Ready. Aim. Wait. Stop. If there is no target, why continue to shot. You need a target. Do you have a goal? What are your goals for this year?

Maybe before we get to writing goals we need to just talk about what a goal is. Very simply a goal is something you want to achieve. A goal is something that you will work towards. A goal helps to guide your actions and decisions.

How do you decide on goals? You can’t do everything. You are limited in time and resources. So how do you decide. Here are some questions to help you:

What does God want me to do?

What would bless those around me?

What are my current responsibilities? How can I grow or improve in those areas?

What are some changes that I want do see in my life?

What is causing me stress? Is there something that can be done about that?

What do I have to achieve?

Using those questions and thinking of other things you can begin to brainstorm some ideas. Just write them all down. Some will get tossed. Some will get adjusted and some will become goals.

If you are new to setting goals, I would suggest just 3-5 goals to begin. As you complete those goals, you can add more. You can add more goals through the year.

Look at your goals. Have you prayed about these goals? Do you know why you choose that goal? What is the motivation? Knowing that your goals are what God wants will motivate you. Knowing that will help you keep going when it gets difficult.

One of the helpful things on the internet for evaluating goals is SMART.

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

Let me give you a simple example. In 2016 my goal was to track the number of books I read that year. I wrote the titles in my planner. At the end of the year, I knew how many books I had read.  In 2017 my goal was to read more books then I did in 2016. So based on that I knew what I am able to do if I focused on that. I do have a reading goal for this 2018 but I am still trying to decide how much time I want to devote to reading.

In 2016 my specific goal was record books read in 2016. It was measureable by looking at the list I wrote. It was attainable because it was easy to just write down. It was realistic in that I enjoy reading and value reading. It was timely in the sense that it was for the year.

Now at the beginning of 2018 I want to have a specific reading goal which I will measure by keeping a list. I am struggling with the specifics because I want it to be realistic and attainable.

Not all your goals should be goals that stretch you. I think that is why I have paused in figuring how my specific reading goal for 2018.

Goals should help you draw closer to God, encourage and bless those around you. Goals are to help you grow. Enjoy them.

My prayer for you is that this year you will grow.

Do you have goals for 2018? Are they written down so you can refer to them?

Beth