“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
Remember that goal you set in January? You took the time to think it through. You crafted a compelling goal. You thought through your why. You took the time. You made the effort. Take a moment now and repeat back to yourself what you planned to accomplish. What’s that? You kind of remember? Is “kind of” remembering really remembering?
You and I have full lives. There are so many things happening every day, right? The kids have to go there. This bill needs to be paid. That customer needs this right away! The refrigerator is empty. And on and on and on. There are so many things that we absolutely need to do. It’s very easy for what we really want to do to get lost at the bottom of the pile. Unless….unless we make a plan to keep that goal at the top of the pile.
Here’s the bottom line, my friend: You will not do what you do not remember. The only way to set yourself up to actually achieve your goal is to regularly review it.
How does regularly reviewing your goals help you achieve your purpose? When you prayerfully and thoughtfully craft specific goals, these goals line up with your life purpose. You have made goals to help you achieve the purpose you were created for. When you set yourself up to accomplish those goals by regularly reviewing them, you set yourself up to achieve your purpose.
So, here are some tips to help you do just that.
Be intentional. It doesn’t matter how good your memory is, if you don’t decide to create a system to regularly remind yourself of your goals they will get lost in the list of to-dos. How often do you want to be reminded? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Decide what will work best for you.
Another important part of being intentional, write…it…down. Writing out your plan helps you to fully process the plan, but it also cements it in your brain. The physical act of writing out something you want to remember adds another layer to helping your brain capture and achieve.
Create a system. It doesn’t have to be a complicated system, but systems are the tools that help you get things done. You already have systems whether you recognize them or not. You set your alarm to get you up in the morning. You program your coffee maker to start before you get up so that the aroma charms you out of bed. You check your phone first thing in the morning to see if you have any important messages. You have a magnetic list sheet on your refrigerator to keep track of what you need to pick up at the store. You leave yourself post-it notes to help you remember a particular Scripture.
You already have systems. How might you add reviewing your goals to the system you already have?
Follow through with the system you create. If you decide that you want to review your goals monthly and you create a system to help you do that, but don’t actually do what you decided the whole plan fails, right? You are less likely to achieve that goal and move toward your purpose. Good intentions don’t count as achievement.
What motivates you to follow through? May I suggest that the act of follow through becomes a motivation in itself? When you do something you planned to do, even something as simple as reviewing a goal, you attain a sense of accomplishment. That becomes a motivation toward taking the next step toward the goal. That’s the secret of regularly reviewing your goal, my friend. The success of reviewing the goal motivates you toward the success of accomplishing the goal. It is a simple, but powerful, step toward achieving your goal and fulfilling your purpose.
Here's what I have done for the past few years. I have a formal written list that I review monthly. I also have a digital list that I take a quick look at daily. What’s my system to remember? I have a reminder on my phone that brings the digital list into my notifications and a monthly reminder to “Review goals.” It’s a simple system, but even taking a quick look at those goals regularly has helped me to do some things I never expected to be able to do. What about you?
Dear Friend, your goals are not out of reach, but they may be out of mind. Be intentional about regularly reviewing your goals to keep you motivated toward achieving it. When you do, you will find yourself on a delightful path toward fulfilling your purpose.
Key Question: How can regularly reviewing my goal help me achieve my purpose?
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: Choose one goal that you have already set and prayerfully create a system for regularly reviewing it. Be sure to follow through!
Prayer: Father, there are dreams in my heart that I believe You have put there. There are things that I want to accomplish for Your honor and glory. Help me to intentionally create systems to help me regularly review those goals so that I can accomplish the purpose You created me for. Amen.