For both business and personal goals, it’s true. You cannot manage what you don’t measure.

As we say goodbye to June and hello to July, it’s time, my goal crafting sister, to take stock of the goals you are and have been pursuing.

We measure so that we can celebrate. So that we can evaluate. So that we can recalibrate. So that we can hold ourselves accountable to honor the desires of our hearts.

I’m in the camp that is big on planning and writing out all the things to be done on a weekly basis to get to a successful conversion of my goals.

Even so, being that granular can actually obscure the larger blessings that have occurred over a 6 month or longer period.

So let’s go back to the beginning, if you set beginning of the year goals, and let’s just see how our actions and thoughts and aligned for progress.

If you set faith goals – check in. Is God guiding, teaching and loving on you in a way that you can see? Are you on track to complete the bible studies you chose? The time spent in prayer? Do you see prayers that you have prayed for others being answered? 

If you set family goals – how are they working out? Has COVID-19 helped or harmed your plans here? Chances are, something so disastrous in so many ways may also be a reason for your success in spending time with your family.

If you set fitness goals – how do your measurements look? Are you stronger? Leaner? More limber? Is your endurance up? Are you spending more or less time in fitness activities? Is this good or not? When you look back to January 1, are you pleased or not with your progress today?  I 

What about measuring your financial goals? – Is your career still on track, is your work providing you with a creative outlet to contribute to the world in exchange for dollars? Have you been pleasantly surprised with your financial health this year? Have you been able to invest in yourself, something that will bring you measurable results in finances? Have you been able to set aside money for savings? Are you right side up on your tithe? When you look back six months, all the way to January 1st, are you hitting your targets?

Faith – Family – Fitness – Finances. Measure, measure, measure.

Don’t avoid looking if you have not spent as much time on these.

Look and look deeply. 

Are you, first of all, celebrating any wins you’ve had this year so far? I sure hope so my friend.

For your measurements that are shy of the goal – ask yourself why? Is it a lack of resources, education, commitment, or some other thing? Does the goal still matter to you? Do you have accountability through some form? Have you encountered roadblocks? Can you turn them into strategies to go further and faster toward your goal?

For your measurements that are shy of the goal – ask yourself why? Is it a lack of resources, education, commitment, or some other thing? Does the goal still matter to you? Do you have accountability through some form? Have you encountered roadblocks? Can you turn them into strategies to go further and faster toward your goal?

I personally had a goal to complete a training, and I noticed I had been avoiding it and working all around it. This measuring exercise helped me SO much –  after all – I can’t teach what I don’t practice myself.

I discovered through measuring my progress that there was little chance of completing it by the established due date. 

In thinking through it, I had to ask myself if it still mattered as much as it did when I wrote it down? And did I feel the time invested in it would give me a return on effort. 

I came to the conclusion that I needed to give it a fair shot and honor my commitment to the best of my ability.

I also decided to give myself grace if it just didn’t work out.

Goals are not meant to enslave us. They are meant to serve us. And you know what, after doing this work, I dove in with renewed commitment and completed the training by the established due date. 

Measuring works.

So let me again encourage you. Take stock of your goals.

Pull out your goal notebook, or pull up your list of goals on your phone, and ponder them.

Measure yourself today against where you were in January.

God created this world to expand and grow, and you, my dear, are part of this world. Goal setting is a wonderful way to experience all that God has for you.

I’m sure you have done beautifully and you are proud of the ways your talents have been showing up in this world.

But measure them, would ya? Course correct if need be. Take your Next BEST step again.

You should be able to quickly wrap your mind around your past progress, your future steps and everything in between. 

Measuring your progress helps calibrate your efforts among your goals. It also can give you the prompting that you need to lift a prayer of gratitude to our almighty Father for the progress you are making. Or ---a prayer for guidance and direction and clarity on the next steps. 

Either way, measuring progress is just one more tool that we goal crafters can access when need be. Now – half way through this year and in the first year (what a doozie of a year too) of this NEW DECADE, it’s a prime time to measure.

Send me an email if I can encourage and support you. I read and reply to every request.

This verse is for you on your goal journey: Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of god in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14.

June is almost over. July is on the horizon. And with that…a new beginning.