Goals and Commandments

Goal setting was easy as a missionary. Key indicators (activities that generally led to baptisms and confirmations) were defined for you, and all you had to do was pick the numbers. Every missionary spoke the same language relative to goals because the key indicators are standard for the church.

Without predefined key indicators (activities that lead to a desired result), you have much more flexibility and ambiguity in personal goal setting. Without a set of shared key indicators, it's difficult to find accountability by communicating your goals and progress to others. I've found in trying to set goals for school, work and my personal life, both of those issues have been a challenge.

What are the most important things to consider when setting goals? There are immediate results (e.g., GPA, compensation from an employer) and there is long-term vision (e.g., graduation, promotion). What desired results should dictate the activities measured in a goal? Depends on what your priorities are.

I've discovered I'm not smart enough to figure out what's most important by myself, but thankfully the Lord provides a list. As a missionary, in addition to numerical goals, we had obedience goals. The White Missionary Handbook is a list of rules that guide missionary conduct. It laid out unambiguously how missionaries should be and act. Similar materials exist for all members of the church. For the Strength of Youth is an example of explicit definitions and guidelines. Additionally, General Conference and the standards works provide endless guidelines and principles with which we can orient our lives and prioritize our activities.

This is what I do now in goal setting: Identify the commandments I am struggling with (on my mission we would take a pencil and underline portions of the White Handbook that we were not living), and then set one measurable goal that will help bring me in compliance with that commandment. For example, in For the Strength of Youth we read, "Eat nutritious food, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep." I haven't been the best at that since I came home and started school. This month, I set the goal with my family to run 1000 miles. That is, we would all run a few miles per day and by the end of the year we will have run 1000 miles. We track our progress towards this goal to help us stay on track. Because it's a group goal, we hold each other accountable. It's been working well.

By focusing on coming into compliance with the Lord's standards, we can qualify for His blessings, find greater fulfillment and become who He needs us to become. I'm grateful that we have commandments and counsel from the Lord that I can use to direct my goal setting efforts.