The Power of Reviewing Your Goals Regularly

Can you believe that we are half way through the year? If you are like me and many others, you  are thinking back to the beginning of the year a lot. You are asking yourself if your plans and hopes for the year are being met. You may be kicking yourself for not reaching some of your goals or applauding yourself for some milestones you can look back on. 

I remember countless Junes when I would open my notebook back to January and want to accuse someone else of using my handwriting! I could hardly remember setting many of those goals, no matter how meaningful they seemed at the time. As I read through them, I would think about the progress and growth I might have made had they remained on my mind throughout those 6 months. 

This pattern changed a few years ago when I began reviewing my goals more regularly after going through Coach Alex Yeboah Sasu’s goal-setting framework under Sayinspires Hub. Over time, I built a habit of reflecting on them monthly, rewriting them down weekly, and reading them daily. I needed the reminders to get me to a point where they were a part of my decision-making when it came to my time. In many ways, this practice is similar to meditation. When we repeatedly bring something to mind, it begins to shape our attention, priorities, and actions. Goals that are regularly reviewed are far more likely to influence how we spend our time than goals that are written down once and forgotten.

Meditation can take words from a page into our minds so that we can put them into practice. This is why God tells us in his Word to not only hear and know it but to always speak and meditate on it. Check out this verse:

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 

Joshua 1:8 NIV

There are many practical benefits of reviewing your goals regularly, I’ll summarize some of them by the acronym READ: Remember, Encourage, Adjust and Distribute. Let’s consider each benefit together:

1. R - Remember:

It is easy to forget information that we do not regularly use. Even when we retain it, it rarely remains at the forefront of our minds unless we intentionally bring it back to our attention. In a world full of distractions and competing priorities, countless things are constantly demanding our focus. That is why it is so important to keep reminding ourselves of our goals.

Remembering our goals also holds us accountable to the person we want to become. As we move through each day, we are reminded of why we set those goals in the first place and what we hope to achieve through them. By repeatedly bringing them to mind, we increase the likelihood that they will shape our choices, habits, and priorities.

Goals cannot guide actions if they are forgotten. The goals we remember are the goals we pursue, and the goals we pursue are the goals we are most likely to achieve.

2. E - Encourage:

As I have continued to review my goals, I have been encouraged in two main ways: by keeping the potential fruit of my consistency in view and by recognizing how far I have already come. Especially in the early stages, when results seem distant, it can be difficult to stay motivated. Keeping the end goal before you provides the motivation needed to keep climbing the hill.

Growth often feels invisible in the moment. Day by day, progress can appear small and insignificant. However, when we take time to look back, we begin to see the cumulative impact of our faithful efforts. We notice habits that have been formed, skills that have been developed, and milestones that have been reached. Goal review provides tangible evidence that our efforts are making a difference, encouraging us to persevere and keep moving forward.

3. A - Adjust:

As you review your goals, you may discover that some of them no longer fit your current season of life. A goal that seemed realistic in January may feel overwhelming by June. Life changes. Responsibilities shift. New opportunities emerge. As we grow, our understanding of ourselves, our limitations, and our priorities also grows.

A goal should support your growth, not become a burden that discourages you. Regular review gives you the opportunity to make wise adjustments without abandoning the purpose behind the goal. Perhaps you reduce the frequency of an activity, modify your approach, or pursue the same objective through a different method. The destination may remain the same even when the route changes.

Adjusting a goal is not an admission of failure. Rather, it is often evidence of maturity and wisdom. By remaining flexible and realistic, we position ourselves to continue making progress instead of becoming discouraged and giving up altogether.

4. D - Distribute

Most of us naturally invest our time in the areas of life that already receive our attention. Without intentional review, it is easy to overdevelop one area while neglecting others.

Goals help us pursue balanced growth. They remind us that our spiritual, mental, physical and social lives all matter. Reviewing our goals allows us to distribute our time and energy intentionally rather than reactively. It helps us become well-rounded people instead of successful in one area and depleted in another, just as Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, in favor with God and in favor with man (Luke 2:52).

As you think about the rest of the year, a few minutes each day, week, or month spent revisiting your goals can have a profound impact on where you end up by year's end. So pull out that notebook, open that document, or revisit those plans you made in January. Remember them. Be encouraged by your progress. Adjust where necessary. Distribute your attention wisely.

And whether you set formal goals or not, remember the power of meditation. What consistently occupies your mind will eventually influence your actions, and your actions will shape the direction of your life.