Praise JESUS CHRIST!
Greetings family! Yesterday we scratched the surface of 'Finishing What we Start' by dealing with the issue of effective goal-setting. All great accomplishment is a direct result of the God-given goals we prepare for ourselves in order that we become successful in any area of life. With this in mind, let's discuss the purpose of goal setting.
Goal setting gives us a road map, a sense of direction as we navigate the many twists and turns of life. We all have desires, things we would like to accomplish before we leave this earth, and the most effective method of accomplishing these dreams is to implement goals that allow us to be the people in which God intended to fulfill His Purpose and Plan for not only our lives, but also the lives of others. Achieving well thought out goals also gives us a sense of accomplishment which boosts our confidence and esteem, not only in God, but also in ourselves. Goal setting gives us a sense of purpose, and if we have a purpose in life, more than likely we have goals. Those who don't feel a sense of purpose or self-worth, very seldom create goals and a plan to achieve them.
I mentioned briefly yesterday that we should prayerfully consider our goals. We need to be sure that our goals line up with the Word of GOD and His Plan for our lives. After all, what good does it do to gain the whole world and lose your soul? In other words, we shouldn't set goals that would compromise the very integrity and fabric of the ideals, and morals our Creator has instilled in us. Our goals should always be pleasing to God. They should not consist of fruitless pursuits that attempt to show the world we've arrived. Our goals, if presented to the world, should show the Faithfulness of Jesus, and give Glory to the One that has designed us with access to His Holy Spirit Power to achieve all He has ordained for us to accomplish, and to show the nations that our God is the King of kings, and Lord of lords! That is the ultimate reasoning behind setting goals, to put on display the wonderful acts of God! So make sure that your goal is one that cheers the heart of God and yours as well. If we are led by the peace of God, we can't go wrong in terms of setting our goals.
We also discussed yesterday that all goals fall into three specific categories, SPIRITUAL GOALS, PERSONAL GOALS, and CORPORATE GOALS (See the article in this blog 'Start Great! Finish GREATER!' - 7/17/11). SPIRITUAL GOALS are aspirations based on things you want to accomplish for the Kingdom of God. While PERSONAL, and CORPORATE GOALS are important, SPIRITUAL GOALS are a mandate for setting all other goals, because they give us the moral compass necessary to be truly successful at any task. PERSONAL GOALS are goal's that will improve the overall quality of our personal lives. These are things that we want to achieve that we believe will not only bring us more happiness and fulfilment, but also make us better equipped to live out the life God has envisioned for us even before we came into this world. CORPORATE GOALS are basically goal's that involve a community of like minded individuals, coming together for a cause greater than themselves. These goals usually involve things at Church, the workplace, or major business endeavors. In a sense, SPIRITUAL GOALS prepare a person for achievement, PERSONAL GOALS equip a person for achievement, and CORPORATE GOALS show that the person has achieved!
Within the realm of these three categories of goals comes the three types of goals, IMMEDIATE Goals, SHORT-TERM Goals, and LONG-RANGE Goals. IMMEDIATE Goals are ones that can usually be realized in the span of one day to one month. They are goal's that are the starting point for all achievement! They put the potential achiever into the right frame of mind as they take the first steps in improving their persona. Some IMMEDIATE goal's include changing a hairstyle, reading a new book, filling out necessary documentation for a business endeavor, preparing a plan of action for accomplishing goals, etc. SHORT-TERM Goals are ones that normally would require anywhere from one month to one year to accomplish. They are goals that include things such as losing weight, purchasing a new car, starting a business, or many other endeavors that would normally take some but not a lot of time. LONG-RANGE Goals are ones that would require more than a year's worth of persistence. The main goal which comes to mind as a LONG-RANGE Goal is purchasing your 'dream home'. Now that we know the three major categories of goals, and the three types within these categories, let's begin the actual process of setting and maintaining goals!
