How to Set Goals that Work: Definable is a post from: Titus 2 Homemaker
Not Resolutions – Goals
I’ve mentioned in the past that I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. They’re too vague and they tend not to be very effective or long-lasting. Instead, I prefer to set goals. There are certain elements effective goals always have in common, and I’ve broken them down into three D’s to make them (I hope!) easy to remember.
Good goals must be/have:
Definable
Doable
Deadlines
I’m going to break this down into three posts, one for each of these elements. Today, let’s talk about definable.
Definable Goals
When we talk about a “definable” goal, we mean that it is clear, specific, and measurable. Have you ever had someone ask you what a particular word meant, and not been quite sure how to answer? You have an idea of what the word means – you can use it correctly in a sentence. But when it comes time to actually define the word, you can’t do it; your understanding is too vague.
Resolutions can be kind of like that: nice ideas, but not necessarily very clear-cut in your mind. Often, when people begin setting goals, their goals look like this, too. You need to be so crystal-clear on what it is you want to accomplish that you can define it.
“I want to grow spiritually.” Um, okay. What does that mean? Hmmm…not so obvious, is it? (If you have a clear image in your mind of what “grow spiritually” is, please share, because this is the area I most struggle with clarifying!) Abstract doesn’t work well when it comes to goal-setting. We want concrete.
If you already have a “goal” that sounds like this (“grow spiritually”), that’s okay! It’s not wrong; it just isn’t finished yet. Start with that and ask yourself, “what does that mean?” You’ll begin to clarify things. Numbers help. “I want to do ________ x times.” “I want to be able to do x of _____________.” (For spiritual growth this is a little tricky, because you can’t exactly put a number on spiritual growth. It’s usually more effective to set goals for activities that encourage/produce spiritual growth instead, like praying with a certain frequency or for a certain period of time, reading a particular segment of the Bible, etc.)
Some Examples
To make this a little clearer, let’s take some examples of resolutions or not-so-clearly-defined goals that we see frequently, and make them better.
I want to lose weight.
This is not as commonly “goofed up,” but it is a very common New Year’s resolution, so we’ll start here. Instead of “I want to lose weight,” try, “I want to lose ____ pounds.”
I want to get in shape.
What are you looking to improve? Strength? Flexibility? Muscle tone? Stamina? Try aiming for a particular physical accomplishment that is currently beyond your reach. “I want to be able to run an 8-minute mile.” “I want to be able to do a back bend.” “I want to be able to do the splits.” You get the idea! (If you’re trying to improve in multiple areas, you might need multiple goals.)
I want to grow spiritually.
As already mentioned, you’ll probably want to set goals for actions that lead to growth, rather than for the growth itself (which is pretty hard to define). “I want to read the whole Bible this year.” (Or “I want to read ___ chapters/day.”) “I want to pray for at least ___ minutes, at least ___ times a week.” “I want to send letters of encouragement to at least ___ people.” “I want to memorize ____ new verses of Scripture.”
I want to drink more water.
“I want to drink ___ ounces (or glasses) of water/day.”
I want to eat healthier.
“I want to eat _(junk food)_ no more than __ times/week.” “I want to eat at least ___ serving(s) of vegetables/day.”
Are there goals you need to set? How can you make them more specific and/or measurable?
Related posts:
Setting Goals
Goals
Getting Organized: 6 – Goals