In this issue:

Are goals really important? What if I prefer to wing it? If you're a perfectionist, you may or may not love to set goals, or maybe the process seems too overwhelming for you. This issue will help you look at goals in a different way, inspire you with practical ways to make your intentions memorable and visual, and two books that can give you lots of helpful insight as you get started. Here's wishing you a fantastic new year!

 

 

 

Podcast

Inspired Life: To Goal or Not to Goal

I'm writing this at the time of year when people talk about New Year’s resolutions and goals. But if you're reading or listening mid-year, no worries! You can set goals at any time. Some people spend a whole day working on their goals for the year, and even come up with a word for the year.

I want to be very up front with you. I don’t love setting goals. Or at least I didn’t use to. Now, I don’t LOVE it, but I have learned to see the value in it and have learned how to set some goals that are more realistic and work for me.

I know now that one of the main reasons I didn’t like setting goals in the past is that I am a perfectionist. And the idea of setting a goal and not perfectly achieving it is frustrating. Here are some things I tried:

* Creating an elaborate plan complete with deadlines and measurable outcomes. But I put all of the effort into the plan and none into action.

* Then I tried setting my goals so low that I could easily achieve them. There was no stretch. No challenge.

* Then I tried not setting any goals at all and sort of flying by the seat of my pants for the year. When I had time, I would tackle something and get it done.

I’m not content to not accomplish anything. My number one strength on the CliftonStrenghts by Gallop is Achiever. I can’t not achieve.

So there you have my dilemma. I have a need to achieve, but as a perfectionist, it was too risky to declare what I wanted to achieve.

What if I didn’t do it?

What if I messed it all up?

What if I decide to go in a different direction?

What if I don’t leave enough room for a change of mind?

Silly, but it's my reality.

I had a wakeup call one day when I realized that having goals is important for living a fulfilled and satisfied life. Why? Because I need to look ahead and picture something in the future. And if I have no goals, I will waste the talents and opportunities that God has given me.

Goals direct us toward our best. They help us evaluate and change and grow.

The wakeup call came a couple of years ago when I was working a job I enjoyed, but where I was struggling to figure out if I belonged there. I was using my strengths and abilities and was making a difference for clients. Hopefully I was making a difference for the others on my team too. But at the end of every day, the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that I once had was gone. I felt deflated at the end of a work day rather than pumped up. I think I let stress get to me, but I also lost sight of my long-range goals.

My Wake-Up Moment

Then when we had a team activity where I needed to write down a 5-year, long-term goal related to where I could see myself in terms of the company, my role, and career growth. I struggled to get through the team meeting without crying because in that moment, I could not see myself there anymore.