Have you completed your mid-year review? (Part 1 – Goals)

I start this post with a question that becomes relevant every summer. A mid-year review is supposed to provide an assessment of the year at the same time we consider the road ahead. While most will recognize this question in a corporate setting I apply it to my personal life as well.

Every year, around June and July, my family and I take a much needed vacation to the beach and unplug from the busyness of life. Over the years I’ve come to enjoy the simplest of moments as hidden blessings. Through all the running around that is my regularly scheduled life, these moments allow me to slow down and find true perspective. This is where a personal, mid-year, self-assessment starts.

For me this is a natural exercise in which I have identified three simple actions. In this first installment of a three-part series I will focus on goals and meaning.

Reviewing your Personal Goals and their Meaning

Just like setting goals is important so is reviewing the meaning of them. In the corporate setting these are easily identifiable through the lens of profitability, growth and sustainability. On the personal side it is much deeper than that. Reviewing personal goals cuts through the heart. While goals need to be realistic and feasible, personal objectives should also align with your mission in life. This is why one should ask the question: What is the true reason for my goals? For me, no one provides better perspective to this question than my better half.

The reason I enjoy a 6-hour road trip

During our yearly trip one of my wife and I’s favorite activity is the actual 6-hour road trip down to the beach. During this time our kids enjoy a movie (or two… or three) while we drive and talk about what is on our hearts and on our minds. Those moments have provided some of our most sincere and thought provoking conversations. My wife cares enough for me to cut through the selfishness and assess my goals’ true motives. There is no better way to review your personal objectives than by looking at their meaning.

Setting goals helps you stay focus through your daily journey, but doing it with a healthy heart allows for true fulfillment.

I’m inspired by the scriptures and how they help me keep my path straight. King David wrote one of my favorite chapters in Psalm 37. I believe the topic of goals and their meanings are reflected in verses 4 and 5:

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this…” 

The context of this scripture evokes righteousness and victory as a result of our commitment to the Lord. The beautiful thing about this relationship is that God is the one changing our hearts and molding our desires to His. And His desires are greater than our own life. Seeking Him allows us to better understand our place and our goals. Delighting in Him provides us perspective in setting goals that matter beyond ourselves.

Great leaders aim for meaningful and selfless goals.