Goals Setting Worksheet

I. Steps to goal-setting.
A. Brainstorming.
Jot down every thought you have about what you want or need. Don’t think about whether you can do them or have them, just write them down as fast as you can. Each item will make you think about other things. Write them all down. _______________________________________
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B. Pick your primary objective.
Your mind can only concentrate on one major idea at a time. Narrow down your brainstorming list to your most important goals. You can pick one primary goal for each of the major areas of your life: mental, spiritual, physical, family, financial. ___________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________
C. Write your goal in present-tense terms - concrete, measurable, time limit. ________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A goal must be stated in present-tense terms before it can be evident that we believe it. The secret to achieving goals is to get a crystal clear image in our subconscious minds. God said in innumerable ways throughout the New Testament, "Whatever you ask, believing, it is yours." Our problem is that we can't believe some things because of past conditioning. The secret is to bypass the conscious part of our minds and record the thing we want to accomplish as a subconscious "memory" that we can believe. This is done by visualization; i.e., picturing the end result in our subconscious minds, “as if” it is already a reality.
Identify hurdles or obstacles to achieving your goal.
With enough faith, we could probably skip to the last step. However, being human beings, the old saying that, "God helps those who help themselves" may fit here. This is simply the first step in breaking the goal down into smaller pieces that will lead us to the larger result we want to achieve. Brainstorm for a few minutes and list things that could get in the way and hinder our efforts. Don't try to think about solutions, just list problems. Do it now. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
Devise strategies for getting around obstacles or over hurdles.
Make each strategy into a short-term or interim goal to help achieve the main goal. A huge goal is not so formidable when broken into smaller, more easily achievable steps. Set time limits on each smaller goal to lead you toward achieving the main goal. _____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Visualize the reward; i.e., create a vivid image of the goal already achieved and thank God for bringing it to fruition.
Once you have restated the goal into present-tense form, the next step is to create an image of the goal already achieved. I believe that our subconscious minds are our direct link with God. There is no way to use the limited vocabulary we have to communicate adequately with God. While it is true that He already knows what we are thinking, unless we have clarified our prayer we may not be thinking clearly enough. So, the next task is to relax and create a vision of the goal as already achieved as vividly as possible. In this visualization, incorporate all five senses; i.e., see the results of the goal in your mind's eye, hear what people are saying and the sounds around you, smell the odors in the air, feel objects in the vision and taste something that reminds you of the situation you are visualizing.
Here is the secret to achieving any goal and the answer to our prayers. Our subconscious minds cannot tell the difference between a real event and one that is vividly imagined. That simple fact has enormous implications. The key to making your goal a reality is simply to vividly imagine the goal as if it has already happened enough times that your subconscious mind accepts that image as a fact.
Studies have shown that it takes about twenty-one days for a new thought or habit to become a part of our being. Set aside a few minutes each day, preferably just upon waking or just before going to sleep, and simply visualize the picture you have formed. At this time we are not trying to believe the picture. We are not trying to understand how it will occur. We are not thinking about how hard it will be. We are simply visualizing the image we have created. Leave the rest up to God. Resources you could never dream of will unfold before your eyes.
As your subconscious mind accepts the image as a fact or a "memory", you can simply thank God for bringing it to fruition. I Thes. 5:18, "In all things give thanks . . ." has far deeper implications than we first think. As part of our prayer, we can thank God for all the events that have led us to where we are at this moment, even if we didn't understand at the time why they happened, as well as for the result we already know He is bringing to fruition. Rom. 8:28 tells us that, "all things work toward good for those who are working toward God's will." Even our past failures or problems had a purpose. We just didn't always know what that purpose was at the time.
Entering prayer in a thankful frame of mind for the events of the past and for the events that are going to happen in the future has a tremendous effect on prayer. If we pray because we "want" something, we are acknowledging "want", or "lack" of that for which we are praying. That doesn't sound much like we "believe" does it? Instead, our prayers should be prayers of thanksgiving. Thank God for providing that for which we pray because we know that He has already granted our prayer. This is the most powerful form of prayer.
If we accomplish all the steps outlined above, there is nothing that can prevent us from accomplishing every one of the goals we set. Just make sure your goals are in tune with God's plan for your life ;o)
II. Use your will power and your belief power.
How do you reach your goals? By the application of the twin principles: will power and belief power. Will power is the process by which you bring out of yourself all the enthusiasm, vitality and drive you can muster. Believing is the process by which you bring out of yourself the power of God. So, to will means to bring out your personal power; to believe means to bring out God’s power.