Goals are Dreams with Deadlines

This is my favorite time of the year~ setting goals for the next year.  I love to get away with the Lord and review the past year and prepare for the one to come.  
It is so important to set aside time yearly to FOCUS (outside of your home and even outside of the routine of the day).    
A change of pace + change of place= change of perspective.  

In order to go after the dream or vision the Lord has given you, you must have focus to your moments.  Destiny (dreams/vision) is not a mystery.  For better of worse, your destiny is the result of your daily decisions. You need to be intentional about the way you spend our time. 


Most people live with undirected time.  If you don't have a plan you will waste your time.  The emergencies of each day will take your time.  Goal setting gives focus to your days. Goal setting is good stewardship.  Instead of letting things happen, goals help you to make things happen.


A goal is a description of what you want to accomplish.  A goal has 3 aspects (SAW):
S~ Specific  (Example:  I will exercise 3 times/week)
A~Attainable: Keep goals within reach (Example:  I will star in a movie this year) 
W~ Written "The Yale graduating class of 1953 was surveyed to find how many students had written goals.  3%.  Only 3% out of 100 had put pen to paper.  Thirty years later, that same 3% had accumulated over 90% of the wealth of the entire graduating class.  That's the power of a written goal.  Just think what a few words in black & white can do."  Chazown, A Different Way to See Your Life by Craig Groeshel. 


Some tips for goal setting:
1) Pray~ Seek the Lord so that your goals will glorify the Lord
2) Motive~ Go after goals for the right reason
3) Categories~ Set goals in various categories (Family, work, Body, Heart, Time, Finances, Travel, etc...) but be realistic.  The more goals you have, the more unrealistic they will be to attain.
4) Include others~ This helps with accountability
5) Celebrate along the way~ Don't wait until you have attained the goals before celebrating.  Celebrate little successes throughout the year.
6) Be flexible~ Be flexible to change goals or remove or add goals depending upon circumstances that may come up during the year.


Questions to consider as you begin the goal setting exercise:

• Any character qualities you want to cultivate or change this year?
• Any relationships that need to be restored?
• Any professional/educational goals?
• Any spiritual goals?
• What do you want your yearly focus to be?
• What are the priorities in your life?
• What are you spending time doing?  (any schedule changes needed)
• What are you investing in (financially & relationally)?

I use a cardboard circle to write out my goals for the year.  Below is my current goal circle.  However you write out your goals, create an image that you can keep before you throughout the year.