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Last year I wrote about setting goals and the whole bit about the goals being SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Trackable. I have begun to notice that goals are pretty important and it is even more important to watch yourself when you set your mind to achieving goals. Let me tell you about this couple I know and then maybe it may make sense as to what I am trying to say.

I have known this couple not for very long but in the course of our meeting them at their house and in the conversations I came to know that they are very goal oriented and a very focused couple. They have on their refrigerator a photograph of a vehicle that they want to own, a photograph of a vacation spot and some other visual reminders of their goals. You may have read somewhere, and I do believe that there is some truth in it, that visual reminders of your goals, have a powerful impact on your achieving them. Anyway, so these guys are obviously very focussed and all that but I noticed - they have no life. Husband and wife leave early in the morning for work and then do not return until very late because they have a second job that they are working at in order to make the money to achieve their goals. So much so that they do not have time to look after their house. Their children are left alone without adult supervision and more importantly without the loving influence of a parent!!

So herein lies an important component of goal keeping - do not sacrifice the quality of life. If you end up owning the SUV and manage to get everything and in the meantime you have no time to enjoy what the Lord has blessed you with - there is something very wrong. Only you can do the cost benefit analysis for your life. Do you know people who would miss church to rest so that they can work during the week?? Hmmmmm … something is wrong with the priorities here. Well, before I go on and judge others I do need to take a look at my life and align it with God based values.

So go ahead, set your goals and goal setting is very important and useful. Do not lose sight of what is important in the sight of God. Recently we went to see a Financial Advisor, well we want to make sound investments and want to retire as millionaires just like anybody else . Before we went to see him we decided that we were not going to give up the 10% tithe to God no matter what the Financial Advisor told us. Its not that we are very Holy people, we are very ordinary people trying to live a life pleasing to God and we put our foot down on tithing and it is a value we want to uphold. This is just an example - take a look at your values, what is it that makes you happy - Is it God centred?? Remember God’s word says - what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul in the bargain.

All the best with your goals in 2007!! �