goal/ɡōl/noun
- the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result. “going to law school has become the most important goal in his life”
Okay so we are at “Goals”. This is the ACTION part of the equation that is tangible and measurable.
This is where we MAKE A PLAN.
Coaching is amazing because it helps us get from where we are to where we want to be. It is action oriented. We spend time in the Purpose, Calling, and Dreams phase because it sets the course and as we move forward, it helps us stay on track. But until we set goals and come up with a plan of action, it’s all just in our heads. There are a lot of people out there who never fulfill their purpose or calling and never reach their dreams because they don’t take action. Coaching is great for accountability. One of my favorite questions for a client, when they are excitedly sharing their dreams with me is…”Great! WHEN will you do that?”
We talk a lot about S.M.A.R.T. goals.
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-Bound
Let’s run through an example.
Purpose: To share the Good News with the world.
Calling: Mission work in other countries
Dream: Live and do mission work in Uganda
Goals: Go on a mission trip in Uganda before the end of 2023
- Reach out to mission group that is doing this work to learn more about upcoming trips, volunteer with them and let them know you want to go on the next trip. Say YES! Commit!
- Save the date and start praying!
- Read up on the area, language, people, history
- Find out if you need special medicine or vaccines or anything else you need before you go
- Save money so I can take time off of work to go
- Let work know my plans and plan for the time off
- Find a mentor or find a way to learn more from people who have done this before
These are some action items you can take. What else can you think of?
Now go through each item and put a completion date next to it. Write it on your calendar. Tell people. This will all help with accountability. Telling people makes it real.
Do you see how we took PURPOSE and made it DOABLE? That’s exciting right? Don’t just keep purpose as some lofty “out there” idea that you wish you could do. YOU CAN DO IT!
Here’s another example:
Purpose: To encourage people to know how loved they are by God and how valuable they are to the world.
Calling: Writing and speaking to young people about self-esteem and their worthiness.
Dreams: To write a book for young people on this topic.
Goals:
- Start writing
- Keep writing every day – block off time every day to write and stick to it
- Research how to get book published and choose self publish or traditional publishing
- Choose one and sign up
- Set a completion date – write it down, tell people!
- Join writing groups online
- Maybe find an accountability partner or coach or someone to support you if you need it.
ACTION BRINGS CLARITY. You won’t know everything you need to do before you start. The point is…START. The research phase may take awhile. That’s okay. During all of your research, keep writing. Finish the manuscript. That may be your only goal to start. Do what works for you. If you want to do one thing at a time, it may look like this.
Goal: Publish book by the end of 2023.
Start writing.
Goal: Finish the manuscript by September 30.
Write every day and finish on time. When you reach that goal, you set another.
Goal: Research how to publish manuscript and decide a route to go by October 30.
Turn in manuscript.
Goal: Do all the other things you need to do – cover art, editing, illustrations, it will vary for each book but the publisher will have you on a deadline or you will need to set finish dates for each thing.
KEEP MOVING FORWARD. Take the next step. Set dates, write it down, tell people.
That’s our cheer for this section:
SET DATES! WRITE IT DOWN! TELL PEOPLE! (in a cheerleading voice with arm movements!)
How do you feel?
Can you write down your goals right now?
Do you see how the big umbrella purpose has become achievable? Isn’t that so inspiring? YOU can get started NOW to impact the world.
You have influence and you were created with purpose. This isn’t some “woo woo” idea that we just pontificate about but it’s something we DO. We live with purpose. We live with intention. We live with passion and purpose and make a difference in the world!
YES and AMEN!
