How to make plans and goals
 

We've gotten to that time of year where everyone is talking about goals and plans for next year and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is struggling. After the rollercoaster that has been the last few years I don't know where to begin. How can we have any clue what's going to happen next year? How do we even set goals when all I want is things to be normal again and I have no control over that? Everything seems so uncertain. We were asked recently by our boss what our goals for the next year are and it felt so frustrating and a little embarrassing to have no answer at all. Does anyone know any good resources?

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

I hear you. Last night I said to DH that it was a weird New Year. It's weird "celebrating" when times seem bleak.

So I have been using a Bullet Journal since October, and that is incredibly helpful. So my "goals" are to continue to use it and tweak it. And to get into it enough that it truly helps me define and weed out what is truly important. It's currently a glorified task list, but as I understand it, if I use it more, I'll get where I want to be with it. And even as a glorified task list, it's very helpful!

But, what I end up doing is starting "new things" throughout the year. (Or re-start old things that I've dropped.) So I think I like that I don't place more importance on setting goals for January than I do any other time of year. That is freeing!

You could also look at goal categories, for example:

financial goals
spiritual goals
fitness goals
self-care goals
relationship goals
friend goals (I used to have a goal to have someone over to dinner once a month.)
parenting goals
clutter-cleaning goals
house-project goals (like painting or decorating a room)
hobby/crafting goals (finally going to make that xyz this year!)
book reading goals

I'm sure there are a lot more categories here.

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

Have you tried the word of the year idea?


yearly goals and then check in every week?


Touching the lives of 12 people in a meaningful way? One per month?

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

I have trouble with stuff like this, too. Mostly we are just steadily working on financial goals, health goals, etc. I have trouble with thinking I'm going to magically be a different person because it is a new year. It just doesn't work. But if I look back I do find I have improved slowly in some things. Maybe my method isn't the most efficient for improving myself or achieving things, but I like to think it is working for me.

For example in the past year I have lost 10 lb. That's not much. I also have thyroid issues- I'm sure it would have been more otherwise.

We have plugged away at some financial priorities that were important to us- everything from getting a new HVAC system to putting the little ones in survival swimming lessons to getting a living trust set up.

Very very slowly is the way I work. And I backslide a lot.

How to make plans and goals
 

I’ve been using Power Sheets from www.cultivate what matters.com for the last few years. They walk you through figuring out what is important and then through goal setting. It has been really helpful for me.

There are others, like https://makselife.com.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

There are always so many things I need to be working on. :sigh I have been in survival mode for so long for lots of reasons. I also have ADHD, lol, so this is hard anyhow. I have some health goals that I need to really focus on, and I always want to do better with being more organized. And I have been consistently working on some professional goals - as a musician, that takes alot of time!

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

Sometime the best thing we can do is to be 'present'. Goals are great, but sometimes they imply that we are 'not enough' if we lose focus. Perhaps your goals can be strengthening your foundation. Rather than an outreach or new project, your goal could be "strengthen existing relationships in the church to help heal from the traumatic years we have just experienced' ...or something like that.

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

I agree that sometimes just being present is important. I’m not in the habit of setting goals. I do like to dream sometimes and write down things I might like to experience or learn. Then I can brainstorm steps that need to be done if I actually choose to do them. I like having a plan but I don’t like being tied to it.

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

I used to have to set annual goals for our org as well. We had an outline we had to follow. I always enjoyed doing it, but found the annual goals were often forgotten and not helpful. I found two things that helped me more were setting quarterly goals and developing ongoing routines/habits. I do those things now.

The most important part of setting goals to me is listening to the Holy Spirit. I always spend time in listening prayer and also look to what God has been saying to me through His word and through the wise counsel of people I trust.

To guide my ministry goal setting I use the 7 key elements of a disciple who makes disciples and set up quarterly goals in each area. The 7 elements are: multiplying extraordinary prayer, going out among the lost, ministering in word and deed, discipling the open in discovery Bible studies, casting vision among believers, training others, and giving and receiving ongoing coaching. I usually have some routines I'm trying to develop, like praying with others every Wednesday or hanging out evangelizing twice a week, and some things that are bigger picture/take more steps, like develop a follow-up process for people who've taken our initial outreach training (a current thing I'm working on for our church).

For personal goals I've tried various things. Right now I just use the handy guide to health, which is a mnemonic based on your hand. The thumb is physical health (it's fat/strong), the pointer is occupational/financial health, the middle finger is intellectual health (it's taller so it's the brains), the ring finger is relational health, the pinky is mental/emotional health (it's weak), and the palm is spiritual health (holds all the rest together). Mostly I'm just setting goals to develop or continue healthy habits in these areas. If, when I take stock, any of these areas is really suffering then it's a prod to take more action if needed, like make a doctor's appt, try to see a counselor, take a spiritual retreat.

Hope this helps.

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

Do you want to read Atomic Habits with us?

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

I used to set goals for each year, but generally, I just work on habits with goals/affirmations in mind.
Also, I have found that February is a better time for me to really set my intentions. There is a "challenge" that focuses on goal setting that is put on by Alison Lumbatis (Get Your Pretty On) each February, and by participating each year, I have discovered that Feb is a much better time for me to do this than January. We are still in Christmas mode right now, and until we are done and back into a routine, I can't really see what changes need to be made. Also, I just need some recovery time.

I committed to walking ever day last year starting in June. I think I missed maybe 10 days total, with other intentional movement on all but 4 of those days. By doing this, and succeeding, I found that the biggest roadblock I have faced with not just setting but achieving my goals is actually giving myself permission to do these things. It sort of sounds silly, but in my mind, I was wishy-washy about accomplishing the things I thought I wanted to do because I was waiting for others to "tell me" it was OK to go for a walk even though the dishes needed done, or a meal needed cooked, or the kids needed help with math, or I had to drive someone somewhere. I was using this as an excuse. If people had to wait 20 extra minutes for dinner, so be it! If I had to fit in a walk after I dropped a kid off at an activity, bringing my earbuds with me and get home 30 minutes later, walking down the street or walking around in a parking lot, so be it!

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

When do you start? If it's on Hoopla I'm in.

And Karen, I love that you have such a detailed thing to base goals on. Our people are much more open ended which is great some times but annoying for end of the year evals.

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

I just reread your OP and realized that you were not talking necessarily about personal, or even family, goals. So, I am sorry my post was probably irrelevant to you specifically.
If you are talking about ministry goals, or work goals, then my thought is that it is extra hard when things are so topsy-turvy in our world. Hopefully, everyone else understands that as well. If you are evaluated at the end of the year based on what goals you set now, which I know is the case for my daughter at her job, and my husband at his job, hopefully there will be grace given at the end of the year. I guess I would go ahead and think of some things that can be done and accomplished even when circumstances are topsy-turvy, like "reach out to a certain number of contacts per week/month", or even something like "perform/conduct a monthly (or even semi-monthly) evaluation of goals/progress in X areas"
I actually have that last one as one of our family and school goals of this year, because I know that it is easy for our family just to float along month to month and lose focus.

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

No apologies needed! You are just fine. The end of the year eval just made me realise that if I even try to think of any goals I get a big blank and a little panicky. The world and life just seem so uncertain. How can I plan anything? I don't even know where we will be living in a few months. And the end of the year eval always includes questions like: "What are your goals for your marriage this next year?" and other similar ones that make me and DH feel clueless. So goal making related to family and homeschool are also things I'm thinking about.

Re: How to make plans and goals
 

What I like to do is think of the areas of your life where I would like to establish or enhance my consistency. I also like to think in terms of what I would like to do or add in rather than take out or avoid.