Setting Goals That Are In Season
Last summer, I was in the throes of wedding planning, and if you’ve been married before you know what that means: stress upon stress upon stress. We were four months out from the wedding and almost every other day was filled with venue visits, cake tastings, decor meetings, and other taxing to-dos. No one told me that planning a wedding (even with a wedding planner) would be a whole other job. A job that has its own special list of to-dos, especially when you’re planning a wedding in under 7 months. Those months of wedding planning took up the majority of my time. So what did that mean for my other personal goals and to-dos? They got placed on the back burner, not because I didn’t care or was just lazy, but because I was in a different season of life.
As you grow and evolve, so should your goals. The goals that fit in one season may not be apt for the next, and sometimes that's due to reasons outside of your control. Maybe you got engaged. Maybe you were laid off. Maybe you’ve moved. Maybe you experienced the death of a loved one or the birth of another. Or maybe if you’re being honest, you just need a mental break. Whatever the case may be, life has changed. And if life has changed, why do you think that your goals or the way you pursue your goals should stay the same?
Your freedom in Christ comes with the liberty of free will which means that you are allowed to change. Your life doesn't have to be dictated by your goals. You have the power to change them to serve the season of life you are in, whether it be a physical or spiritual season. So how can you readjust your goals to align with your season of life?
Review your goals.
Review the goals that you originally set. What were they and how much progress did you make? What season of life were you in when you had originally set them? How did that season inform your goals, actions, and decisions? Looking back at where you were will inform how you need to move forward.
Identify what is or isn’t working.
After you have reviewed your goals and assessed your progress, identify what needs to change or stay the same. What has or hasn’t been working? What actions have you taken that have led to the best results? What methods, tools, or resources have you found to be successful? What hasn’t been as successful? What needs to change as you move forward? There’s no need to keep beating a dead tree. Do more of what is working and less of what isn’t.
Determine Your Season
Maybe you're not in the same season of life that you were when you initially set your goals. Maybe things have picked up in other areas of your life. Maybe you’re traveling or have a lot more responsibilities in this season, therefore you have to scale back on your goals. That’s okay. Again, your goals can change just like you do. The season of life you’re in will and should determine how you pursue your goals.
Adjust your goals accordingly.
Now that you’ve reviewed and troubleshooted your goals and have determined your season, now it’s time to readjust. Do your goals need to change? What about your action steps and methods? Sometimes it’s not the goals that are the problem but the method behind them. If so, find new approaches or angles to tackling your goals. Or maybe you need to pivot entirely or quit altogether. That’s okay too. Regardless of your decision, determine what needs to be done and then adjust accordingly.
Give yourself grace.
If you haven’t made the progress you thought you would've made by now, don’t beat yourself up. Achieving your goals is less about the destination and more about who you become as you get there. So instead of focusing so hard on deadlines and targets, focus on doing your best. As long as you remain disciplined and consistent, God will do the heavy lifting for you. Don’t sulk in shame or guilt. Let His grace and strength empower you to finish what He has set before you.
Do you need to readjust your goals? Remember that your goals don’t have to be so rigid. Make your goals work for you and the season of life you're in. For more on making the most of your season of life, click the button below to download the Savor Your Season Lifestyle Guide.
