Are You A Goal Achiever?

Recently, I had a discussion with my friend, Patty, about goal setting.  I was hoping to inspire her with my goal-setting strategy for 2017 (see my blogpost, “A New Year Goal Strategy”).  We had a good discussion about identifying and setting goals, and I told her about my goal to write a book and the challenges I have faced in meeting that goal.  She told me something that really struck me and made me think about goal setting versus goal achieving.

Patty told me the story of a woman who wanted to write a book and found a way to accomplish it, even though she worked fulltime and had a family.  She wanted it so much that she scheduled the time – she made the time – to write each day so that she would finish the book!  She got up early to write before the kids got up and she stayed up late to work on the book after the kids went to bed.  She used the time that was available to her!

Wow!  What an impact that made on me.  Patty’s encouraging story really cut right through to my heart.  I want to finish a book!  I have no excuse not to write every day.  I have time for other things every day, including my other goals (see my blogposts, “Priorities” and “10 Minutes A Day”), but if I want to finish a book, I need to make time to write every day.  It is a sacrifice of time (and sleep), but if I don’t make the sacrifices necessary to move forward, I will not achieve my goal!

At the beginning of 2017, I started keeping a goal journal as one of my strategies to keep track of my goal progress.  After my discussion with Patty, I decided to add a specific plan to write every single day.  If I stay committed to that plan, I will reach my Number 1 Goal:  to finish writing a book.  If I do not stay committed to the plan, then my other goals, activities, and busyness of life could keep me from achieving my Number 1 Goal.

I encourage you to make a plan to reach your goal(s) and execute it.  If you have not set your goals for 2017, do it now.  Don’t wait!  I’m sure I’m not the only one who faces the challenge of too many things to do and too little time.  If we do not set goals and execute a plan to achieve them, then another year of opportunity to meet our goals will be gone forever.

 

I am praying, on my knees, for God to help me and guide me on my goal progress, and I am filled with joy when he answers my prayers.

And I am thankful for friends like Patty who give me encouragement and inspiration to achieve my goals.

I want to be a Goal Setter AND a Goal Achiever!

Devotion

The Lord is my strength and shield.  I trust him with all my heart.  He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.  I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.  Psalm 28:7

Prayer:

       

Lord, thank you for friends and the inspiration and encouragement they give us.  Thank you for hearing my prayers and giving me direction in my life.  I believe you are shaping me to be the person you want me to be!  I trust you with all my heart, and my heart is filled with thanksgiving.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

© 2017 Linda Lijewski