Goals, dreams and a book by Stephen Covey

I have been excited about the book I am reading right now. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey has been a popular book since it was written when I was six years old. It has a lot to do with prioritizing and looking to your future. It is easy to live from day to day without planning what is supposed to happen in our future. Most of us do not even think about our future, much less try to change it.

What do you want to do with your life? What will be in your eulogy? What can you accomplish with your life? It is easy to get married, have kids, and just think about surviving from paycheck to paycheck; but highly effective people will have a plan. So how do you reach those high aspirations?

First, you must decide that you want to be proactive about your life. You want to change what you can change. You want to make a difference. You decide to chase your dream (that the Dream-giver gave you- in case you wanted to hear from a different book as well). Decide you will take the necessary steps and be disciplined enough to go for it.

Then start with the end in mind. What will these goals look like in the end and what are the necessary steps to reaching those goals.

Then put those goals into your calendar or schedule. Each week should include steps in your schedule that will help you attain these goals. If you do not prioritize them into your week, then you will be too busy to work on the important tasks and settle for the non-important urgent tasks.

Personally speaking, I have some main goals I would like to accomplish in life that are very long-term goals. One has to do with church planting. We would love to plant multiple churches and be involved in a big church planting network; (specifically at this point in Northeast Brazil). I would also love to be part of an innovative means to multiplying our missions dollars. Both are lofty goals, but I can start dreaming and being proactive about reaching these goals.

What about you? What are your dreams and what goals do they involve? Are you just dreaming about them or are you taking action towards reaching them?