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Communicating SMART Goals

             Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”  I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. (Nehemiah 2:17-18)

 

At last, At last! Nehemiah tells the Jewish nobles and leaders what he has planned, and what he has done so far toward his goal. Unfortunately, today’s passage presents the material in true “minutes” form, not giving us the details of the announcement or of the conversation that followed. I would have liked for him to introduce the architect(s) and engineer(s) for the project and the details of the plan. Of course, I wouldn’t want it word for word, because architects and engineers might take hours to explain a project in which they have n emotional investment, but somewhere between a verbatim and this executive summary would be nice.

Some goals are too big to handle on our own. Even if we are doing them solo, there may come a time in our pursuit of goals may require that we involve others. Whether our pursuit of goals is solo or corporate, it’s wise for us to learn to express them clearly. Some time ago someone developed the acronym “SMART” for goals. They suggest that we need to make them

Specific

Measurable

Action-Oriented

Realistic

Timely.

I have to admit, this is where I’m struggling this year. Sometimes, it’s easy.  “I will lose 60 lbs. (5 lbs./month.) The goal could even include the plan of how this is going to be accomplished. But when the goal isn’t SMART – when it is a relationship goal, things become more of a challenge. How does one measure seeing God differently? Or what action steps can help one have a stronger marriage? No matter what  your goals are, the more you can make them specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and timely, the easier time you’ll have communicating it and achieving it.

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