Packing up Christmas and looking ahead to a New Year, the final week of the year is the one where the focus points to a new beginning, a new slate, a new plan, and a fresh new perspective. Commercials change from Christmas sales to weight loss programs, gym memberships, smoking patches and financial plans to pay off debt. People begin to search the internet for goal related worksheets and plans, including me. As a Christian, I searched for worksheets and plans that would challenge my thinking as a Christian. Lacking interest in anything discovered on the internet, the choice was made to open my current Bible and the Bible I used during my teen and young adult years to search for notes on goal setting in the numerous sermons presented by my Pastor. Looking ahead to this New Year, this new beginning, and this new slate; an intentional plan and a detailed focus with thought-provoking questions will motivate me as a Christian in pursuing a successful New Year.
What is Success?
In today’s culture and according to Webster’s Dictionary, success is defined as “getting or achieving wealth, respect or fame”. According to the Urban Dictionary, which seems to be referred to quite often by our younger generation, "Success is when you don't have to post your achievements on social media because everyone will know them anyway." Cute and probably true, but how is success defined to the individual who desires to obtain a Christ-centered worldview?
Using the Word of God and past sermon notes as a resource, success for the Christian is “the continuing achievement of being what God wants me to be and the progressive accomplishment of worthwhile goals that He has led me to set” (Monroe).
Defining success with a Christ-centered focus challenges and provokes an individual to intentionally plan and prepare for the New Year.
Vision versus Goals
Is there a difference in having a vision and setting goals? What is a vision? Is a vision necessary to set goals? Lisa Petrilli, who has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Inc. and numerous other publications, uses Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech to demonstrate the difference between a vision and a goal. In his famous speech, he does not describe his goals but he does describe what he sees when his goals are accomplished.
“I have a dream that one day … one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”
Understanding the difference between a vision and a goal, is a vision beneficial when setting goals? Discovered once again in the numerous notes from my Pastor Bill Monroe, these little gems were discovered and they describe the importance and dare I say the need of a vision? A vision is essential. What makes a vision essential?
· A vision proceeds accomplishments
· A vision is the difference between mediocrity and greatness
· A vision motivates
· A vision anticipates
· A vision challenges
Understanding the definition of Christ-centered success and the need for a vision, it is time to determine the goals to successfully pursue your vision for the New Year.
Setting Goals
While researching on the actual process of setting goals, the majority of websites, goal planning worksheets, and books generally focus on these basic steps in setting goals and successfully accomplishing your goals. Again, we want to look at these steps from a Christ-centered perspective.
Pray about your goals - As Christians, why would we not begin planning our goals without calling out to our Lord Jesus Christ? A Christ-centered perspective should begin with a heartfelt call to our Heavenly Father including praise for who He is, humility and confession, and a reaffirmation of our confidence and faith in Him. To make this first step even simpler to understand, you are beginning your New Year with praise, confession and faith in God.
Record your goals – Without a doubt, someone will come across your path in the next week and ask what goals you are planning for the New Year. The typical vague, non-specific response will be, “I want to get healthy” or “I want to be a better Christian”. The simple act of sitting down and writing your goals promotes an intentional focus that will make your goals concrete and true, rather than a passing vague, non-specific New Year’s wish.
Make a plan – Without a plan, the written goal is just a little more than a passing wish. The plan will bring the goals to life and make what may seem unattainable, something that can be obtained. Looking at the non-specific goal stating, “I want to be a better Christian.” Great intent, but make it specifically planned. “I want to grow as a Christian by reading my Bible in one year, daily prayer, and through the discipleship of a new Christian.” Now, that non-specific goal is no longer vague but has a definitive and distinct plan.
Take Action – The vision is in view. The specific goals are in writing. The plan is definitive. What actions need to be taken to accomplish said goals? Action is a movement or a motion. Action is an act that is performed or needs to be done. Simply, this step allows the plan to become more detailed in order for the goal to become a reality. The specific plan is, "I want to grow as a Christian by reading my Bible in one year, daily prayer, and through the discipleship of a new Christian." The action for this specifically planned goal will establish a detailed, measured, and dated strategy to accomplish the goal. "I will meet the goal of reading my Bible and daily prayer by scheduling quiet time each morning at 6:30 A.M. I will choose not to connect to any social media until I have completed my quiet time.” Now there is a purposed action that will lead to success with the stated goal.
Be Accountable – Believe it or not, an individual could follow all of the above steps, and still discover a lack of success in meeting their goals. In a society full of distractions and social media, some people lack the discipline to follow the action plan. They may be great organizers, but not so great at completing the goal. At this point, it would be beneficial to acquire an accountability partner. A husband and wife, college roommates, or friends may choose to read through the Bible together following the same plan and giving them opportunities to discuss daily scripture reading. That one person may be the accountability needed for an individual to see their vision through planned, active goals. C
Areas that could be goal focused
· Spiritual goals (Monroe)
o Determine to daily read the Bible
o Determine to pray Daily
o Determine to be faithful to church
o Determine to serve at church
o Determine to give out a certain number of tracts each week
o Determine to witness to a certain number of people this year
· Fruit of the Spirit/Character Goals - Ben Franklin would track character traits with a card listing the days of the week and a row for each trait. Daily, he would place a mark beside traits he did not keep. Over time, fewer marks would be on the card (Lockwood). Ben Franklin’s plan is a simple one to put into place using the Fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23.
o Love
o Joy
o Peace
o Patience
o Gentleness
o Goodness
o Faith
o Meekness
o Temperance
· Educational/Career Goals
o College courses, grades, and plans
o Career achievement within current job and future career plans
o Books to read this year
· Physical/Health Goals
o Diet
o Physicals
o Exercise
· Financial Goals
o Begin tithing
o Pay off debt
o Save money
With these tools, an individual can begin and complete this New Year with a Christ –centered perspective.
Sources:
Lockwood, Jim. "Master Your Personal Goals the Ben Franklin Way." Seven Actions RSS. Seven Actions, 4 Feb. 2011. Web. 29 Dec. 2015.
Monroe, William T, Florence Baptist Temple, Florence SC, Sermons
"Visionary Leadership: The Critical Difference between Vision and Goals." Web log post. Lisa Petrilli RSS2. Lisapetrilli.com, 21 July 2011. Web. 28 Dec. 2015. You can purchase the notes from this blog and the goal setting worksheets by going to the following link.. https://www.etsy.com/listing/261966144/setting-goals-with-a-christ-centered
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