For many of us, the first months of a new year can be a time of reflection and goal setting. I know lots of people who get jazzed about that. They are thrilled to look back at the good, bad and ugly that unfolded in the past 12 months. They assess it, learn from it and move forward with bold, improved steps. That’s great. More power to them. However, I also know lots of people who are intimidated by this time of year. Sometimes, even the most driven among us can become nervous at the thought of setting goals. For some {maybe me included} goal setting can be scary because it increases the chance at failure. If there is no goal, there is to measure. If there is no measure, there is no way of telling if you have succeeded or failed. Right?
No, actually that’s not right at all.
When the fear of failure stops us from trying, failure has already prevailed. When we don’t even begin to try self doubt forces us to fail at being our best selves. It robs the world around us of our best efforts, ideas, and ingenuity. That’s not fair to ourselves or our community. We were each designed with unique abilities and the capacity to do good work. {Eph. 2:10, James 2:14-26} Enter this new year bravely by setting some goals. This week I’m writing all about goals. All kinds of goals, all kinds of angles on goals. First up, I’ve got 10 tips on setting goals and getting them done. Because it’s very a little lengthy, I’m splitting it into two posts. Five tips today, and five tomorrow.
Setting Goals & Accomplishing Them
Going Places
When it comes to goal setting, I find it helpful to take every advantage I can get. Even if it’s a small advantage. Even if it’s almost made up.
When you set a goal for yourself think carefully about how you word it. Starting a goal with: I want to… already makes it seem out of reach. You want to…but something is standing in your way. You want to…but aren’t sure how. Instead, start with something a little more confident: I’m going to… This implies that you will. The following tips will help you set realistic goals, so you won’t set your self up for failure. {Unless your goal is, I’m going to set an unreachable goal…}
Make it concrete
Here’s the thing about me and goals. I’m awesome at accomplishing them…but I’m not the best at setting them. It’s partly because my brain is just so darn interested in so many things. I can never really decide what I want to put my mind to. What I want to excel at. However, when I do decide, I’m pretty keen at making it happen. This tip is about setting a goal you can actually see through: Make it concrete.
I’ve set “goals” for myself, only to realize that they are too broad and too general. They never come out the way I’d like them to. I end up feeling like a failure. It’s like they’re made of Jell-O. Laying out concrete goals will help you know exactly what you are working toward. You’ll be able to accurately assess your progress, you’ll know how the ending is supposed to look. Here are a few examples:
Jell-O Goal: This year I’m going to eat better.
Concrete Goal: I’m going to eat 2 raw lunches and 3 vegetable-heavy dinners every week of the next month.
{This goal works because it sets a bar for what is considered “better.” It also gives a realistic timeline. At the end of 30 days, you can reassess and adjust your diet before the next month begins.}
Jell-O Goal: I’m going to keep my house clean.
Concrete Goal: I’m going to pick up and put away random items left in the main rooms of my home every evening before bed, I’ll do a deep clean once a week. After a month, I’ll reassess the system.
Jell-O Goal: I’m going to be more organized.
Concrete Goal: I’m going to start clearing out my email inbox every Friday.
{Jell-O goals that have left me disappointed also include: This year my business will be more successful; I’m going to get better at prayer; I’m going to get back in shape. I’ve learned that it’s vital to personally define vague terms like “success,” “better,” “more,” “in shape,” etc. That way you’ll have a gauge for progress and success. Otherwise you are working toward a mirage.}
Find your system
Everybody has a system that works best for them. And by system, I mean organizational system. If you want to realize your goals, then you have to find your system. Maybe you already know it. Maybe your system includes lists, spreadsheets and labels. Maybe it’s more of a planner/ipad kind of thing. The method doesn’t matter nearly as much as the fact that you have one.
If you don’t know what works best for you, now is a perfect time to start looking. Make finding your “system” your very first goal of the year. As you seek out to improve on a system that’s already working for you {or to develop your first ever system} here are a couple things to keep in mind:
- it should keep you punctual
- it should prevent you from forgetting things
- it should keep you on track/propel you forward
- it should be maintainable for your lifestyle.
{No system is perfect. Yours should help you in these areas, but it probably wont’ make you perfect at any of them. If you happen across a system that makes you perfect and without fault…please send me an email, I’d like to know about it.}
Schedule it
Now that you have a good system, it’s time to start scheduling goal time. No matter what it is, put it on the schedule. Make an appointment {as often as you need/as often as life will allow} to work toward your goal. If you don’t schedule it, you’ll find yourself trying to eke it in at the last minute…or in moments of downtime. You’ll tell yourself you’ll get to it when everything else gets done…but that moment is very unlikely to ever actually arrive.
Put it on the schedule. Make it known that you’ll be keeping the appointment. Then keep it. The first time you cancel on yourself opens the gate to a slippery slope. It only becomes more and more easy to continue cancelling. Which leads me to…
Prioritize yourself
This is something I really struggle with. Maybe it’s because when it comes to my biggest goals, I’m worried I’ll fail. So I push myself to the end of the list, chronically saying “yes” to the needs of everyone around me…that way I have this built in excuse of why I didn’t get “it” done. I was too busy doing too many other things. Friends, this is a very bad strategy. Very bad.
It’s true that the Bible calls us to have a servant’s heart. {Here is a pretty long list of verses about serving.} However, if we chronically stretch ourselves too thin and never allow our spirits to breathe or dream–we are setting ourselves up to feel frustrated, discouraged, and bitter. God calls us to serve with a joyful heart. {2 Corinth 9:6-11} Satan lies to the most giving among us by implying that if we ever {even for a moment} prioritize ourselves, we are sinning and displeasing God. It’s just not true. God does not aim to oppress. {Galatians 5}
Prayerfully consider your goals before you start working toward them. Make sure you are working toward things that align with His word and glorify Him. Godly goals will never contradict the Word of character of the Lord. {Is. 8, Hebrews 13}Double check that you can do it in the name of Jesus. {Colossians 3:17} If what you are working toward passes those tests, will bring you closer to Him {even seemingly simple goals that relieve stress from your life, ie more organization, fitness, etc can do that} and will add to your testimony or spur others on to know Him–go for it. Know that it’s okay to prioritize yourself enough to work toward a worthy goal.
Think about those things tonight. I know it’s halfway through the month of January, but my guess is many of you are still thinking about goals, so I hope this has been even the teeniest bit helpful to you. Tomorrow I’ll be back with the second half of this article–five more tips for setting and reaching your goals. {And I just might have a bonus surprise for you, too!}
