Written by Bob Barber
Research has shown that around 60 percent of people make New Year’s resolutions, but only about 8 percent successfully achieve them. A famous Harvard Business School study from years ago found that 83% of people do not have any clearly defined goals, and of the 17% that did, only 3% wrote them down! When Harvard concluded the study, the 3% who had written goals earned ten times more income and tended to be in better health with happier marriages.
Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
I love the Christian Men’s Fraternity mission statement, started by Pastor Robert Lewis many years ago: Reject Passivity, Accept Responsibility, Lead Courageously, and Invest Eternally. No one should aimlessly go through this life God has given them without clearly defined goals they have prayed about. I have many times seen one person excel over another with the same intelligence, physical attributes, and upbringing simply because they had written goals while the other person didn’t. It’s like the old saying: Aim for nothing, and that’s precisely what you will get, but aim for the stars, and you might just hit the moon.
I know that one definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. Life is like this: humans expect different results from repeatedly doing the same thing. One of the ways to avoid this insanity is by writing goals you put in front of you daily.
Most people never set solid goals for different areas of their lives, where they write them down and see them daily, but 2025 can be different. I have many categories for goal-setting, from spiritual to mental to physical to relationship to financial goals, that I have been setting for over twenty years. I am always amazed at how many of them I reach. The key is to make your goals S.M.A.R.T. – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant to you, and Time-bound.
Examples of Financial Goals can be:
1. Giving more to worthy causes
2. Saving more for an emergency fund
3. Getting out of debt(credit card, auto, mortgage)
4. Investing more for the future-retirement
5. Getting a complete financial plan in place
Examples of Spiritual Goals can be:
1. Enrolling in a Small Group Bible Study
2. Spending more alone time with God in Prayer and meditation,
3. Getting back involved in your local church if you’re not in one,
4. Reading the bible daily
Examples of Physical Goals can be:
1. Taking a daily walk
2. Doing something aerobics 3-5 times a week
3. Playing pickleball or golf 2-3 times a week
4. Weight lifting 2-3 times a week
5. Eating healthier meals
Other areas where you can set goals include relationships, professionalism, charity, and giving goals.
You must write down your personal goals on paper where you can see them daily. I put a copy of my written goals on my closet mirror, another on my bathroom mirror, one in my Bible, my desk drawer, and, lastly, a copy in my car, by my instrument panel. Seeing them so many times daily reminds me to try to reach them. I use a goal form I developed years ago to fill in and print in ¼ page sizes and laminate.
MY GOALS FORM
Spiritually – What I will do to accomplish this goal –
Physically – What I will do to accomplish this goal –
Financially – What I will do to accomplish this goal –
Relationally – What I will do to accomplish this goal –
Mentally – What I will do to accomplish this goal –
Professionally – What I will do to accomplish this goal –
Charitably – What I will do to accomplish this goal –