Goal setting…I feel like is a term that gets said a lot and can have a different meaning to different people. Some people get fired up with them, but a lot of the time I feel like they get the eye roll. Everybody gets motivated in different ways at different points of their lives. I’ve always been a SMART goal-setter…

• Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
• Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
• Achievable (agreed, attainable).
• Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
• Time-bound (time-based, time-limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive)

This is a very good way to manage your goals. However, last year I found myself putting down a lot of specific and quantifiable goals, printing them out so they were posted in front of me all year and yet I still didn’t pay much attention to them. Why? I’ve always been against the broad goals of saying things like…” I want to eat better,” or “I want to work out more,” or “I want to save more money,” etc. I always felt like these were way too broad with no real commitment behind them.

At this point in my life, I know myself. One thing I know is that I hardly do anything that’s not on my phone calendar. Besides things like eating, sleeping, etc; if I don’t put it on my calendar, I’ll forget to do it. Like it or not, it’s just the truth. So this year I took a different approach. I actually chose some of those broad topics that were most important to me at this point in my life and put them up on the bulletin board that’s right in front of me in my office with a couple of quotes that I try to focus on every day…

For each of those goals, I either scheduled a specific time and activity on my calendar to do the goal, or I scheduled time on my calendar to plan something related to the goal. Examples…

• I have specific time blocks every day on my calendar for devotions, prayer, and getting into God’s Word

• I have time blocked to plan intentional time with Sara (sounds a little ridiculous but I need to do it because I fall way short in this area…sorry Sara)

• Once a month I have time blocked to take one of the boys out for whatever they want to do

• On that date, I have it scheduled that we will pay for someone else as a random act of kindness so that I can be an example of God’s love in front of my boys instead of just trying to tell them all the time what that means

• Work has always been easy as far as goals go because we have everything spelled out for us each year in terms of sales numbers. However, I also schedule time in my calendar to be more specific with the goals and the impact I want to have with the people I work with above and beyond the sales goals. If they don’t know it; they get prayed for every day whether they like it or not

• I have scheduled time with people I look up to in order to pick their brains on different topics. We obviously do this a lot already with Core4Life with the guests we have on, but you can never have enough “Pauls” in your life. Talked about that biblical concept before for those that aren’t sure what I mean by that… Paul represents that person in your life who mentors, leads and directs you. Barnabas is someone who encourages you and holds you accountable in your faith and life. Timothy is that man you help guide along the road of faith and life.    

• Finally, I have dedicated time scheduled each day for health and fitness goals

I feel like this is already a longer blog than I intended to post, and a lot of it probably makes it seem like I am very motivated and dedicated to all of these things. Couldn’t be further from the truth. I struggle in all of these areas which is why I need to schedule time in my calendar to be intentional with all of it. I have so much room to grow in these areas that sometimes it feels overwhelming. However, I know God has called each of us to a specific purpose, and unless we are seeking Him first, then the rest of these goals will fail. Be encouraged and comforted in the fact that even though you and I are very imperfect, and this world is the furthest thing from perfect; we have a perfect Father that loves us and wants us to seek Him and His will for our lives.