451. Importance of Having a Clear Goal
The new year is here. As the festive Christmas vibe wears off, many people start planning for the new year and set some goals. But many times, the goals we make are rather abstract than concrete. Goals that are not clear rarely get accomplished.
One way to create a clear goal is to replace “more” or “a lot” with numbers. For example, instead of “I will read more this year,” it’s better to write “I will read 24 books this year.” Instead of “I will lose a lot of weight”, it is better to write “I will lose 10 lb”. Numbers help us track our progress, empowering us to continue in the direction we’re going.
Just because we set goals doesn’t mean they will be accomplished. But it is much better than not having any goals. From my experience, having a measurable goal helps us to get closer to it, even if we don’t accomplish all of them. I usually have a reading goal for any given year, but I rarely hit it. But the year that I read the most was the year my reading goal was the highest.
A goal is a clear finishing line that serves as a directional guide. For example, even if we don’t finish a half-marathon, reaching the finish line gives us an accurate measure of progress we can use for improvement next time. We shouldn’t overestimate our ability to accomplish things. But we shouldn’t underestimate it either. God created us so that we would be motivated by a goal. Apostle Paul had a goal of winning the prize of heaven. (Phil 3:14)
That is why the ultimate goal in Christian life is not to become someone around us who has great faith but to be like Christ. We will never be like Christ in our lifetime, but as we keep that as our goal, we will make progress toward it. Of course, it won’t happen through our self-effort but through partnering with the Holy Spirit through faith.
I usually write 6-8 main goals I want to accomplish in a year. (Most of them are projects) I rarely accomplish all of them. But it helps me to direct my thinking and my effort in the right direction. The goal is never about achieving a goal. It is about taking the journey into the unknown with courage and carrying the confidence that we are on the right track. When we don’t direct our lives, someone else will, and they don’t always have our best interests at heart.
