Goal setting and attainment have become a major concern in modern-day life. Even for those who’d rather not deal with goals, someone else (such as their boss) may require them to. How, then, can we set and achieve the right goals effectively, regardless of whether we’re goal-oriented or goal-averse? And why, on top of that, would we want our goals to be godly?
First, we need to define the problem:
- As mentioned above, some people don’t think goal setting matters or helps. They think “What good is it? I’ve set goals before, only to fail and feel bad about myself. I’m better off not setting any goals. That way I can just do what I can without always feeling like I’m falling short of something.”
- Others would like to set goals, but they don’t know how.
- Still others are willing and able to set goals but have no idea how to reach them, much less “crush” them.
I’m going to address these issues here and present right ways to set the right goals and the best ways to achieve them.
In order to do that, we first have to define what a goal is and isn’t:
–A goal is not a wish or wishful thinking, or even a hope, or even just a need.
A wish is something we’d love to see happen but have no idea how or even if it ever could. For example— “I wish I could be wealthier, more intelligent, better-looking, more popular, get a better job, etc. But whatever it is, we have no control over it. There’s just this fatalistic “que sera, sera, what will be will be.”
A hope, while bringing in some sense of greater possibility or expectation, is still not totally under our control. “I hope to become a pro athlete someday”, or “I hope I pass this exam”—means “I think this could happen, based on my ability and effort, but still can’t be sure.”
A need, once recognized, can be an effective impetus and basis for a goal, but it’s just the beginning. For ex.— “I need to stop procrastinating.”, “I need to get in better shape”, etc. It’s great that we have this self-awareness. But it needs more clarity and definition to make it an actual goal—which we’ll discuss later.
A goal, when set the right way, is something we can reasonably achieve, barring an unforeseen obstacle. We have enough control over whether we reach it or not, depending on our motivation, mindset, and skillset. For ex., “My goal is to become friends with 5 more people this year.” Or “My goal is to exceed expectations for the next review period.”
Now, let’s answer the big question– Why does setting goals even matter? Is it even worth it, given the chance of failure?
The answer: There’s a saying, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time”. We need to aim at something to achieve anything meaningful to us, which means setting goals.
Otherwise, we’ll just drift aimlessly through life, not accomplishing much, if anything, and that only by accident, and feel dissatisfied as a result. If we’re afraid of feeling bad about ourselves for not achieving goals, imagine how we’ll feel about ourselves and life in general if we look back and see we’ve wasted our lives, with nothing to show for them!
Also, we’re less likely to fail if we set actual goals. Don’t set ourselves up for disappointment in ourselves, others, and life, by confusing a goal with a wish, or even a hope or need.
That brings us to the firs part of the main issue—how to set goals:
Let’s begin with reviewing (or introducing) SMART goals, which many of us have heard of. These are:
S pecific
M easurable
A ttainable/Actionable
R elevant/Realistic
T ime-bound
In other words:
- Specific— Not nebulous or too broad, but clearly defined and narrow enough to know what we’re after and what exact destination to head toward. That’s why we type addresses into our GPS.
- Measurable— Not without a point of recognizing whether or not we’ve achieved it. Otherwise, how will we know the exact distance or when we’ve arrived?
- Attainable—Not something there’s no way we can do outside of a miracle. Miracles can and do happen, but then it’s too far out of our control and “domain” to count as a goal. It also needs to involve action on our part (“actionable”)
- Relevant— It needs to matter to us and/or others, or we won’t have a reason or motivation to achieve it. Or, if we’ve put “actionable” for the “A”, we can put “realistic” here, with the same concept as “attainable”.
- Time-bound—We need to have a deadline. It’s been said that “A goal without a deadline is just a wish.” We need a due date to get it done, given our propensity to procrastinate. Otherwise, it will remain “out there”.
Now—these are all great, but they’re still missing the element that really makes them work the right way. For those of us who know and follow God, we know the best goals are set and achieved His way, with His help.
For those who don’t believe in Him, consider this: If there is a God, by definition, He’s all-powerful, all-knowing, present everywhere, and loving. That means goals set according to His standards will always be wise, good, and effective. Count God in and we’ll always win! Both now and forever. (cf. 1 Cor. 3:11-14)
With that in mind, let’s add 3 more conditions, to make the SMART-EST goals:
E ternal impact
S pirit-led/Scriptural
T ranscendent/Transferable
Meaning:
- Attaining our goals will have significance far beyond this present world and last far beyond the length of our own lives. Earthbound accomplishments can only last as long as earth. But anything born of Him will remain forever. (cf. Ps. 102:25-27). For ex., finding a cure for cancer, which affects people now, in future generations, and those who give their lives to the Lord as a result.
- Regardless of whether we get a direct impression from Him or just think of them, our goals will line up in values with Scriptural principles. They’ll have good purposes, seeking to help and not harm others, and not be selfish. For ex., starting a business that helps poor people get fair-wage work, versus starting a casino!
- Our goals will go beyond our own interests to have a greater, ripple-effect, impact on the world. Also, achieving them will apply in other areas besides the one we originally thought of. For ex., starting a non-profit organization devoted to reconciliation between individuals, groups, and ethnicities.
Next time, I will share how to achieve those best, godly, goals we’ve set. Stay tuned…
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