4 Steps to Achieving Your 2019 Goals

You’ll never find the ideal time to take the next step toward your goals.

So do it now. Those three words could change your ministry. The Bible says, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 TLB).

You can’t wait until your life settles down to reach for that elusive goal. You can’t wait until everyone else is on board to do what you know the Lord has called you to do.

The time is now.

Your ministry must thrive under imperfect conditions or it will never thrive. So get started today with these four steps.

1. Clarify your goals.

God gave you an amazing ability to choose what’s important in your life. Many ministry leaders never stop to think through and identify what’s really important to them. You can’t do what’s important in your life until you clarify what it is.

Take a half day, if possible, and pray about two specific things: What do I value? What do I want to change?

Yes, you should think about your ministry goals, but don’t stop there either. I also usually think through:

• Intellectual goals: What do I want to learn?
• Physical goals: How can I improve my health?
• Spiritual goals: How do I deepen my relationship with God?
• Social goals: How can I serve other people more effectively?

2. Write your goals down.

You won’t complete any goals you don’t write down. As you write them down, word them so they are SMART goals. That means they are:

• Specific: Give a number when possible. How many books will you read? How many pounds will you lose?
• Measurable: You need to be able to measure your progress and know if you are getting closer to your goal.
• Achievable: You’ll get discouraged if the goal is impossible for you to complete.
• Relevant: Choose a goal that is based upon what matters to you. Don’t set a goal you think other people want you to complete. Your goals should be your goals.
• Time-sensitive: A goal is a dream with a deadline. A goal says that by the end of this amount of time or by this date, I’m going to reach this goal. It’s specific, it’s measurable, and it should be achieved within a specific time frame.

3. Get support from other believers.

Too many pastors try to achieve goals by themselves. You probably preach this truth to your congregation all of the time: “You weren’t made to go through life on your own.” Guess what? It applies to you and me, too.

If you’re going to reach the goals you set for yourself in January, you need other people to cheer you on. Maybe this means you create a local pastors’ group so you can share your goals with your peers. But it doesn’t have to be this. You just need to gather with people who care about you and what you’re doing.

4. Ask God for help.

Pastor, if you’re going to complete your ministry and personal goals this year, you need to expect that God will help. Pray expectantly.

The Bible says, “Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be dismayed. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will triumph!” (Isaiah 50:7 NLT).

You can only accomplish the impossible if you see the invisible. Living in the light of eternity is the only thing that’ll keep you on track in 2019.

You and I only get a limited time to make an impact through our lives. So let’s make the most of this year.