“The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s so easy to drift in life. When drift happens, we lose sense of our purpose. Goal setting helps to prevent drift by giving you something concrete to focus on. When you have distinct goals, it has a positive impact on your actions. Goals keep us attuned to our purpose and give us a dominant aspiration.

These guidelines help keep my goals on target. Goals should be…

• Shaped by your core values (if you don’t have any, define them)
• Written somewhere you will see them frequently
• Specific and clear
• Achievable and measurable
• Shared with others (for accountability)
• Time-sensitive

The apostle Paul had a vision to reach Rome, the epicenter of worldwide influence, in his lifetime (1 Corinthians 16:5-9). His God-inspired dream was to spread the Gospel as far as possible and he had measurable goals to accomplish this mission.

What kind of plan do you have? Without one, you are certain to drift.