254 – Are Your Goals S.M.A.R.T?

#faithbites #faithjourney goals

Goals give us purpose in life. I believe we all have goals, most just don’t write them down. When I think about goals, I try to think about why I’m doing something and where it is going to lead me. Tonight, for instance, I received a detailed plan of all the steps I need to complete to finish my doctor of education degree and graduate in May. This is an insane amount of work even if you were working on this full time. My brain is spinning on how on God’s green Earth I am going to do this.

I, being trained in goal setting, look to the S.M.A.R.T. method. Your goals should be Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant and Time-specific. (And yes, I know you can have S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals by adding Evaluate and Revise). When I apply this model to getting my degree, all of them are spot on except the A. Is it attainable in the timeframe I have. Is it worth the sacrifices that I will need to make? Could waiting another semester make it better? These are the decisions, I have to make. What decisions do you make when you create goals?

Do you apply the S.M.A.R.T model to making spiritual goals? If not, why not?

Scripture on Goal Setting

• “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” – 2 Chronicles 15:7
• May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. – Psalm 20:4
• Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. – Proverbs 16:3

Reflection

In my life, I look to the future always. I’m a big planner, dreamer, and hoper. To be able to check things off my list is great. The thing that I forget, and many of us do, is to enjoy the process. The destination is great, don’t get me wrong, but how you got there is important.

In faith, some will set a goal to read the bible or participate in x number of church activities or be in so many groups. While that is something you can check off, why did you do it? After the marathon is run, did you get something out of it? That is where the R (relevant) in S.M.A.R.T comes in. If a goal was truly relevant, then the journey and destination are both worthwhile. If it isn’t, the destination is just a checkbox and the journey is a drag.

I see the dissertation process as dry and tedious. Likewise, I have looked at graduation as a checkmark. It’s a vicious cycle. What if I looked at the dissertation as the culmination of my work and the writing of it as growth journey. Then, it would be worthwhile. In faith, we need to look at why we do the things we do. Then, we get more out of the journey than just the destination.

Charge

What are your S.M.A.R.T goals? Have you thought about setting goals in your life for work, school, or home? What about in faith? Take time to think about how you want to grow your faith. Then make a goal and a specific plan to get there.

Lord, help me have the strength and dedication to complete all of my goals. Allow the Holy Spirit to work through me to grow my faith, making all things possible.