2010Read: Philippians 3 "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." --Philippians 3:12

The biathlon is a spitting image of our week. It's a Winter Games sport where an athlete skis around a track carrying a rifle, stopping at one or two points to shoot at an inch-wide target over 50 meters away. He tries to steady his breathing and after his one shot, he gets up and hustles to the next target.

Here's the thing, the rule book states that each missed target must be "atoned for" -- I'm not making this up -- in a number of ways through penalties and time. The one who hits all the targets in the least amount of time, claims the win.

If that doesn't feel like our world, I don't know what does. We huff and puff around the day's track, often getting only one shot at its targets (deadlines, school tests, that promotion, etc.). And while we have to deal with the world's penalties when we miss the bull's eye, atoning for our own sins is not part of the rules.

That target is way out of range, Jesus is our one shot, and victory is ours for the claiming.

--J.P.

PRAYFIT TIP: GOAL SETTING Knowing where you want to go is the fastest way to get there

Tops on the list of reasons why people fall short of reaching their fitness goals is being too broad. Saying that you are going to lose 25 pounds, for example, isn't as actionable as saying you want to lose five pounds, five weeks in a row. The further you break things down, the easier your goals are realized. Small successes along the way build confidence and consistency, both key attributes of fit individuals.

So let's get specific. What are your fitness and nutrition goals for next week? Forget about next month and ignore thoughts of next year. What are you wanting to accomplish each day next week. Examine that. Dissect that. What will you make of next week? Will you, with God's help, crush it? Or will you regret you didn't give it all you had? Tell us what your goals are for the week, and what you'll do to accomplish them, at the PrayFit forums and let's all encourage each other to reach them.

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Originally posted 12/3/2009.