Christian Choices, Holidays

How to be a SMART Goal Setter in the New Year

 

Goal Setter :

The year 2017 is soon coming to an end. Many of the goals we set out to complete were left incomplete. Things happened, and life got stuck many a times this year. God-willing, we will prayerfully enter 2018 with much blessed anticipation and well-planned goals.

Imagine a life without setting any goals spiritually, emotionally, physically, or financially. We can completely loose track of how to even begin the year, or find ourselves lost in the middle of chaos.

I, too have decided on jotting down important goals for the upcoming year and wanted to share some with you.

How to be a SMART Goal setter in the New Year

FAMILY GOALS :

Family should be our main priority every single day. If you have been courting someone, prayerfully consider taking that relationship to a next level. If your kids are still young, set apart quality time for them.

Work pressure can deduct 50-70 hours per week, and spouses tend to drift apart a lot more. Plan to have affordable date nights or vacations with your family.

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. Proverbs 29-18,NLT

FINANCIAL GOALS :

With all the bills piling up, we can skip on giving our tithes to God’s Work. Make a goal to give 5% more of what you gave in 2016. Set some money aside in case of emergency or for kid’s college education.

God loves a cheerful giver. How about donating some money to a Christian organization or a missionary?

Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Romans 13:7,ESV

HEALTH GOALS :

Holidays can give us some muffin tops that need to be shed as soon as possible. We may even neglect getting our annual checkups including mammograms, EKG, or other specialists because we do not feel sick.

Our bodies are God’s temple and we must never neglect taking diligent care of our body. When we depend on ourselves we may face disappointment, but ask the Lord to give you motivation to go to the gym or take up a swimming class.

for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:20,NLT 

SPIRITUAL GOALS:

I have about 7 Christian books that I bought this year but didn’t get a chance to finish reading. I am hoping to finish reading them next year, God willing.

As we get older it is very difficult to memorize Bible verses, but we cannot skip meditating and memorizing God’s Word. Make a goal to memorize a certain number of verses in the coming year.

How about a decision to attend all the church gathering?

Fasting and praying biweekly can make us more disciplined and spiritually powered up.

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.2 Timothy 2:15

 

CAREER GOALS

It is important that we are satisfied at our work place and the job we are assigned. So, this coming year make it a goal to find a stable and satisfying job, finish up the projects in a timely manner, or complete the pending degree.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12, ESV 

These decisions will remain inconsistent if they are not S.M.A.R.T. Goals.

So, how can one be a S.M.A.R.T Goal Setter?

Ask yourself these questions for every goal you write down-

 

1.Set a SINCERE Goal:

–Do I see myself approaching these goals in a sincere manner?

–Have I prayed and sought the Lord’s help and strength?

 

2. Set a METHODICAL  Goal

–Do I have a systematic plan in mind?

–Is there a specific verse or quote I can meditate when doubts arise?

 

3.Have an ACCOUNTABLE planner or partner:

–Who can I trust to be my accountability partner?

–How can I personally stay consistent with my goals using a planner as my daily guide?

Goat setters and motivation

4. Be REALISTIC:

–Do these goals motivate me to be a better and fruit bearing Christian?

–how can I separate distractions, or irrelevant goals from what is more important?

–Do these goals build character and self -confidence?

 

5. Do it in a TIMELY manner:

·      Which of these goals can be separated into short termed and long termed?

·      How much time do I devote for each of these goals?

·      How will I make up for lost time?

S(Sincere ). M(Methodic). A(Accountable). R.(Realistic). T (Timely ) goals can only succeed with the help of our Lord.

So Pray, Plan, and Proceed in faith today.

 

 ***Disclosure :(This post contains an affiliate link ).****

My blogger friend in Christ, Marva who is also a strategic management consultant has designed a Spark Success Goals Planner 2018. I can specifically vouch for her and her love for the Lord and I was honored to meet her and pray with her recently.

The S.M.A.R.T. goals and questions can be easily applied with the help of this success planner. You can measure your goals at the end of each month with the help of Marva’s Spark Success planner.

Marva created this planner to help women live a purposeful life without feeling overwhelmed by the to-do lists.Inside her planner you will find the following:

40 pages of:

– Goal Setting tips to get you started

– Brainstorming for key areas of your life

– Your One Word, Vision and Personal Mission Statement

– Top 10 Goals list

– Year at a Glance

– Week at a Glance

– Weekly planning reproducible pages

– Motivational quotes on purposeful living

– Monthly planning pages with

    • Goals Progress

    • Goals Review

    • Accountability

    • Tools/Resources

 

The planner is available to you for just $9.97 along with a free bonus of a handbook and Spark Success planning session.

Get your Copy TODAY!! Give it as a New Year gift to your loved one.

Spark Success Goals planner

When you purchase Marva’s planner, you will also receive my Goal Setter Worksheets for  FREE.(see the second picture above)

 What are you waiting for, my friend?

—Are you excited for the new year?

—What goals have you set for the new year?

—Will they bring glory to  God and produce positive results in your life?

