Real Me, Right Now: setting goals

This is the fourth post in my current series on vulnerability; if you missed earlier posts and are in the mood for some heavy or just some real, you can catch the series introduction here, or follow along with the previous posts, which follow after it in February with the same hashtag.

Since last time ended up being a giant *splat* of lots of things, this one will be a transition post, as we move forward in self-assessment, both struggles and gifts.

#RealMeRightNow

Last time I wrote, I shared about coming out of the storm, of waiting with hope, and asking God to speak truth over me.  To show me the way forward, to speak into my emptiness, and to remind me of who I am all over again.  And that was and is true and good, and where I am: still waiting.

My tendency, with my loving (please read sarcasm) to emote-ness, once the "crisis" has passed with all its unsettling emotiveness and chaos, is to also let the urgency of pressing in and moving forward pass.  And thus my task is always to press in.  To continue to actively and interactively wait in a place of expectation and hope,  to build a foundation and begin to move forward, rather than to settle for mediocrity and a lack of crisis in the exact same place.

As I have pressed in, this has felt like the invitation:

"To set reasonable goals" in order to faithfully "Use the gifts that I have already been given."
"Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up."
Say to the Lord, "I am your servant, may it be with me, as you have said."
"In community, with dependence on friends."


//7

I am great at setting lofty goals.  Truly excellent at setting goals for other people, in particular my best friends and my husband. No sweat, whatsoever. Not so good at setting reasonable or healthy goals for myself.  Mine are typically too big, too small, or not realistic for my context or season in life.  I am not so great at setting goals that are not self-serving or self-aggrandizing.  And definitely not good at walking the long, slow walk of following through with life-changing, core-shifting, big-enough-to-be-goals, servant-hearted goals.  And I really have no idea how to do that in a holy, healthy, and God-honoring, God-partnering way.

But that feels like the invitation for now.

I've asked some of my closest friends to pray through this with me, to help me set reasonable goals - knowing me and knowing my strengths, knowing what gives life to my soul, and what I can offer that brings life to others as well.  Given them permission to speak truth to me, and to listen to God on my behalf.  And I'm pressing in as well, seeking, for the first time in a long-time, to set healthy, non-new-years-resolution-ish goals.

I have no idea how to do that.

And this feels weird to say in a blog-y setting, but, what the heck, we're taking risks, right? Moving forward in vulnerability?  So here we go:

If, as you read along, as I share some of my strengths, you prayerfully feel like there's a place where I should press in or focus a "reasonable goal" - please tell me.  I'd love to receive that (with grace and discernment) from you as well.

- KD