I was so wrong about this 👇
“Hey Nate! Do you like to set goals for yourself every year?”
“Man, if I’m honest, life has smacked me really hard these last several years. And I’ve hit less than 20% of my goals. Honestly a couple years back I stopped setting goals because I just didn’t think it was worth it.”
I was wrong. But I was also right.
Live a little life and there’s NO denying God’s plans are often very different than the plans we make for ourselves. BUT those plans usually turn out so much better than we can imagine. I’ve also learned God created us to be a certain way, with certain interests, and certain desires. Unique to us!
So we can be, do, and have all that He wants for us. Whatever that may be. And it takes all kinds of different people to achieve His mission.
So yes, I think we should trust God with the plan for our life, the details of our life, and our plans.
But I believe He made us to partner with Him in creation. So let’s create! Let’s set goals. Let’s shoot for the moon, and land amongst the stars lol
How’s that for a cheesy quote?
But it’s true. No matter how many times you’ve been smacked by life, I can promise you it’s worth it to get back up and go at it again. Besides, what else are you going to do? Roll over and die inside years or decades before your body dies?
Nah, that’s not who you are. You were made for so much more!
So for those of you who have been smacked by life but still choose to get up and give it another go in 2024, how are you going to win? How are you going to succeed in 2024?
Keep reading to find out!
Now a lot of us have been thinking about goal setting recently, especially a little over a month ago as we were preparing to leave 2023 behind and enter into the new year with our New Year’s resolutions. And while I do think the New Year is a great time to reflect on the last year and set goals for the next year, I’ve found that people tend to do even better as we enter into the spring season.
If we look at the seasons, Winter is a time of letting go, of death, things being gone, and moving things off our plate. But Spring… Spring is a time of New Growth. New beginnings.
Now if all this season talk is too much for you, follow along… we’re going to get really practical with the goal setting. But I’ve found that while many people do well with their New Year’s resolutions in January, gearing up for Spring in February, March, and April tends to be one of the best times of the year to refocus your attention on your goals so you can have success in the New Year.
Now there are several components that we’re going to be discussing today.
The first is The Big Vision
Second is going to be Quarterly targets
Third is the Daily, Weekly and Monthly Action Item List
Fourth is Discipline- just getting the work done
The Big Vision
We want to think and dream big. A big dream/vision is going to pull you into the future. The bigger your vision (assuming you believe it), the more it’s going to pull you forward. It’s almost like it has a gravitational pull that’s pulling you towards that vision. Towards your bright future.
I think it’s important that we think about the vision, that we don’t just skip over this quickly. That we we use our five senses. What does it look like? What does it feel like? What does it smell like? What does it taste like? What does it sound like?
What is your big vision?
What is it that you want?
What is it going to feel like when you reach your Fitness goal? Your Health goal? Your Finance goal? Your business goal? Your relationship goal?
Whatever it is, what is that going to be like?
Think about it. Dream big. Be descriptive.
We must conceive it in our minds. Then we can speak clearly about it. Which is another key point. Ithink it’s very important that we speak about our future.
Now I believe that God made us all In His Image and the first thing that He tells us in scripture is that He is Creator. The very first thing that He wanted us to know is not necessarily the most important thing about Him, but the first thing that He tells us is that He is a Creator. And we are made In His Image. We are made to create.
Now God, being all powerful, spoke everything into existence in a moment. In an instant- He said ‘Let there be light” and there was light. Now that doesn’t work for us (give it a try if you don’t believe me 🤣).
I do not believe that humans can speak things into existence, BUT we are Made In His Image. We are made to create and part of that is saying what we want. Anything that you see in front of you that a human has ever made was envisioned in someone’s mind. Then it was talked about. And then the idea was executed on.
This is why it’s so important that we’re not just walking aimlessly towards who knows where. We need to have a very clear vision and we need to know what that is going to feel like. Because the bigger and more clear it the vision, the more it will pull forward. It’s going to excite us. Having that vision is what’s going to make you get up and do the work when you don’t feel like it because there’s going to be days like that. And if you think otherwise, you’re confused!
