Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Goals

It will be as when a hungry man dreams-- and behold, he is eating; but when he awakens, his hunger is not satisfied, or as when a thirsty man dreams-- and behold, he is drinking, but when he awakens, behold, he is faint and his thirst is not quenched. (Isaiah 29:8a)

A vision without a plan is only a dream.  Too many live with wishes and dreams that never translate into achievement.  Why?  They never set goals to transform their vision to victory.
The prophet Isaiah speaks clearly about what happens when a person fails to set a course toward their dream.  Goal setting itself is a relatively simple concept.  This begs the question — why do so many people struggle with it?  The few that have mastered goal setting understand it is more than simply wishing for something.  They know that to take their goals to that critical next level they need a system to set, track, and adjust their goals.
The Oxford Dictionary defines “goal” as follows:
“Point marking end of race; object of effort or ambition; destination;” 
A specific, measurable occurrence, object, or accomplishment
that I would like to achieve, or obtain in the future.
"Goals in writing are dreams with deadlines."  
A goal statement is an investment in yourself; it clearly identifies what you want, how you will get it, and when you will get it.
  • By Writing Your Goals You Are Committing To Do Them.  It is easy to dodge a goal that is floating around in our heads.  It doesn’t feel real.  Simply by writing it out, it becomes much more real and increases your effectiveness towards your goal.  
  • It Bridges the Gap Between Dreams and Reality.  Writing out your goal, and creating the plan of action required to achieve it, is a massive step towards making your goal more realistic.  Sure, your goal may still be challenging, but having that roadmap for your success in front of you will make it that much closer to happening.
  • A Written Goal Gives You an Inexcusable Reason to Act.  With your goal laid out, the resources needed described, and the steps methodically organized, there is no reason for you not to begin your journey.  It is the ultimate gut check moment where you will know for sure whether this is something you truly want for yourself.
  • It Will Give You Order.  Knowing what must be done, in what order it has to be done, is an easy way to keep ourselves on track and focused.  By focusing simply on what we need to do, we ignore the extraneous clutter that fills our daily lives.  Having a written set of goals frees you to focus on what is most important.
  • It’s Your Ultimate To-Do List.  Once we have that list of steps, all we have to do is listen to our own instructions.  Each day we wake up, look at what we are basically telling ourselves to do, and do it.  
"May all your dreams turn into goals."  You can take your dream and turn it into a goal which then can be a reality.  God has a plan for your life which can be realized as you seek His course daily.

Scripture to Claim:
For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God. (Ecclesiastes 5:7)

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