As this is January with a monthly competition focussed on consistency, I thought I would share some tips and thoughts about goal setting from various peoples including myself.
Why should we set goals?
Setting goals and managing our time gives us control over and direction in our lives and facilitates us in serving those around us. When we think about our goals, we can try to purposefully and deliberately align our will with God's. Setting goals is a great time to think about whether or not what we think is important is also what we think God says is important.
"Now is the time to align our goals with God's goals. His work and His glory--'to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man'--can become ours."
Russell M. Nelson
"Now is the Time to Prepare"
What should we set goals about?
Short answer? Basically everything worthwhile in our lives. Keep in mind why we are setting goals (see above). Some important areas of our lives to set goals around include:
- Wellness (check it! That's what this blog will help us accomplish!!)
- Spirituality
- Intellectual pursuits (even if we're not in school, we should still be learning)
- Developing our talents
- Career
- Finances
How should we set goals?
We should consider the mantra "moderation in all things" in goal setting. Not too many. Not too few. Not too hard. Not too easy. I think that M. Russell Ballard sums it up beautifully.
"First, think about your life and set your priorities. Find some quiet time regularly to think deeply about where you are going and what you will need to do to get there. Jesus, our exemplar, often 'withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.' We need to do the same thing occasionally to rejuvenate ourselves spiritually as the Savior did. Write down the tasks you would like to accomplish each day. Keep foremost in mind the sacred covenants you have made with the Lord as you write down your daily schedules.
"Second, set short-term goals that you can reach. Set goals that are well balanced--not too many nor too few, and not too high nor too low. Write down you attainable goals and work on them according to their importance. Pray for divine guidance in your goal setting."
M. Russell Ballard
"Keeping Life's Demands in Balance"
So what are your thoughts about goals? Share in the comments below.
I am really glad you shared these thoughts on setting goals. My first lesson in "The Gospel and the Productive Life" is on goal settings and I like the quotes you used...so thanks!
ReplyDeleteWe have a new health insurance that gives us monetary incentives for taking on-line lessons on nutrition, weight loss, etc. The first lesson I took included a section on goals and used the word SMART;
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Rewarding
Timely
So, as I have thought about my 2015 (I really can't believe it's 2015!!) goals--physical, social and spiritual--I have kept those words in mine. I haven't come up with a number for my weight loss goal (though heaven knows I have many pounds to lose--again):
--too much and while I might lose that much will I put it all back on again next January?
--too little and while I again might be successful and keep it off forever(!) would I feel good about myself and my success at the end of the year knowing I only took off 10% of my current weight? (Would that satisfy the REWARDING aspect?)
I'd enjoy hearing what some of the rest of you are doing in setting a weight loss goal.
1. Resolve to resolve. People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t articulate a goal, according to another University of Scranton study by professor John Norcross. After six months, 46% of people who wanted to change their behavior and made a resolution to do so were successful, vs. just 4% of people who desired to make a change but didn’t put it in resolution form.
ReplyDelete2. Be specific. People who make vague goals are much more likely to fail. Set a well-defined goal and write down a plan of attack. For example, vowing to save more is too broad. Instead, make a plan to research savings accounts with higher than average rates, pick one by Feb. 1, and aim to save $3,000 a year, putting away $250 a month to get there. (For help, check out our annual list of the Best Banks and accounts.)
3. Keep a log. One key to sticking to your New Year’s pledge: track your progress. Two-thirds of those who set a goal find progress to be motivating, according to the Fidelity survey, and a study from the University of Washington found that the more that you monitor your performance, the better you’ll do at sticking to your goals. Use an app such as SavingsGoals to see how close you are coming to your savings target or DailyCosts to track your spending and see where you can cut back.
4. Enlist a buddy. Research from Dominican University of California psychology professor Gail Matthews found that people who shared their goals with a friend were 33% more successful than those who didn’t. So if you’re already contributing to your 401(k) but haven’t boosted the amount you’re saving in years, tell someone who is important to you that you’re going to do it. Then ask that person to call you in a week to see if you followed through. Make a pact to help your friend with his or her own goal, and you’ll both be more likely to achieve your resolutions in 2015.
- http://time.com/money/3648918/ways-to-make-your-new-years-resolutions-stick/
"Recognize that failure distorts your perceptions about the task itself and about your capacities. Don’t ‘buy’ that you are incapable," he writes in Psychology Today. "Adopt a mindset of persistence and optimism."
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/31/new-years-resolutions_n_6396324.html