Category Archives: Goals

When the road turns….

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clip art winding_road sign

 

 

 

 

 

 

I read a tweet from @realDonaldTrump this morning…

“The bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you refuse to take the turn” Anonymous

This got me thinking.

In life we make plans, set goals, dream big – but what happens when life changes? The scenery changes, the neighborhood changes, our family changes, our finances change, my relationships change, my surroundings change, my health changes, my job changes.

Change, change, change.

It is how I deal with change that determines the results of change.

I have seen people that have refused to accept change and the result is that life passed them on and they became a casualty of the ‘bend’ in the road that became the ‘end’ of the road.

I have also seen people that accept and embrace change and the result is that they are continuing down the road. The windows are open, they are experiencing the ‘wind’ of life, the freshness of the air, the warm of the sunshine and the new scenery.

Determine to look at life as a CONSTANT change. I challenge you to EMBRACE the changes in your children, the movement of life, and the newness of each day. Some changes happen naturally, some changes happen internally, and some changes happen externally. Don’t build a permanent fixture in a temporary location, but rather build a permanent memory in a temporary location.

Every day brings new change and new challenges, but remember that His mercies are NEW every morning (they change too!), and that He places where He can move you to NEW things.

While driving down the road of life do not let the ‘bend’ become the ‘end’.

What are some things you have learned in dealing with the bending road? I would love to hear them.

clip art long winding road p92b_saint_gothard_pass_switzerland

 

 

 

 

Enjoying the scenery,
David

 

TAKE TIME TO CELEBRATE

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On the road to accomplishing big goals and lofty dreams life can become tedious, obstacles overwhelming, excitement can vanish and desire disappear. These are feelings and emotions that we must combat. So how can we combat these common enemies.

When the Children of Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground the Lord instructed Joshua to have twelve men (one from each tribe) take twelve stones out of the river and place them where the people lodged (Joshua 4:1-8). The purpose of the stones was to act as a remembrance of what the Lord had done. It was a distinguishing mark of the beginning of the possession of the Promised Land, a physical display of the promise to come, the beginning of the realization of a goal.

I can only imagine some of the stories and exchanges that happened around the pile of stones. What a time of encouragement, celebration and refreshing. How many times do you think families gathered around those stones and rehearsed the treasures of miraculous provision.

On your course to a goal that may seem to grow deeper and deeper take time to celebrate the little achievements, the miracles, the miniscule steps. The small accomplishments serve as fuel to keep going, the kindling that keeps the dreams burning, the oxygen that breathes life into tired weary bodies. Take time to remember your victories, celebrate a miracle, rehearse the fruit of discipline. Tell others that are on the same journey what the signposts mean.

You will find renewed energy and resolve to maintain the discipline that is required to reach a goal every time you rehearse an accomplishment. Don’t stay at the victory celebration keep moving, but enjoy the satisfaction of a goal reached.

As you practice this principle of celebrating the small victories you will find encouragement, and the big intimidating goal will be brought down in size.

 

Dream BIG, step small

David

Setting SMART Goals

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Today I would like to break down how to set goals to a short acronym that I hope helps you become more successful. The acronym I would like to use is S M A R T (This acronym is not my original idea, but it is commonly used by instructors on this subject). Should you decide to ‘Google’ SMART goals you will find some more very useful information.

  • Specific – Have a specific goal. When it is specific it can be well defined and understood. A quick way to frustrate a child is to give them an instruction with no specifics. Try setting a goal and making it specific, clear and defined.
  • Measurable – When you set a goal can you measure it? If the answer to this is ‘No’ how do you know when it is reached? Set a goal of reading one chapter an evening in a specific book, or reading for a set amount of time. Perhaps your goal is to run and exercise; then set a goal to go running for a set distance (more than to the fridge during TV commercials).  Maybe you want to lose weight, set a measurable goal, not just I want to lose weight, but how much weight. This is a measurable goal. Make it meaningful and measurable.
  • Achievable – Goals are targets which stretch you, but are achievable. For instance if you want to run and exercise regularly setting a goal of running a 3 minute mile is not achievable (professional runners do not run that fast). Maybe set it for 6 or 7 minutes, maybe quicker, maybe slower. Setting goals that are not achievable is a quick way to lose morale and an easy way to excuse yourself of any personal accountability. Accountability helps in achievement.
  • Realistic – Goals need to be real and realistic. I constantly encourage people to dream BIG, because the God I serve loves to work in the arena of BIG. However when I consider goals in this context there should be a basis of reality found in the goal. An unrealistic goal will sap you of energy and expectancy quicker than water drains from a sink. An example of an unrealistic goal is for a 45 year old person (not naming myself here) setting a goal to be a professional hockey player, whereas a realistic goal looks more like a 45 year old person setting a goal to make a specific local community hockey team (age specific in my situation).
  • Time – Some goals can be short term, and some are definitely long term, but they all involve an element of time or completion. Setting goals but not having a time limit or expected completion is not wise. You may not know a time limit for you goal, but you know a completion picture (such as I want to lose 10 lbs is a completion picture); or you might not know the completion picture but you have a time limit. Set a goal for a specific time or completion, that will motivate you towards the finishing point.

While all of us may have different goals, dreams and desires when you break a goal down it can be manageable and achievable. Set lofty goals, set large goals, set BIG goals, then assess the goals and break them down to Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time goals. As you do this you will find more successful completion of goals that you used to think were unrealistic and unachievable.

Setting more goals,

David

GOALS, GOALS, GOALS

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I have had many discussions with people regarding goals, the future, dreams, plans, what they want to be when they grow up, etc. Discussions with retired folks, tired folks, young people, newly wed, nearly wed, happy singles (and those not wanting to be single) and even children. Sometimes the individual is very focused on what their goal is, sometimes not so much. Sometimes the individual has no idea about the future, other times the future is so intricately planned I wonder if there is any room for a hiccup. From all my discussions I have found this topic to be one of great stress and consternation.

Through my life I have found a number of things that have helped me, and equally a number of things that have frustrated me when I make goals. Over the next few blog postings I would like to share with you some of my thoughts about goals and I would love to have your feedback, comments or questions.

When I went from elementary school to high school my parents decided to enroll me (and a number of my siblings) into our local church school which was just starting out. My temper tantrums and manipulations did not change my parents mind, it only gave them more resolve. The school was not set in a traditional classroom, but rather each student had their desk referred to as a cubicle (the sides of the desk were high enough to discourage communication with your neighbouring student, whether she was a cute girl or a sport fanatic like myself). The mindset behind the school was for individual learning and not classroom style learning.

One of the first lessons we were taught and required to do was to make a ‘goal’ for the day. This took the form of a chart where we wrote each subject down and then wrote how many pages we were going to do in that subject for the day. It did not take long for some of us to realize that if we set ‘low’ goals we would then get our schoolwork completed sooner and we could fool around (whatever that look liked). Shortly after we came upon this great realization we encountered another ‘light bulb’ moment. If we set ‘low’ goals that were not stretching or pushing us it would take us much longer to complete our prescribed material (long term goals) and thus our school year would be lengthened (not something any active young boy desires or wants). Our goals needed to reflect our long term dreams and not just our short term desires

The lessons I learned are:
• if you set too low of a goal you will not stretch yourself
• if you set a short sighted goal you may adversely affect your long term goal
• your short term goals should reflect your long term goals
• set your long term goals, then set your short term goals

I guess I learned a few more things than just the Pythagoras Theorem and Newton’s Laws;

What are some goals that you have set?
Do your short term goals reflect your long term plans?

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5 NLT)

Working towards my goals,
david