Ten Steps to Setting Life Goals

 

A few years ago I played hooky from church and it changed my life.  Instead of going to our Saturday night services, my son and I hit the ski slopes.  It was the last weekend of the ski season so it was our last chance to go after one of the life goals we share in common: learn to snowboard. 

We were awfully sore at the end of the day.  Especially my backside!  But it was one of those unforgettable experiences. One moment in particular is frozen in my mind.  Literally.  We were riding up the chairlift as blizzard-like snow was coming down.  And I heard the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.  I realized, in that moment on that chair lift, that my life had completely revolved around National Community Church for the better part of a decade.  On one level, when you plant a church, you’ve got to pour your heart and soul into it.  Sacrifices are par for the course.  But I came to the convicting realization that I didn’t really have much of a life outside of church.  And it was as if the Holy Spirit said: get a life! 

I’m afraid that many pastors, if we were completely honest, would have to admit that we have no life outside of church—no hobbies, no relationships, no interests, no goals, no margins.  And we wonder why we’re bored or burned out.  Here’s a thought.  Your internal influence as a leader within your organization will reflect your external life outside your organization.  That’s a nice way of saying: no life outside equals no leadership inside.  Sure, I want our congregation to respect me as a spiritual leader within the context of National Community Church.  But I also want them to respect me outside the context of National Community Church. 

To be perfectly honest, the most important thing I’m doing right now as a leader is discipling my son.  It has nothing to do with my leadership as a pastor.  But it has everything to do with my leadership as a pastor.  Why?  Because your leadership inside cannot exceed your life outside.  It’s easy to “play the role” of leader inside the organizational context.  But that isn’t the litmus test. It’s your life outside the organizational context that will make you or break you in the long run!    

Here is what I’m getting at: get a life.  And one way to get a life is to set some life goals.  

A couple years ago I went through the exercise of setting life goals.  And it absolutely revolutionized my life!   Few things have brought me greater joy than going after some of the life goals I set.  Just a couple weeks ago, my son and I accomplished three life goals in one week.  We hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim.  We took a helicopter ride over the canyon.  And we rode mules on the rim.  And I’m not sure we would have done those things if we haven’t set the goal in the first place! 

You know why most of us don’t get what we want out of life?  Because we don’t know what we want!  If you want to adventurize your life, you’ve got to set some life goals.  But make sure you do it in the context of prayer.  If all you do is set a bunch of selfish goals, you’d be better off if you didn’t accomplish them!  But if you set them in the context of prayer, then life goals become an expression of faith.

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for...” Heb. 11:1

If you need some help getting started, you can get a free download I wrote titled 10 Steps to Setting Life Goals at www.chasethegoose.com.  I share my personal list of life goals.  And I elaborate on a ten step process of setting them: 1) Start with Prayer 2) Check Your Motives 3) Get Ideas from Others 4) Think in Categories 5) Be Specific 6) Write them Down 7) Include Others 8) Celebrate along the Way 9) Think Big 10) Keep Dreaming.

Maybe it’s time to play hooky from church and get a life!

1 Comment »

1. This article set me on fire....awesome insight…

   Comment by Pastor Byars - Aug 19, 2008 @ 01:25 PM

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