Quarterly Targets
Now that we have the Big Vision, we need to get practical. We can’t just be a dreamer. We do need to be dreamers but you also have to know where we’re going and how we’re going to get there.
The Big Vision is the Thousand Mile Journey. And the Quarterly Targets are the next 10 miles.
The Quarterly Targets must be SMART goals.
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relatable
Time-Sensitive
SMART goals allow us to know very clearly if we’re on the right track or not. If we’re achieving our goals or not.
Now some people do well with BHAG’s (Big Hair Audacious Goals) while others do well with a more conservative approach- setting small, easy to reach goals.
There are pros and cons to both so it’s important you use the one that will most motivate you and be least likely to discourage you.
Are you someone who loves a big challenge, and won’t mind coming up short on your goals (but still having a ton of success) regularly?
The BHAG approach is for you.
Are you someone who needs to always be winning, but you don’t mind setting the bar only slightly past where you are today?
Take the more conservative approach of setting good but easier to reach goals.
And if you don’t know which you’ll do best with, it doesn’t matter too much. Just pick one and give it a shot!
Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Targets
Now that we have the Big Vision and Quarterly Targets in place, it’s time to create our plan of action.
Our plan of action is exactly what it sounds like, a list of thing we need to do every day, every week, and every month that (if done) will help us pass our quarterly targets. This should be pretty straightforward, BUT if you feel stuck it’s because you don’t know how to get from Where you are today to Where you want to be (the quarterly targets.)
If you find yourself in this situation, it’s time to find a solution. Don’t play pin the tail on the donkey with this one. No, there’s a better way.
SOMEONE has the answer to what you need to do next. It could be a quick Google Search, a YouTube video, a book, a friend, or even a coach (HINT HINT! If you don’t know how to reach your health and fitness goals we’d love to help!)
Now write out everything you need to do in the coming days, weeks, and months so you can hit your Quarterly Targets.
Discipline and Work!
Now that you have your The Big VIsion, the Quarterly Targets, and the Action Plan it’s time to get to work.
Setting and achieving goals is simple, not easy.
THere’s no magic forumale for this step. It’s simply a matter og showing up to do the work every day. Commit to the plan. Follow the plan consistently. And if you miss an action item or two (hey, it happens to the best of us…) just get back on track. Don’t let one bad day turn into a bad week. And don’t let a bad week turn into a bad month. And don’t let a bad month turn into a bad quarter. Accept the damage, don’t beat yourself up, and re-commit to the plan.
Exercising self-discipline isn’t fun. Not achieving your goals is also not fun.
Take your pick.
Let’s Wrap it Up
The Big Vision inspires us. It’s a picture of what we want life to look like. Without a vision, you have no excitement for your future and you’ll feel uninspired in your work.
The Quarterly Targets show us where we’re headed next. The next mile maker on the road. With a Big Vision but no Quarterly Targets, you’ll end up overwhelmed. The journey to your big vision is very long, you need a shorter time frame to show you’re on the right track.
Your Action Plan shows you what you actually need to be doing today. Quarterly Targets are great but without an Action Plan you’ll never reach them.
And lastly, we have the discipline and work. This is a simple but difficult choice. That’s all it is. CHOOSE to do the work. You can be incredibly inspired with your Big Vision, know exactly where you’re going next with your Quarterly Targets, and know exactly what you need to do today. But you won’t go anywhere if you don’t take the next step.
Each of these 4 pieces is crucial. None are optional. Take your time to put each of the 4 pieces together and you will win. I guarantee it!
And speaking of taking next steps and putting the pieces together and the fact that you reading this has REALLY got you wanting to work with us…(oh I guess we didn’t talk about that, but hopefully that’s the case 😉)…we would love to be part of your Health and Fitness journey and help you put together these 4 pieces that are unique to your journey.
Talk soon! And best of luck with setting and achieving your goals in 2024!