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Successful Goalsetting

Friday, January 26th, 2024

For many, the start of a new year means making resolutions. More sleep, a more balanced diet, more exercise, travel, you name it. The possibilities are endless. This mindset can be a very positive start to the new year and set you on the right course.

As an individual, you may have already mapped out your goals for 2024. But do you have similar thinking in your role at your church or organization? A fresh start can also apply to your work or volunteer life.

Goals can be weekly, quarterly, or yearly. They can be written in a notebook or saved on a spreadsheet. In whatever way your goals are organized, it’s a good idea to map out a strategy. Consider these tips:

  1. Work for attainable goals. Although it’s fun to dream big, it can be more rewarding to create goals that you know you’ll be able to accomplish in a shorter period of time. Keep some big goals on your radar but give yourself some smaller goals you know you’ll be able to accomplish.
  2. Share your goals. By sharing your goals, you can receive feedback and buy-in from others in your church or organization. Maybe your goal is to recruit more volunteers this year. Current volunteers can contribute to achieving this goal.
  3. Check in periodically. However you choose to record your goals, don’t put the document away and forget about it. Depending on the number of goals you have, you may need weekly or monthly check-ins. There are no rules about how often you check in with your goals, but it’s important to keep them actively on your radar.
  4. Hold yourself accountable. In addition to checking in periodically, think about how you are going to achieve these goals. Make a plan and stick to it. It may be worth having an accountability partner or partners. Holding yourself accountable doesn’t mean beating yourself up if things aren’t going as smoothly as you thought. It means analyzing the challenges and strategizing workarounds. It also might mean asking for more help.
  5. Don’t be discouraged. Like anything else, there may be setbacks. Sometimes people and processes move slower than we want. Give yourself credit for the little successes. Even if you decide a goal is out of your reach in the original forecasted time period, feel good about the progress you made.

The good thing about most goals and resolutions is that they are innately flexible. Make 2024 your best year yet!