Blog

In our last column, we discussed that goal-setting begins with the art of understanding paradox. The question is the answer, and the answer is the question. Now uncross your eyes for a second and ask yourself, “What do I want?” And hopefully you’ll begin to realize that why you want it (whatever “it” may be) is the answer.

Goal-setting is not just putting numbers on a page to make more money or satisfy your boss. It is about deciding who you want to be and what the vision for your life is.

So let’s start by dividing your life into categories. What do you want for your physical health? Most people realize that the answer to this question has more to do about providing and taking care of others than just taking care of themselves. That would be an example of why you want to be healthy. Along with health, other categories can include relational health, emotional health, spiritual growth, and, since this is a business publication, your business goals and finances, as well.

There’s a timeless wisdom found in the scriptures where God says, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” In other words, before we can begin to receive all that our goals would produce, we need to make sure that we’re good stewards of what we already have. Setting a goal of 10 gallons of water with a five-gallon container is an example of stewardship that needs tweaking. All too often, people rush to put numbers on a page and dream of what their life will be like if they hit those goals. The step before that should be, “What do I need to work on in myself, so I can become the person to achieve those goals?” With me, I struggle with living in the moment and being patient. More times than not, I can be impatient and forget to stop and enjoy life’s little pleasures.

What do you need to change in yourself? You don’t have to write us back. But being honest with yourself is a must.

We started with the question “what do you want?” That led us to “why do you want it?” What we’re discussing now is “Why don’t you have it?” This begs two questions: your vision (who do you need to become?) and your mission (what do you need to do to get what you want?). More often than not, effective goal-setting lies in identifying our character flaws and what inside us needs to change, as well as being honest with ourselves so that what our heart truly yearns for is crystal clear.

So, your homework assignment is to make at least five categories (some of which were referenced earlier) of what you want your life to look like, what it would mean to you if your life actually looked that way, and what about you needs to change in order to not only get it, but also be a good steward of it.

This will get us ready for the last column in this series, which will include the final step of putting pen to paper with actual goals and an action plan to get us there.