The first step once you've sought The LORD and have come to the conclusion of what you'd like to accomplish in life is to write down all the things you want to do. You may prefer to write in a notepad, or on your laptop. It really doesn't make a difference. The key here is to get something concrete so that you can consistently view the goals, revise them if need be, and track your progress. After you've written all you would like to accomplish, place an 'S' beside the goal for a SPIRITUAL Goal, a 'P' for PERSONAL Goals, and a 'C' for CORPORATE Goals. The next thing you would want to do is to put a date when you plan to start the goal, and when you plan on completing it. Setting a time frame is VERY important because it helps you to accurately track your progress. In the same manner you've labeled the category of the goal, place an 'I' if the goal can be done IMMEDIATELY, and 'ST' If it is a SHORT-TERM Goal, and an 'LR' if it is a LONG-RANGE accomplishment. Now you've taken the first step in realizing your dreams! Believe it or not, you've just accomplished something that many people hardly ever attempt. You are getting your life in order, and working diligently to accomplish all that God has, by His Sovereign Providence, placed inside your heart.
Now after you've decided what you want to do, the category and type of goal you want to achieve, and the time frame you plan on achieving the goal, it is time to clearly put a list up where you can see the goals all throughout the day. You may want to put them on your bathroom mirror, on the wall beside your bed, on the refrigerator, or any place you frequent. I personally place my goals on a note in my cell phone. There are no rules to which method you utilize. The important thing is that you place the goals where you can see them. This will help keep the goals at the forefront of your mind, and will help to keep you motivated if any discouragement from the adversary (the devil) or adversaries (people who want to see you fall, or who mean well but don't know how to encourage your dreams) attempts to overtake you!
As a side note, you will always have IMMEDIATE goals within the categories and types of the other goals. An example would be the LONG-TERM goal is to buy the house (more than one year), while the IMMEDIATE goal is to open a savings account towards the purchase of the house (one day to one month). Don't worry, God will give you all the Wisdom necessary to know what steps to take to realize these goals. You just have to GET STARTED!!! Psalm 1 tells us that whatever we 'do' will prosper! Take the first step, and let God guide you to the finish line!
Along the way of achieving your goals, you may have some bumpy roads. When you make an effort to do something worthwhile for God's Kingdom, the battle for your discouragement has ensued from Satan's fallen-world. Don't be overcome if and when you don't feel like doing something you feel needs to be done. Keep pushing ahead. Some days you may not feel like doing anything. At least do something towards the accomplishment of your goal. If you plan on jogging 3 miles in one day, and can only gather the strength to jog one mile, you still have done something! Don't be too hard on yourself, as you attempt to make the necessary changes in your life. Take small steps. I have a LONG-RANGE goal to lose 100lbs by 10/15/2012. That may seem like a tall feet, but if I lost only 2lbs a week, I would have accomplished my goal by the middle of August 2012! Yours goals CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED! Track your progress along the way to see how far you have come. When you've accomplished any goal, congratulate yourself! Reward yourself!! Be sure to thank JESUS for every accomplishment along the way of realizing your dream. It doesn't matter how minimal the accomplishment may be. YOU ARE A VICTOR, and YOU HAVE OVERCOME with each small step of victory even if the entire goal has yet to be realized! Remember the reason's why you set the goal. This will help motivate you when discouragement tries to intervene. Sometimes our bodies, minds, and spirits are reluctant to 'change'! But in this life change is necessary. The only Person that doesn't change is JESUS! HE IS PERFECT! He has no need for change! We are striving to be perfect, that 'Striving' is our Change!
After you've accomplished your goal, rest, and then set a NEW one! Keep progressing upward on this road of life! Remember to CELEBRATE along the way. You've come a long way, and because you have a desire to be better, God will make you better! Take the time to make the necessary changes in your life, and become all - AND I MEAN ALL - the person JESUS CALLS YOU TO BE!! Be Blessed!
(c) 2011 Writings With The Finger Of God
Tomorrow: Staying Motivated
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