And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
God-centered goal setting is focused on discovering the purposes God created you for and setting goals that align with that purpose.
The first step in the process is to ASK. Ask God to help you understand how He has designed you and ask Him what is important to Him for you to do. The better you know God, the better you will know yourself, and the better you know yourself, the better you will know God.
The second step is AIM. Once you have explored how God has crafted you and asked Him to guide you, you take aim in the direction you discern Him to be leading. Setting God-centered goals is an act of faith. You are saying YES to God’s purposes for you.
What are your next steps? Where do you go from here? You have so many options. But just because you are moving on to the AIM part of your process doesn’t mean you stop asking. Keep asking God for His plans, purposes, and goals for you.
It’s time to craft some goals that align with what you have discovered about yourself. You have considered what you want and how you are made. Now it’s time to do something with them.
Aim: Take some time to center yourself in prayer. Then, take up your pen, pencil or keyboard and write out all the ideas you have about things you’d like to accomplish. They can be for the year or long term. Don’t discount character development goals. Who you want to be is even more important than what you want to do.
After you have written down as many possible goals as you can, it’s time to narrow them down. Choose seven to ten goals that you’d like to accomplish this year.
Are you familiar with the SMART framework for setting goals? It’s been around for a while, so I won’t take a lot of time here, but to refresh or inform. SMART goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Actionable
Realistic (I like Relevant)
Time-bound
As you write out your goals, think of it as choosing the highways that will get you to your destination. Goals are navigation tools.
From your big list, choose the three goals that are most important to you. Consider yourself successful if they are the only ones you accomplish!
Dear friend, setting goals that matter is possible. When you set God-centered goals, you set the goals that matter most. As you set aside time to consider and evaluate your goals in God’s presence, He will help you settle on the ones that will most fulfill His purposes for you. Fulfilling His purpose is the most important and satisfying goal there is!
Key Question: How do I set goals that really matter?
A Scripture to Consider: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
A YES Challenge: It can be hard to narrow down goals. Schedule a time on your calendar to write out your ideas and narrow them down to the top three.
Prayer: Father, I want to set goals that matter. I want to set goals that align with Your purposes for me. Help me be willing to dream and then help me be willing to focus on Your dream for me. Guide this process of setting goals. Be at the center of it all. Amen.
If you’d like to learn more, you can check out the book here. Please leave a review on Amazon! That will help other people find the book and receive guidance and encouragement in their God-centered goal setting.
If you’d like a partner to work through your process, schedule a complimentary 30-minute coaching session here. I’d be glad to walk with you through it.