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When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father.

Luke 15:17-8

The first step on the ladder to reaching your goal is to initiate that goal. Initiating your goal is where you will define what it is you want to achieve, why do you want to achieve it, how will you know when you have achieved it and who can help me achieve it or who will be impacted by this. Initiating your goal shifts your mindset from “I want to do this” to “I am doing this!”.

The verse is from the well-known parable of the prodigal son, who asks his father for his inheritance, then squanders it recklessly as he lives a life of indulgence. With nothing left of his fortune, and his situation becoming increasingly dire, he decided to initiate a goal of returning to his father. He rationalized that even if he became as one of his father’s hired servants, his situation would be much improved.

Write your goals

Then the Lord answered me and said, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.”

Habakkuk 2:2-3

Are you familiar with the proverbial statement “Out of sight, out of mind?” Well, writing down your goal and placing it where it is cleary visible will help you to keep focused. It will serve as inspiration to keep going especially when it begins to feel laborious or prolonged. It helps to keep your mind firmly fixed on the prize.

Goals are S.M.A.R.T

Making your goal S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) increases your chances of achieving it. It will help you determine where to focus your efforts and how to best utilize your resources.

Share your goals

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellers there is safety.”

Proverbs 11:14

It helps to have the opinion and advice of others. Leverage your environment, your colleagues at work, your church members, your school counsellor, your friends. Don’t just talk it over with your best friend who has a similar thought process as you. You need diversity of opinions. It will help you identify challenges, decide whether your goal is realistic or not. It will help to shape your ideas, identify blind spots – things you are not seeing or areas you may have missed. Sharing your goal with others will help you clarify what information you need, where you can get it, who can help and who you should involve.

What is in it for me?

Why are you embarking on achieving this goal? Define the benefits that achieving it will bring – what will be the fruits of your labour.

Success criteria

What will achieving your goal look like? What will it feel like? How will you know when you have achieved what you set out to do? What are your must have, should have, could have and won’t have. Clearly defining your success criteria will help you remain focused, monitor your progress and know when you have achieved your goal.

Who are your stakeholders?

“We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails.”

Proverbs 19:21

It is important to identify those who can influence or impact your goals. At the very least, ask God to help you achieve your goals. Then typically, your spouse, children would have a stake. Think about how your family can influence your goal and the impact it could have on them.

This concludes the first step. Next, we move on to planning.