The Power to ChangeSample

The Thing About Goals

The book of 1 Corinthians is a letter Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth, a city in Greece. He told them, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!” (1 Corinthians 9:24 NLT)

Paul set a destination and knew exactly where he was going. He had a goal. That goal gave him direction. Paul defined his win, but not everyone does. It can be easy to run without knowing the location of the finish line.

Here’s what tends to happen to people who haven’t defined a win for themselves: They settle for someone else’s. Your parents may decide what they want for your life. Without your own goal, you fall into their plan as if you have no choice. Bosses most assuredly have a way they want your life to go. And they’ll enforce their will unless you’re committed to running your race.

Most commonly, people without a defined win fall into the current of culture. They live like everyone else. Not having a finish line makes it easy to want a new car like your neighbor’s, a promotion like your coworker’s, and a vacation like your friend’s. You’re living a life, but it’s not really your life.

So, what’s your finish line? What’s your win? Do you know? I encourage you to take inventory of the most important areas of your life. In what area do you most need to establish a win? Maybe it’s your relationship with God, or your ministry or potential ministry. Maybe it’s relationship with others, or your marriage, or your parenting. It could be your career, or your finances, or your physical health.

Don’t let this overwhelm you. Choose just one area to focus on as you go through this Bible Plan. No matter how many things you would love to change or accomplish, choose one.

Next, we need to define your win. With crystal clear clarity, what specifically do you want to do and by when?

To keep focused on your goal, you may want to consider journaling or sharing with friends. Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University, reports that people who write down goals are significantly more likely to achieve them. If you write down your goal and tell a friend, your likelihood increases even more.

Once you’ve clearly defined your win, write it down and share it with others. You are no longer wishing for a changed life—you are changing your life!