Summary

Do you ever feel like you are running a race with no finish line? You are checking off your daily goals and staying busy, but at the end of the day, you feel exhausted, empty, and aimless. Most women get stuck because they are focusing on the what without the why. In this empowering episode of the Arise, Women of God podcast, host Tamara K. Anderson joins advisory board member Amanda Powell to answer the essential question: What is the difference between a purpose and a goal?

We move from scattered tasks to a focused calling by introducing the "Staircase of Stewardship." Amanda explains that your purpose is the fire that gets you out of bed (the destination at the top of the stairs), while your goals are the individual footsteps required to get there. We discuss how it is completely normal for your purpose to shift through different seasons of life—from the ambition of graduation to the pure survival mode of raising kids on the autism spectrum. Finally, we break down the story of Queen Esther, revealing how her terrifying, bite-sized goals (like asking the king to a party) were the stepping stones to her massive, nation-saving purpose. If you are ready to stop just surviving your to-do list and start living your divine mission, tune in to find your fire!

Episode Takeaways

1. The Staircase Analogy: Your purpose is the destination at the top of the stairs (the "why"). Your goals are the individual steps you take to get there (the "what"). You need both to move forward.
2. Seasons of Purpose: Your purpose isn't set in stone for 50 years. Tamara shares how her purpose shifted from career ambitions to simply "surviving" while raising two children on the autism spectrum. God meets you in the messy seasons just as much as the monumental ones.
3. Cottage vs. Mansion: Borrowing from a previous episode, if your goals are building a cottage but God's purpose for you is a mansion, you will feel constant friction. Make sure your "steps" are leading to His destination.
4. The Queen Esther Strategy: Esther’s purpose was to save a nation, but her goals were small and terrifying (e.g., asking people to fast, inviting the king to a banquet). Big purposes are achieved through small, faithful goals.

Resources

Are you ready to define your fire and map out your footsteps? Download our FREE Guide to Goal Setting. It will help you find the specific purpose God is placing on your heart for this season and map out the goals to get there. 👉 Download the Guide Here: https://www.womenwarriorsoflight.com/offers/WyaLn2gS/checkout

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Reflection Questions

1. If your goals are the "stairs," what exactly is waiting at the top of the staircase for you right now? Have you defined your purpose for this specific season?
2. Are you exhausted because you are checking off goals (steps) that don't actually lead to a meaningful purpose (destination)?
3. Looking back 10 years, how has your purpose changed? Have you given yourself permission to let your purpose evolve?
4. Read the story of Esther. What is one "small, scary goal" God is asking you to complete today to fulfill a larger purpose tomorrow?

Transcript

https://www.womenwarriorsoflight.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-a-purpose-and-a-goal