Last week, I started to talk about Faith-Based SMART Goals and started with the first two letters, S, for specifically asking God for distinct and well defined direction through prayer and M, for setting meaningful goals that glorify God and help to accomplish His will for your life!  Today, I want to touch not he A & R of faith-based SMART Goals:

A is Attainable

Which even though it sounds a lot like the original A (Achievable), it’s a slight twist that puts the emphasis more on God and less on YOU!  This gets a little tricky, because in the old SMART Goal thinking, the challenge is to keep your goals “bite-sized,” but with a more faith-based mentality, everything is achievable with God’s guidance.  In fact, God has provided resources that you need to get started, so take the time to consider the God-given resources around you and trust that God will provide the rest of the resources in His perfect timing. If you’re anything like me, you want a perfect plan with infinite resources and a schedule that is right on track. Ha! I make plans, but God makes better ones (even if I don’t see it right away).

R is Relevant

Instead of Realistic.  Relevance to God’s plan supersedes being Realistic ALL the time  You need to consider how the goal is relevant to the purpose and gifts God has blessed you with. You’ll end up wasting your time (and your life) if you set inconsistent, widely scattered, goals that aren’t relevant to the gifts and purpose God has graced you with. Setting relevant goals that have purpose will help you develop the focus necessary to achieve your SMART goals.

Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

9  In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.

So, What… for This Week?

Rethink your goals in life around Faith-Based SMART Goals and pray about what God’s purpose is for YOUR life.  He made you with your very OWN DNA and therefore, your OWN purpose that is unlike anyone else, so continue to pray, journal and act on what He puts before you!

Download your Faith-Based SMART Goals Worksheet