—How can I pray for you today?

 |If you were encouraged by this post ,won’t you share it to your loved one using the share buttons?|

Blessed New Year,

Until next time

Diana

 

24 Comments

  1. Marva | SunSparkleShine

    December 5, 2017 at 12:40 pm

    Diana, I love your tips for SMART goals and how you’ve put them in a context that believers can appreciate.
    I’m so excited to be on this journey with you and I pray this upcoming year you will walk tall in your purpose, all to God’s glory.
    Love you, my friend!

  2. Dianna

    December 6, 2017 at 10:35 am

    This is incredible. It’s so important to remember this. I will be for sure keeping these passages in my mind as the year turns into a new page! A New beginning! Thank you so much!

    1. Diana

      December 6, 2017 at 11:45 pm

      Thank you Dianna for visiting my blog today. I pray you have a wonderful year ahead , and these points will be an encouragement for you .

  3. Melissa

    December 6, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    I was goal setting just yesterday on specific areas of my life but I know I need to add more so that all aspects are covered so I can be intentional next year! Thank you for the breakdown and focus!

    1. Diana

      December 6, 2017 at 11:44 pm

      Yes , when I was jotting down my goals I realized this would be helpful to someone else as well. So glad this encouraged you today

  4. Carlene

    December 6, 2017 at 2:25 pm

    I love this post on SMART goals and how you put them along with scripture. This is very inspirational and motivating, thank you for sharing!

    1. Diana

      December 6, 2017 at 11:44 pm

      Yes SMART goals can’t be meaningful and complete without God’s Word. We are always dependent on the Lord to guide us. Blessings to you

  5. Diana

    December 6, 2017 at 11:42 pm

    Thank you Summer for your lovely comments. Goals are so important when to comes to even minute details. Laziness can creep up quickly

  6. Diana

    December 6, 2017 at 11:46 pm

    Thank you Donna! These were just few of the areas , I know I need goals for many more areas. I am glad this post was a blessing to you

  7. Stacey Thureen

    December 7, 2017 at 8:31 am

    These are great goals, Diana. I love how you were able to intertwine Scripture as well. Thankful to be your neighbor today over at #HeartEncouragement! Blessings!

  8. Nina

    December 8, 2017 at 7:36 am

    I love how practical and relevant these tips are to us as believers! Thank you xx

  9. Donna Miller

    December 8, 2017 at 1:24 pm

    I love this post! I like how you help put perspective on being intentional!!

  10. Tanya

    December 10, 2017 at 2:04 pm

    Thanks for breaking down the term smart goal. I had been seeing it everywhere but not bothered to look it up. Helpful in the biblical context.

    1. Diana

      December 10, 2017 at 2:16 pm

      I am so glad you checked it out because these SMaRT goals are my own abbreviations . I wanted them to connect with the Word of God . I pray your new year will be filled with lot of joy , and blessings

  11. Donna Reidland

    December 11, 2017 at 11:03 am

    Diana, this is one of the best posts on goal setting that I’ve read in a long time! Thanks for sharing with us all! Pinning & sharing.

    1. Diana

      December 11, 2017 at 11:46 am

      Praise the Lord for such encouraging comment, Donna !!!!! I am blessed by your visit . Blessed and joyful goal setting

  12. Amanda @ The Farm Wyfe

    December 12, 2017 at 12:42 am

    These are wonderful goals to set for 2018! I’ll have to remember to make my own goals SMART. 👍🏻 Thank you for sharing!

    1. Diana

      December 12, 2017 at 12:47 am

      Thank you visiting me ,Amanda ! SMART Goals help us lead a smart and purposeful Christian life .

  13. RebeccaLynn

    December 12, 2017 at 1:04 am

    Diana, I just LOVE this! I love the S.M.A.R.T. acronym, and Marva’s planner and your bonus worksheet both look amazing! I became familiar with Marva several months back, through Lori Schumaker. I pray Marva and her family are doing well, after suffering through the devastation of Hurricane Irma. Thank you for this timely post, and for sharing the link for the planner and for the free worksheet! xoxoxo

    1. Diana

      December 12, 2017 at 7:05 am

      Rebecca, I am so glad you are absolutely blessed with this post. Yes, Marva and family are well in the Lord while trying to rebuild their home. This planner by Marva is amazing and very insightful for the upcoming year. Hope you find yourself always sustained by the Lord

  14. Emily

    December 12, 2017 at 10:36 am

    Love this! My husband and I were just talking about setting goals for 2018. We’ve been avoiding it, but you make great points that make me excited to actually set some goals!

    1. Diana

      December 12, 2017 at 11:57 am

      Yay! I am so glad this post inspired you to set some family goals. They are so important and God honoring as well. Family is the best gift !! Much blessings, Emily:)

  15. Betsy de Cruz

    December 12, 2017 at 1:34 pm

    Love these tips for goal-setting, Diana. You have some good examples of worthwhile goals to set. I”m sure Marva’s material is excellent! She’s the best!

  16. Mihaela Echols

    December 12, 2017 at 3:46 pm

    I cant wait to get my planner for Christmas! Every year my husband and I set goals together : faith, job, personal, family, friends, and house goals.

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