Watch the video above and talk about it with a group or mentor. Learn more.
It seems to be a universal experience that many of us set out to accomplish goals but often fail at accomplishing them. We want to lose weight, exercise more, spend less money, and parent better. But things happen and we get derailed. Don’t give up! Use these tips so you can set goals and follow through.
One: Be Specific
Be specific about what you want to achieve and how long you think it will take to accomplish it. If you’re not specific, you’ll end up losing sight of the goal and you won’t have a way to measure success.
Two: Create Benchmarks to Reward Yourself
It’s good to reward yourself along the way so you can feel good about your efforts and motivated to continue.
Three: Have a Plan for When You Mess Up
Go into the goal setting experience with the knowledge that you will likely slip up along the way. It’s better to be prepared for failure so it doesn’t throw you off track. A great sentiment to remember is, “Tomorrow is a new day!”
Four: Don’t Lose Sight of the Big Win
Make sure you have the right motives for setting goals. Don’t get caught up in the temporary stuff and only care to be healthy because you want to look good in the swim suit, or save a bunch of money to buy a luxury car because you want to keep up with the neighbors. Make sure that your goals reflect a heart that wants to honor God. Remember, God wants us to live self-controlled lives.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Don’t lose hope over your past failed attempts at accomplishing goals. Remember these tips and get started!
Discussion Questions:
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- List of some of your goals. How have you done so far?
- What typically derails you from accomplishing goals?
- How could rewarding yourself along the way help you stay the course?
- How do you typically respond when you fail to stay on track? What might be a better response next time?
- In your own words, what should the real win of our goals be about?
- Read 2 Timothy 1:7. What does this verse say about our ability to accomplish goals? What can you do to tap more into the Holy Spirit’s power in your life?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
