Goals are good. They’re good for reaching new heights and expanding horizons personally, socially, physically, mentally, and spiritually. They’re good for groups and they’re good for individuals. They’re good for achieving results in literally anything…if you’re good at them.
I’ve always struggled with goals. I tend to set the bar way too high, get a great start, then hit my head on the bar and just stay on the ground, content to not try again until I can gather my pride and courage just to bonk my head on another lofty goal.
I’m the classic New Year’s Resolution setter – by February first, I’m back to where I started.
Every New Year’s, I tell myself, “This year will be different.” So far, it hasn’t. But this time, y’all, it is. This is the beginning of an 11 month journey that I started because I wanted to grow…because I wanted more than the typical life experience, more than complacent faith, more than the Midwest. But ‘more’ isn’t a goal. “I want more” is not enough to motivate me through these 11 months and come out a better Marah than I was before. So I’m going to make some SMART goals, and share them here with you.
I also want to share my team’s goals and my squad’s goals, which are essentially goals for myself, as well.
Starting big: K Squad’s goals (at least for month 1) are:
-
To spend 30 minutes every Tuesday and Thursday in God’s presence, seeking Him with the purpose of furthering our personal, intimate connections with Him.
-
To pray deliberately for a person on our squad, but not our team, to build community and bolster their walk with the Lord.
-
To serve our hosts by going above and beyond in stewarding the blessing of their generous hospitality well and making sure they know they are loved and cared for.
Next, Team Kintsugi’s goal (at least for month one):
-
To choose unity and grace, to motivate our teammates, to live in boldness, wisdom, and love.
Finally, my goals – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely goals:
-
To blog twice a week and update my Instagram 3 or more times a week
-
To read something new in scripture every day (books/passages I’ve never read before) and read all four Gospels multiple times.
-
To give encouraging feedback at every opportunity
-
To hike in every country, to be able to run – without stopping – a 5k by the end of the Race, and do a handstand without using a wall
-
To have at least 3 conversations in every country that lead to sharing the Gospel
-
To re-read and develop The Art of Listening Prayer
-
To journal what I’m grateful for every night
-
To keep a record of God moments and growth in my journal
-
To figure out what the heck grace actually means
-
To not watch any TV shows or use apps/websites whose purpose is ‘scrolling’
AND
-
To grow in my relationship with each person of the Trinity through prayer, scripture, and worship.
You may be thinking, “Marah, aren’t those a lot of goals? Can you actually accomplish all of that?”
Yes.
Because with your encouragement, the present accountability of my teammates, and especially the strength of Christ that lives in me, I can do anything.
I would love to hear about past successes with goals and present goals that you have yet to achieve. Let’s accomplish our goals together. 🙂 Send me an email or leave them in the comments below!
Let this be an encouragement to all of us: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3
