I can be a fly by the seat of my pants kind of guy. I like being spontaneous and there are things in life and especially the creative life and really, really the Christian creative life that cannot be planned for, but the truth is, everyone needs a plan. You really do. This life is a journey and all of us need at least some idea where we’re headed.
At this time of New Year’s resolutions… well I’m not a fan. For some reason, those things are often here today and gone tomorrow. I’m not sure why they’re so weak, but it probably has something to do with will power and human nature, but setting goals can and should be different. Goals are the milestones we intend to reach and there are ways to keep them from falling to the wayside.
Start with the end in mind: Where do you want to be when this year, is done? At this point don’t consider the variables, that will make you overthink. Remember obstacle are what you see when you take your eyes off of the prize. Imagine where you want to get to first.
Break it down: Ideally a goal should be just out of reach. Set your goals too easy and you won’t really get anywhere. There’s no faith required in doing things that are easy and well within your grasp. You may have heard of the BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) but I tend to be a bigger fan of what Craig Groeschel calls SBAG’s (Stretching But Achievable Goals). You can’t do it all at once, but with hard work you can get there. Once you have that goal in place, break it down into achievable pieces or steps.
Chip away at your steps: Have a check list, make a chart, however it works best for you but have a way to mark your progress as you work toward your goal.
Celebrate: When you achieve your goal. celebrate. You have achieved something worthwhile and f you don’t allow yourself to celebrate victories, this work will become drudgery.
Repeat. I think this step should be self explanatory but once you reach your goal it’s time to set a new one and start working toward it.
Right about now, you might be wanting to scream, “What about God?” Well, He should be all over this. We need to seek Him for the goal to begin with. Secondly, you may be familiar with the old adage, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plan.” I don’t believe that’s true. I do believe that those of us who have received Jesus, have also received the Holy Spirit who helps us to know what to do. The conclusion I have come to is this: Hold on to your plan loosely and onto God tightly. If we let Him guide our steps, and trust him through the trials and redirections we will ultimately end up where He wants us, even if we get a few steps wrong along the way. Trust God, seek God and make a plan.
So how about it, what’s the plan for 2017 and beyond? If you don’t have one yet, maybe its time to start seeking God.
AMOKArts 