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GOT GOALS?

by Lynn Jacobs
3/07/2008 / Self Help

There was once a Peanuts comic strip that described how some of us set goals:

Charlie Brown was practicing archery in his backyard. Instead of aiming at a target, he would shoot an arrow at a fence and then walk over and draw a target around wherever the arrow stuck. Lucy walked up and said, *Why are you doing this, Charlie Brown?* He replied, *This way I never miss!*

We sometimes shoot our dream and goal arrows all over the place. If they actually hit something, we explain to ourselves and possibly others that that was our target all along. In reality, however, there had been little planning or strategy behind our efforts and we had not actually aimed at any specific target.

I have written this article to help you do three things:

* discover why it is important to set goals
* determine how to choose specific goals
* develop strategies to follow through and achieve your goals

1. WHY GOAL SETTING IS IMPORTANT

There are many reasons for setting goals, and they can differ from person to person. Here are a few basic reasons why it can be important for you to have a particular set of goals for your life:

* Goals provide direction and purpose for your life.

* Goals define what you are aiming for so that you will know when you have reached it.

* The goal-setting process helps you identify realistic and unrealistic expectations.

* Goals contribute to a positive self-image by providing a sense of accomplishment and confidence once they are attained.

2. HOW TO CHOOSE SPECIFIC GOALS

Ask yourself what the overall purpose for your life is (i.e., raising a family, operating your own business, etc.), and then begin the process by following these steps:

* EXPERIMENT. Explore several possibilities, and avoid "putting all your eggs in one basket" by limiting yourself to just one goal.

* ENJOY. Determine what you like doing or what you would like to learn to do, and set your goals accordingly. It is best to not choose things you have no interest in doing.

* EXCEL. Discover your God-given talents, develop those talents by improving or learning related skills, and then use those to help accomplish your goals.

* ELIMINATE. Give yourself the freedom to let go of any endeavors that are not satisfying or enjoyable to you.

3. STRATEGIES FOR FOLLOW-THROUGH

Achieving goals is like a race, not in contest with others, but it is a race from your past and present to your future. Setting goals is meaningless if you do not follow through and actually reach them.

* REACHABLE. A reachable goal is a realistic goal.

* MEASURABLE. A goal must be measurable so that you will be aware of when you have reached it.

* DATED. Open-ended goals that begin with *someday I would like to . . .* generally are not attained. Establish a time-frame during which you want to reach each of your goals.

* WRITTEN. Committing your plans to paper makes them visible and provides a way of reminding you on what you need to focus.

If goals are not reachable, measurable, dated, and written, they may fade away with the rest of our good intentions and New Year*s resolutions.

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If you would like to receive a free Spiritual Goals Worksheet template on which to record your goals and progress, please send an e-mail to me and type SPIRITUAL GOALS WORKSHEET in the subject line. [email protected]

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(c) 2008, by D. Lynn Jacobs.
Lynn is a Christian Life Coach and writer, with over 25 years of ministry and professional experience. She works with her clients in the areas of spiritual passion, values, goals, self-esteem, grief/loss, transitions, etc. http://www.christianlifecoach.webs.com

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