Goals

I spoke at the Achievement Day Girl's Conference this weekend about setting goals and aiming high. After a few words on free agency and using the little time we have on this earth to do something with our lives . . .I asked volunteers to come up and shoot a basket with each point I made regarding setting goals. The first girl was 20 feet away from the basket blindfolded. I explained that is what it's like trying to accomplish a goal if you haven't even decided what you want to accomplish. The next girl, was able to see the basket but was still 18 feet away. I explained that is what it is like trying to accomplish our goals without the help of our Heavenly Father. The next girl was able to try to shoot for a basket about 10 feet away, explaining when we write a goal down it means we mean business and the goal is beginning to come closer. The next volunteer was only 8 feet away when I explained we are able to really come closer to our goal when we plan and make small mini goals that help us accomplish the task at hand. Then I covered the basket with a table cloth and put the next girl 4 feet away from the basket. When our goals get hard or we become distracted, I explained this is when goals are usually abandoned, but we have to remember how close we are to the end and keep on going. Finally the final girl stood write under the basket making a perfect shot, and I explained when we have taken the steps necessary to accomplishing our goal it is almost impossible for us not to achieve it. If we only believe that we will one day be standing directly under the basket when it comes time to accomplish our goal . . . graduating from seminary, finishing university, marrying in the temple, learning to ski, studying the scriptures, overcoming a bad habit, serving in the community are all possible if we just decide, ask, write, plan, endure, and believe!

Decide what it is you want to do/be/have/give . . . big or small.
Ask, involve the Lord in your goal setting/goal accomplishing process.
Write the goal down.
Plan what we will do daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly that will bring us closer to our goal.
Endure until it is accomplished it will sometimes be hard.
Believe that this is something you can do no matter what!

A Little Lesson:
Although my Young Women's leaders might question whether I seemed to be listening at all during five years as a young women, the things they taught me year afte year about setting goals sunk deep into my heart and today I am a huge fan of setting daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. It is what keeps me going.