10 Best Practices for Achieving Your Goals and Fulfilling Your Vision

If you have decided what your vision and goals for 2021 are, here are a few things I have gathered from my personal and professional experience which, if practiced regularly, will keep you on track to achieve your goals and fulfill your vision.

I’m sure I’m not telling you anything you haven’t heard before: all these points are just common sense.

However, we can all use reminders so we can make common sense a common practice.

1.Revisit your vision and your values often 

It is very helpful to have your vision and goals written out – especially if you are a visual learner.  Keep them in a handy place and read them often. Especially on days when you feel discouraged, this can give you energy and enthusiasm.

There will be times when we’re lacking the motivation to continue taking the small steps that will lead us to our goals. Instead of waiting for motivation to appear, revisit your vision and values to remember who you are and what matters most to you. Remember your heart’s desires, put there by God.

2. Pray and do the work – we need both. Some people pray fervently for their circumstances to change or for results to appear, while they do almost nothing. They expect miracles from God, but they fail to notice what their own responsibilities are. 

On the other side of the spectrum, some people work like they are not partners with God. No matter how much time and effort we put in to achieve a good goal, prayer is an essential ingredient. It reminds us that God is the one who enables us to work, He is the one who is always by our side, who gives us ideas, motivation, and help to achieve our goals according to His will. Prayer keeps us anchored in reality. The reality is that God is sovereign, and His plans are never jeopardized by my failure to achieve my goals. 

You find peace of mind when you pray while you do the work. 

3. Renew your mindset daily

The neuroscientists talk about neuroplasticity (“the ability of the brain to form new connections and pathways and change how its circuits are wired”) * and psychologists talk about how growth mindset ** can help us develop and master skills that can help us succeed in work and life.

Long before those concepts were discovered, the Bible taught us about the renewing of our minds in our process of transformation (Romans 12:2) and about what needs to be the focus of our thinking. Paul said to Philippians “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8).

We need to choose a Biblical mindset every single day and every hour of the day.

Changing our mindset is a continuous effort and it requires perseverance because creating new neural paths means that the information needs to be repeated again and again. We can reinforce the godly mindset through different activities: reading, praying, writing, talking, and listening.

4. Pay the price wholeheartedly

The reality for everyone is that we can’t have everything in life. We have to choose. And this is another reason we need to be clear about our values: we make decisions that honor our values.  

I encourage you to write down this statement: By saying “Yes” to… (whatever your goal is), I’m saying “No” to… ***

You can make a “not at the moment” list: what are those things that need to be put on hold in your life while you are working on achieving your important goal? Without compromising self-care and fundamental necessities, what are the things that need to go, at least for a time?

5. Gain knowledge

Identify what information you need for achieving your goal. However, remember that accumulating information is not the goal. Seek to apply as soon as possible the good ideas and knowledge you discover.

One of my best friends decided a few years ago, after many years of hoarding, to declutter her house. She read books, she listened to podcasts, she watched videos, to learn valuable principles and gain inspiration for decluttering. She started to apply the new insights as soon as she had read the first book. And she continued to work on decluttering, she continued to also get knowledge, both from experts and from her personal experience. Now, she is enjoying the results: a usable, lovely to live in house.

6. Make a plan; be open to adjustments

Benjamin Franklin said “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” 

I know that, for many people who value freedom and creativity, making a plan is not something they particularly enjoy. However, even if it’s not very detailed, a plan can help us a lot.

Think about the actions you need to take, list the resources you think you will need, and block time in your calendar to work on your goals. Think also about what obstacles might occur and how you’ll handle them. 

Keep in mind that you don’t need a super-detailed plan of action in order to get into action: don’t spend so much time on planning that you never start doing.

Also, life happens! Keep an open mind and make changes to your plan as required.

7. Take brave, imperfect, consistent actions

We all have all kinds of fears, so we need to choose courage. Every single day. As a child of God, there is no ultimate disaster: even in the worst-case scenario, our eternal destiny is secure. There are no risks we can’t take when we are called by God to live out Christ’s teachings. 

Don’t wait until you have perfect clarity, you feel completely prepared or you feel you know everything about the area of your life you want to make a change in. Take action, and more clarity and more knowledge will come. Periodically, stop and reflect on what’s working and what isn’t working for you, and do more of what’s working.

8. Gather support

It’s easier to work on our goals when we have encouragement, support, a prayer partner or an accountability partner. Some people have a mentor or a coach, others organize themselves in peer groups – whatever the format, gather support.

9. Set boundaries and get rid of distractions

There will always be people around you who won’t understand your vision and your goals. It’ OK, even though it’s not pleasant. They will keep requiring things of you... that you won’t have time or energy for, if you’re ever to fulfill your own vision!

You are the one who has to put boundaries in place. Email, phone, social media are huge distractions. Put them aside so you can focus on your work.

10. Keep celebrating the small steps with gratitude, humility and renewed commitment

Take the time to acknowledge your progress. Say a thankful prayer. Share with a dear friend who you know will be glad to hear about your small success. You can give yourself a pat on your back or a small treat.

Then, as you get back to work, remember your vision, and renew your hope and determination to achieve your goal! 

Notes

* https://positivepsychology.com/neuroplasticity/

**The idea of mindset was popularized by Carol Dweck in 2006 through her best-seller “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” where she talks about fixed mindset versus growth mindset and how the latter can help us succeed in our work.

*** The exercise is inspired from the book “Co-Active Coaching: Changing Business, Transforming Lives” (2011) by Henry Kimsey-House, Karen Kimsey-House, Phillip Sandahl, Laura Withworth