A Specific Goal

Write a letter to yourself. It doesn't matter if you use a sheet from a notebook or you want to use that beautiful journal in your night stand you have yet to write in. No one else will ever see this letter. No need to worry that someone will find out your thoughts and pass judgement. This is for your eyes only. Make a goal for yourself, something you want to change or do differently or try something entirely new and out of your comfort zone. Whatever it is, be specific. (lose weight, drink more water, cultivate your relationship with your spouse, eat more vegetables, exercise more often, read the Bible daily,) Without a specific goal it's nearly impossible to achieve success.  Over the years I've made so many "goals" and a large part of my failures was the lack of a plan. It's absurd really to think I will accomplish something without a plan.  But we all have good intentions don't we? If I built a house without a plan, it wouldn't stand for long. The first strong wind and it would crumble to the ground. I need a plan, a map, a framework to see the progress I've made toward my goal and how far I am from my target. Without a plan, this life will kick you in the stomach and make you believe you won't succeed.



 About ten years ago our youngest daughter had just graduated and gone off to college and I had a terrible case of empty nest syndrome. I had poured my entire self into raising our kids. I was a helicopter mom and I loved every single moment of it. My own mom and dad were not "hands-on" parents which may have been why it was critical for me to be the type of mom I was (still am). My goal was to raise two daughters to be strong women in this world --- and to do that I needed a plan.I had to invest years and years of love and caring and tears and thought into the role of mother. In order for me to be successful in making them successful I had to be a hands on parent. My kids may have felt like I was smothering them at times but that was part of my job. I've made my share of mistakes, believe me, but I tried to fix them as quickly as I knew how and I undertook the job of being the best mom I knew how to be. Without the plan, I sincerely believe in my heart that our girls would have become very different people than they are today. My point of this story is the importance of a plan, a goal, an idea of where you want to end up. God gave you passion and exceptional gifts to be successful. Use them. The better you plan the more likely you will be successful.

                  ~ A goal without a plan, is just a wish.  ~ 

And ask yourself what you want to gain. Look sexy in a dress? Feel accepted by others? Lower your cholesterol? Increase your faith? Stop drinking pop? Be a better spouse? You want to be 'skinny'? (When you're 20 years old, being 'skinny' might be important to you. When you're 50, 'skinny' may have a completely different meaning.)  Whatever it is, answer honestly! Remember, YOU are the only one seeing this letter to yourself so if you don't answer honestly you're only fooling YOU.


 “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.”
~Mark Twain

If it's weight you want to lose, decide how much you want to lose and a specific time you'd like to achieve that loss. If you want to exercise more often, make a plan. Move More! ( I've made this my new mantra. Move More! I just keep telling myself that throughout the day.) That doesn't have to mean a five mile run every morning. It simply means Move More. Walk to the post office instead of driving. Park further away from the local super center instead of driving around for ten minutes looking for a close parking spot. Make two trips to the dumpster instead of one. If your goal is reading the Bible each day, make that a priority. Every goal will require some type of change in your every day activities. In order to meet your goal you'll have to do the work. Maybe you need to make little changes over time, or maybe you're in need of some drastic changes right now. Just start. Today. Concentrate on what needs to be done to realize your goal and do what's neccessary to get through today. If you get through today, you're one day closer to that goal!


Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34