How do I become the Whole, Holy and Authentic Woman God calls me to be? How do I move forward in my life doing the things that are important? How do I stay connected to God first and fill up on Him so that all the other relationships in my life work correctly?
8-8-8 Simple.
I have to write down my Goals, I have eight areas. I have to create eight Activities to act on each day. AND, I have to Plan out for eight weeks at a time.
Today I want to start with just the eight Goal areas. To become an integrated Woman of God you need to be working in all areas of your life. I want to stress, before we talk about Goals, that I am a believer in starting small. Very small. Zechariah 4:10 says not to ‘despise these small beginnings’. By working backward from your BIG God-sized dream you can break it way down into initial steps that bring about success and grow your confidence.
How do you decide what your Goal is in any given area?
Here is a checklist:
- Your most important goals must be yours (personal)
- Your goals must be meaningful (your why)
- Your goals must be specific and measurable (keep it simple)
- Your goals must be flexible (wiggle room)
- Your goals must be challenging and exciting (must motivate)
- Your goals must be in alignment with your values (filter them)
- Your goals must be well balanced (include all parts of your life)
- Your goals must be realistic (within reach)
- Your goals must include contribution (giving back)
- Your goals need to be supported (by resources)
Once you understand how to look at creating your Goals then it is time to plug them into all the areas of your life.
So, I said there were eight areas. Here they are: Faith, Business, Financial, Relationship, Fun, Personal, Health, and Contribution. By writing a Goal in each area you are able to Plan out your next eight weeks so that you complete each Goal. See why I said it is important to have a small and specific Goal?
For example, my Faith Goal for the next 8 weeks is to complete my Bible Study homework on time. It needs to be completed by Friday morning. I need to think through how that will happen. First, it takes me about an hour per day for 5 days to complete it. I like to do my study first thing in the morning when I am my best. I know there are days when I do not have that amount of time to set aside in the morning. Knowing that, I plan to spend more time on Saturday and Sunday so that during the week I can finish the study in 30-45 minutes per day. I am also slowly changing my wake up time each day to give myself more time.
Goals are sometimes decided and then left alone. In the area of my Contribution Goal I have a steady routine so it is not something I regularly change. The Goal is to volunteer every Tuesday and Thursday for one hour in a tutoring program. And, with the same students, I meet with the older ones once a month for a time of fun and faith.
Do you see how having a specific and small Goal makes a difference? I know I can do these Goals. Yet, they are challenging to me as I continue to work at completing the activities each week. They fit into my bigger plans and move me forward toward the Vision God has given me for my life.
What is your God-sized dream? What Vision has God given you that you are to accomplish? How will you break it down into actionable steps so you succeed? First, take time to pray and invite God to be part of your Goal decisions. What does He want your Goals to look like?
Next, take time to Plan your steps. Do you need a resource? Support? Accountability? That’s where I can help. You are not alone. Let’s chat about where you are as we begin 2017. Connect with me to schedule your 30-minute discovery session to see how we can work together to complete your Goals and move you into becoming the Whole, Holy, Authentic Woman God is calling you to be.
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