Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ' Philippians 3:13-14

 You’ve taken the time to craft a compelling goal. You’ve created a system to remember your goals. You’ve thought about what you want to achieve. You’ve asked yourself some hard questions. Good work!

Now begins the task of working toward achieving that goal. Where are you at? It’s time to evaluate. Do you know what that means? More hard questions!

To evaluate where you are, take a good hard look at the reality that is right now. Why not start with an encouragement boost? Consider your goal, and ask yourself some questions.

 What is working well? Start here. When you are on the road in an unfamiliar place isn’t it encouraging to see the road signs that tell you that you are on the right track? You may be further along than you think in reaching that goal. Even before you clearly articulated it, you were taking steps toward it. So, what is already working well in advancing you toward accomplishing your goal? Think about where you were when you first wrote out that goal. What has happened since? What steps have you taken?

 What am I already doing that is helping me move forward? Be as specific as you can here. Recognizing what you are already doing will help you to become more intentional about doing it as you work toward achieving your clearly stated goals. Intentionality adds power! If you are already doing something that moves you forward, intend to keep doing it!

The simple act of scheduling tasks in your calendar is a win. Celebrate it! Have you created a system for reviewing your goals? Pat yourself on the back! Do you have your goals written in an easily accessible location? Great!

What else are you already doing that is helping you to make progress? Allow yourself to smile about it. We tend to focus on the negative. I’ve heard that it takes three positive interactions to counteract one negative interaction. Take some time to focus on the positive!

 How are my habits helping me achieve my goal?   The best tool for accomplishing a goal is a good habit. Have you ever heard that? You already have habits that are helping you move toward your goal. Recognize what they are and celebrate them. Yes! Give yourself permission. Celebrate!

Celebration is motivation. Celebrating what is already working will increase your motivation to move forward. Recognizing that you are currently making progress toward your goal and on the right track spurs you forward. In the future, we will talk about evaluating what isn’t working, but today – celebrate!

So, start evaluating the reality of where you are by recognizing what is working well, what you are already doing, and the habits you have already created that are propelling you toward that goal. You’ll get to the hard work of looking at what needs to change but start by celebrating!

Key Question: What am I already doing that is helping me to achieve my goals?

A Scripture to Consider: Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ' Philippians 3:13-14

A YES Challenge: Make a list of the things you are already doing that are advancing you toward your goals. Decide on a way to celebrate your progress then go celebrate!

Prayer: Father, I have prayerfully written my goals. I believe that you have been in this process, so accomplishing these goals is important to me. I want to honor You! Show me how to evaluate my goals and make progress toward what I believe You want me to achieve. Help me to give myself permission to celebrate what I am already doing. Thank You for helping me to move forward in fulfilling my divine potential. Amen.