Goals: Intentionally Moving Toward Our Dreams

When we don't make plans we become like a twig on a fast moving river...bouncing hither and thither at the whim and the direction of the current.  Tossed to and fro!

We tend to swing from self absorption to pull down your pants and skate on the ice (My husband's quote) and wing it.  So can we find the healthy middle?  How can we intentionally effect change in our lives?

I believe that by identifying our vision and our goals-it keeps us moving in a planned step by step way toward our dreams.

First Step:  Vision.  Identify values and the desires within your heart.  Check them.  Do they align with where you thought they were?  Do your values and desires reflect your beliefs?  What is the direction we want to go?  Where do we want to end up?  

Mission Statement:  Do you have one?  Does your family have one?  

Think about it.  If we are in charge of managing us and our lives then shouldn't we know where we are taking them?

Second Step:  Identify priorities and challenges.  List them out.  Let's say for the next six months or year.  It doesn't have to be complicated...just list them out.

Third Step:  Identify strengths and resources.   Why?  This is a critical step for any goal.  To identify what our strengths and resources are gives us a concrete reminder that we have what it takes.  It also helps us identify the best ways for us to meet our goals...within our strengths.

Fourth Step:   Write out our goals that are functional, positive, realistic and measurable.  Make sure to write a goal for faith, family, financial, career, garden etc.  Be specific.  Who will do what...when and how.  Finally give it a timeline and how you will know that you have met it.

For an example.  I want to be debt free.  That aligns with my beliefs and values.  My priority for the next 12 months is that I will pay all of my debt except for my mortgage.  If I left it at that then I will get to the end of 2012 and find that I made minimal progress.  So my goal includes in the What/When/Who part each debt and what date it will be paid off by.  I've set it up so that I have to note progress at the end of each month.  

Do I meet all of my goals?  Not hardly.  But I'm living in a more intentional and focused way and meeting more of them all the time!