“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

 Compelling: evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way:

 Is your most cherished goal a compelling one? A compelling goal is one that keeps you moving forward. It is clear, concise, and connected to a strong why, a why that is rooted in your reason to be. A non-specific goal that isn’t connected to your reason to be is not going to motivate your forward motion. The most important aspect of crafting a goal is knowing why you want to complete it. A goal that isn’t connected with your why is not a goal that will be accomplished. Craft goals that connect with your why!

What motivates you most? When you set goals do you think of what you want to accomplish or why you want to accomplish it? Both aspects are important if you really want to achieve something. If you set your goal, what you want to do, without considering why you want to do it, you won’t get far.

The secret to setting a truly compelling goal is knowing why you want to reach it in the first place. Your why keeps you reaching when you get weary or feel lost. How do you craft a compelling goal?

 Start with what. This is the simple part of crafting a goal. What do you want to do? Be as specific as possible. A common goal is to lose weight. A compelling goal will include a specific amount of weight to lose and a target date to have it accomplished.

“To lose weight” was my goal for many years. The honest truth is that I didn’t really believe it was possible. I never got specific because I never got serious about it until the start of 2020. Near the end of 2019, I realized that “to lose weight” was in the back of my brain for almost 40 years. It was time to do something about it! I got serious about a target weight and a target date. Then I began to make a plan about what I would do to reach that goal. That was the start of success.

When you know exactly what you want to do and when you want to do it by that’s only the beginning.

 Explore the why. This is the meat. It’s your “why” that motivates your “what”. Is “because I said so” or “because I should” ever a compelling reason to do anything? For years losing weight was in that category for me, but as I began to explore a reason to do it that motivated me and articulated that reason it sparked a desire to get it done, and I was able to start to make progress.

My why is “to be as healthy as I can be for as long as I can be so that I can do all that God wants me to do.” I had thought about that why previously, but the decision to actually do this coupled with specifics, a sense of calling from God, and a strong why set me on a path toward actually getting it done!

 Pin down when.  I’ve heard it said that a goal without a date is just a dream. “Someday” goals are never done. Deadlines compel us forward. Even a date you set for yourself gives you something to aim for. Consider a reasonable, but challenging target date and write it down! You have got to write down your goal and put it someplace you can see it or you will lose your focus. Regularly return to your written goals to remind yourself of what you want to do. I write a few goals at the beginning of each year and look at them almost daily. It reminds me, not only of what I want to accomplish but why and when.

Craft your goal with some of the why baked in and you will have a goal that is compelling, captivating, and keeps you moving forward.

Dear Friend, your heart is full of dreams that you have barely expressed to anyone. Had you considered that those dreams may be the very things that God is calling you to do? It’s time to prayerfully and purposefully grab ahold of a dream and transform it into a goal that infuses you with energy and excitement. Just start with one. Write down what you want to do, explore why you want to do it, then pin down when you want to complete it. Devise a system to regularly return to your written goal so that you stay motivated to achieve it.

The most important part of any goal is not what but why. It’s the why that turns a want-to into a must-do. It’s time to craft a goal that compels you toward your divine destiny!

 Key Question: What is your why?

A Scripture to Consider: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

A YES Challenge: Prayerfully set a goal or consider a goal you have already set. Take time to explore your why. Write down the most motivating aspect of your why. Set your target completion date.   

Prayer: Father, I want the goals I set to compel me toward fulfilling the divine potential You have placed within me. Help me as I craft goals to uncover the why that connects with Your purpose for me and motivates me to keep moving forward. I want to bring glory to Your name in all that I do. Amen.