Goal Setting Tips with Grace

It’s that weighty time of year again where new goals are laid out like a fresh blanket of snow.

Untouched. Unmet. Perfectly set.

Every year, I create a list of life goals charted between various categories. As soon as the gates open I kick myself into high gear with rock solid motivation as I focus on achieving my goals. Similar to preparing for a rigorous hike in the snowy alps, I make preparations for my goals and get ready to scale the mountain top challenges in front of me.

I begin to create tracks in the fresh powder before me, measuring my steps carefully, straight and defined—perfectly met.

But then I make a faltering step, which creates unsightly tracks in my wake as a difficult path before me takes shape.

The terrain is more jagged than anticipated. I end up circling back around to determine a different angle for my path. This takes more time than scheduled, bringing increased weariness to my steps. I forego my map since it doesn’t display the detour and instead of seeking a new one, I stumble through the landscape determined to find my way without it.

Soon I am lost. Discouraged and worn out, I sit down with tears turned-to-icicles down my face. I give up, defeated without reaching my desired destination.

Does this sound like you?

Every year after mapping out my goals and taking those first steps to achieve my unmet objectives, I begin to waver, ever-so-slightly, falling short of my proposed path and plan. I falter a bit one week, and then the next.

Soon I crumple up my goals-map and abandon my plan because my original path lacked perfection.

The weight of discouragement settles in. I enter self-defeat mode and scratch the entire proposal instead of mapping out a new course to my desired destination.

I begin to fail, and therefore I fail completely by giving up altogether.

But not this year.

I’m letting go of unsightly Perfection this year. I’m allowing beautiful Grace to take her place.

As a recovering perfectionist, this isn’t an easy thing for me to adopt. I tend to hold tightly to perfect Perfection and allow little room for Grace to take her place.

But over the past year, God’s been making me walk in the footsteps of grace. Showing me how to remove perfection from my steps and un-map her ill-wanted effects. This same perfection that wears out my relationships with others too quickly, breaks-down my emotional stability tank, and destroys my goal-setting before I even commence creating them for fear-of-failure to meet my goals perfectly.

Instead I’m trying on Grace to help me achieve my goals as she guides me through detours when my predetermined path is blocked before me.

Maybe you need to try on Grace too when it comes to your goal-setting?

Instead of giving up when we are met with obstacles, such as getting struck with an illness which enables us to meet our exercise goals or when we fail to meet a deadline due to unforeseen circumstances, let’s turn to Grace and allow the blanket her embrace to wrap around us so we can humbly gain the confidence to keep moving forward. A forward momentum towards our desired destination without Perfection keeping us planted to the spot in self-defeat.

You can TRY THESE GOAL-SETTING TIPS AND TECHNIQUES which will help keep you stay aligned moving forward with your goals:

Reassess your goals monthly or quarterly, depending on your goals, to adjust as needed either making them less challenging (if you are feeling overwhelmed) or more challenging (if you are feeling motivated). This is an especially important step if you begin to get discouraged by your goal-setting.

Break-up your bigger goals into smaller weekly or daily achievable goals.

Use some type of reward system as motivation for achieving mini-goal markers. Studies show this works better for achieving goals than not having any reward system in place.

Have someone help keep you accountable; someone that will motivate you towards achieving your goals. This can be a spouse, friend, family member, mentor, or a coach (sign-up to be a part of my coaching program here!)

Finally don’t forget to give yourself a bit of grace… seek the One who will provide you with help during times of need, especially when in need for encouragement, strength, motivation, love and guidance to keep you pressing forward towards achieving your goals:

“Let us then with confidence

draw near to the throne of grace,

that we may receive mercy

and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

Give grace its rightful place in your goal-setting this year so you may be filled with confidence to keep moving forward. Realign your path and heart to the unexpected path that God may have aligned for you.

Oftentimes when I have just about given up, God reveals how close I am to my desired destination—revealing a glimpse of the awe-inspiring sight He has waiting for me just beyond the horizon.