Throughout life we need to set goals to accomplish the things we want to do. As children some of our goals may have been to get good grades or to do better at a certain sport. The goal for good grades might be to jump from a B to an A in a class, which would take dedicated study time and improved grades on individual assignments, quizzes and tests to achieve. In swimming, a big goal is to go faster, setting a goal time that you want to hit. You can achieve this through practice and meeting smaller benchmarks that ultimately lead to your goal time.
This is the ideal way to reach a goal. Other times as kids, and even more so as adults, we may find ourselves setting goals that are unrealistic and unattainable. For example, someone wanting to lose weight attempts to lose over 100 pounds in the first two months, or a student who is failing a class hopes to bring their grade up to an A. While these goals can be achieved in a longer time frame, they more than likely result in short-term failure.
The first set of goals is realistic and done in a thoughtful way, while the second set of goals is unrealistic and vague. The first set of goals are considered S.M.A.R.T goals, while the second are known as V.A.P.I.D. goals. S.M.A.R.T goals are Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Time-defined. V.A.P.I.D goals are Vague, Amorphous, Pie in the sky, Irrelevant, and Delayed. While initially it may not seem like you will achieve as much with S.M.A.R.T. goals as you might with V.A.P.I.D goals, it is better to make small realistic progress instead of no progress at all.
While goals are frequently used in academics, sports, business and everyday life, we can also set goals for our spiritual lives. It is crucial that we approach our spiritual lives with S.M.A.R.T. goals instead of V.A.P.I.D goals because heaven is a mark we don’t want to miss! Not sure where to start? Following are some examples of S.M.A.R.T goals you could set for your spiritual life, with corresponding resources to inspire you.
Read a catholic book every two weeks:
If you’re looking for a new book to read, check out one of these best Catholic books of all time: http://brandonvogt.com/best-catholic-books-of-all-time/.
Pray the rosary daily:
Encounter Christ through the Rosary with Edward Sri's engaging talk! https://formed.org/listen/56ba023c084df3e40bdf0b8f?search_id=dae480b6-ef53-4192-a13a-d72a51abaf2c The Rosary is more than an old repetitive prayer. It's a powerful devotion that can transform hearts. Not registered for FORMED? Click the link above, follow the prompts and enter code CC34WV.
Go to confession once a month:
This week confession is offered at 10 am Saturday at Our Lady of the Rosary. Please visit http://dynacal.com/wwpr/ for subsequent dates in our region.
Read the Bible in one year:
Visit http://www.piercedhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/One-Year-Bible.pdf for a daily reading plan.
Read the Bible in 9 days:
We need you to join us for the Bible Reading Novena on November 4-12 at St. James of the Valley Church. Listen and pray with us as we read the Bible from 8 AM to 8 PM each day. Visit the NOVENA tab on this site for more information.
Matthew 18:20
20 For wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there am I, in their midst.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you——plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.” Plan for your ultimate goal of heaven by setting a S.M.A.R.T. spiritual goal today! |
