We have just started September which means we are finishing the third quarter of the year. Where has the year gone. I don't know about you, but I feel like I just woke up and now it’s September. I have been maintaining my goals throughout the year, and as I look at my vision board, I see so many things coming together. I also have many things that were not on the board taking place. It’s amazing to see the movement so far. BUT I must be honest; there are some items that haven't even been touched yet. Can any of you relate? You look at your vision for the year, your goal list, your declaration, your vision board and see items that you haven’t yet seen done or realized. I find myself, looking at those and thinking are they just not supposed to be done this year, because through the remainder of the year, I have so many projects to finalize. I find myself in a position where I begin to feel overwhelmed and behind. Do you ever feel that way? Have you ever looked up at the end of the third quarter and said to yourself, O-M-G! What in the world have I accomplished this year? I hope I’m not alone in this. I’m quickly reminded of the old proverb that says, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” (Proverbs 16:9). I have planned so many things in my life, but there are some things that have just been adverted or redirected for another time.
For the last two years, there have been times I have barely kept my head above water. Feeling like I was drowning yet keeping a positive attitude for everyone around me, because we all were feeling a similar stress. I went into 2021 with big goals and ambitions, and somewhere along the way things began to change. Things began to shift in different directions. Vision boards are not normally something that I do on a regular basis but this year I was adamant about it. If I encourage my clients to do it, then I should be doing it as well. I do however believe in writing the vision and making it plain and laying out a plan for the year. Now I find myself, questioning the things I thought would be able to accomplish. There are times when you must understand the vision is for an appointed time. (Habakkuk 2:2-3). Then self-reflection must come into place to determine if the goal is for an appointed time or is the reality a lack of establishing and finishing goals.
How many of you would say that you make big plans every year, and yet never seem to realize them? This certainly can happen for various reasons and is more common than you might think. Do you know someone that has big dreams, and desires to do great things, but no structure to accomplish any of it? We call them dreamers, someone that just dreams and wishes for things, yet there isn’t a plan in place. The reason vision boards are so important is because it is visualizing what you could have so that you work towards that. One of the greatest challenges is that while people may have vision boards, without steps to accomplish those items, you will not see it happen. Let’s look at buying a house. I have seen vision boards, with large houses on them and people wanting to stop renting and start buying, however they never get out of the renting box, because they can’t seem to find the practical steps to help them make that transition. To see the dream of a house fulfilled is that you have to make sure your credit is where it needs to be, find a realtor, determine what you will need as a down payment and focus on saving money for the big step of home ownership.
Many people stop because they don’t even know where to start, but I’m hoping after reading this blog, you will be able to walk away realizing that you can make your vision a reality, and that even though we are in September, you still have plenty of time to work towards, and accomplish the things you desired this year. Let’s talk about establishing goals that are not just a picture or statement but something that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. These are called “S.M.A.R.T” goals. It doesn’t matter if you are creating goals, for your life, business, job, or family by using smart goals you will ensure that you are setting the right goals, and that they are getting done in the timeframe you need to get them done. I use this process with clients in various arenas, and in organizations of various sizes. When you start to find out what is important and how you want to achieve it, you will begin to see your dreams become your reality. If you would like a free S.M.A.R.T goal worksheet, just click here.
By setting goals that are specific you realize that buying a house isn’t the specific goal, but it is the end goal. So, a specific goal would be to save a certain amount of money by a specific date. That would be a specific goal. You can measure that goal by what is in your savings account. Did you meet the goal or not? You must determine is that achievable or not. If you don’t make enough money to save that much in the amount of time you selected you have to be honest and say that is not achievable, you need to consider what is achievable and adjust your goal. Would this goal be relevant to what you want to accomplish if the answer is yes, then it is a good goal to set? You’ve already determined the timeline and if you haven’t this is the game changer. You need to make sure that you have a timeline so that you can hold yourself accountable.
Learning how to set and accomplish goals is going to make the difference between someone that looks at their vision board and says I did all of that, and someone that says well maybe next year. You want to be the successful person that has set goals and accomplished them throughout the year. This will help your business grow, this will help you family build healthy habits, this will teach you a structure to ensure that you are living an abundant life, not just surviving through year after year. Be S.M.A.R.T and set the right goals and see all that you can accomplish by the end of 2021, and position yourself, for a successful 2022.