Goal Setting: How to Spend Your Time and Energy Well (+ Spring Spiritual Workout Plan)

As a new year approaches, how should Christians think about goals, habits, and productivity—without slipping into hustle culture or empty self-improvement?In this episode, Mark offers a pastoral framework for goal setting that prioritizes faithfulness over frenzy. Rather than chasing vague resolutions or cultural pressure, he encourages listeners to think carefully about how they steward their time, energy, and attention as followers of Jesus. Drawing on biblical wisdom and pastoral experience, Mark contrasts surface-level goal setting with intentional rhythms that shape who we are becoming.Mark also introduces the Spiritual Workout Plan (SWP) as a practical tool to help believers grow in grace through daily and weekly practices like Scripture reading, prayer, silence, and intentional rest. This episode invites listeners to move from pressure-driven productivity to Spirit-formed faithfulness as they plan for the year ahead.Episode Highlights00:00 — Why goal setting matters—and why most approaches fall short 02:12 — Faithfulness vs. hustle: rethinking success as a Christian 04:35 — Time, energy, and attention as spiritual stewardship 07:18 — The danger of vague resolutions and cultural pressure 09:50 — Forming rhythms instead of chasing outcomes 12:40 — Introducing the Spiritual Workout Plan (SWP): what it is and how it helps 15:22 — Daily and weekly practices that shape long-term faithfulness 18:10 — From discipline to delight: how habits form loves 21:05 — Planning your year with wisdom, margin, and dependence on graceResourcesCornerstone Church Sermons: Listen onlineThe Spring Spiritual Workout PlanJames Clear, Atomic HabitsJustin Whitmel Earley, Habits of the HouseholdDavid Mathis, Habits of GraceAsk Mark a Question!Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!