Spiritual Goal Setting

Are you ready to sit down and lay out your goals... be they for the New Year, for a project or just to get a fresh start on your life? I'd like to share my thoughts and experiences about goal setting that might provide you with some new perspectives on this important ritual.

I have a love/hate relationship with setting annual goals. The trouble I see with setting specific, rigid goals for a year or more at a time is that you can't predict what life and the universe will present you 12 months in advance. I have earnestly set goals in January that were out of date by the first of April. I get discouraged by that.

Here is an example of life's unpredictable nature from one of my coaching clients, who gave me permission to share this with you. He accepted an early retirement package from his company and left the workplace where he had been employed for 17 years. I asked him if taking early retirement was in his goals for the year. He said, "No, that wasn't even on my radar screen last January because I had no idea that the company would offer a package." This is a great example of the universe throwing curve balls at you. In this story, it was a happy ending for my client, but a surprise nonetheless.

Yet, I acknowledge the wisdom in sayings such as "What gets measured gets done" and "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." So I recommend setting over-arching themes for the year, such as financial targets, big accomplishments, life balance and health goals - and revise them quarterly. Set your overall goals but leave room for God to fill in the specifics of how you will achieve them. Indeed, expecting divine intervention and surprises is what makes goal setting fun and exciting!

I have worked at several companies that revise their budgets every three months. These companies acknowledge the fact that it is impossible to anticipate changes such as market disruptions, the loss of a major client and unplanned but needed investments. So too should you review and revise your annual goals quarterly.

Here are three other activities to enhance your goal setting :

1. Create space in your goals for God's grace to manifest in your life.I do this in my company's budget by leaving some income lines blank, with question marks in the dollar column. The blanks and question marks leave room for surprises and blessings that I cannot anticipate. This is similar to a prayer of petition that asks for some blessings and adds, "Or whatever is for my highest good." Delivering that which is for my highest good is Source's job and delight, and I wish to be open to it.

2. Create specific, granular three-month goals and review them every day.The period of three months provides a good chance of achieving specific goals and can help you break down your overarching goals into doable, achievable mini-goals. Every quarter, create new three-month goals that take you closer to your bigger goals. This way, you can create your path toward your larger goals as you go.

3. Lastly, picture your goals in color.Create a vision or dream map using a large poster board. Divide the board into four quadrants and label them with these aspects of your life:

Physical/home
Business/career/financial
Family and friends
Spiritual and service to others

Find colorful images of what you wish to achieve and affix them to the appropriate quadrant of your board with a glue stick. For example, in my business quadrant, I glued a picture of a coach, a teacher and a transformer because those are the roles that I wish to play for others in my business. I included a picture of a piece of paper money (a US greenback) with my income goal for the year printed on it. This fun exercise gives shape to your overall goals, and provides a format for considering your life in a holistic view.

Have fun with your goals! I envision you achieving all your dreams this year.