Obstacles to our goals are just part of life! Call it Murphy’s Law…or fate…or just plain bad luck, obstacles are sure to hound us right after we set definite goals. Perhaps it’s an offshoot of one of the laws of motion: for every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. Being prepared for that eventuality is important. Maybe it’s due to my undergraduate degree in art, but I usually always see the positive and negative side of things simultaneously. In art, one can draw or paint a picture by focusing on and painting the negative space just as easily as doing so with the positive space. Either way, the final product is about the same. In life, however, when I mention both sides of the situation – good and bad – I am often called a pessimist. Not so! I am just determined to be prepared for the worst-case scenario in case it happens. After all, as superintendent or head of an organization, the buck stops here! So, preparation is a must!
I do not let seeing both the positive and the negative aspects stop me from setting goals. However, I am not one who sets out with long-range plans like my husband. Throughout our marriage, he has had five-year and ten-year goals as a matter of living. He has been quite successful with this long-range planning. I, on the other hand, have more of an “inspiration” type of goal-setting. If something moves me to an action or purpose, I set a goal for success and don’t stop until I reach that goal. Since I was sixteen years old, I have lived by the verse of scripture that says, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.” Since it says all things, I just never doubt that I can and will do something. Call it faith living, or whatever, I have lived that way for sixty years. I also believe that God has a plan for every life. Once you have discovered that plan, He is able to help you achieve it. Yet, I’ve heard people acquainted with me for years say, “Kay Johnson is lucky…everything she touches turns to gold.” That simply is not true. My husband and I have lived our lives working two or three jobs at a time to make ends meet…yet, we never starved. As we trusted God to guide us, He has carried out the plan beautifully. Yes, there were bumps along the way…obstacles…but I never doubted. You see, I’ve learned I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I think many people have difficulty setting goals and accomplishing them because they may not have thought through the validity of the goals they set. If you care deeply about your life work or a relationship or a project, it becomes an easy matter to wake up each morning with your mind set to accomplish a certain number of tasks toward your overall goal. Even my little first grade students come to me at various times and assure me, “I’m going to have a better day today.” My part in their goal accomplishments includes cheering them on and giving positive recognition of accomplishments toward that goal…no matter how small it may be.
On the other hand, I have known many people who have wandered throughout life being unsettled, depressed, and generally unsatisfied. Perhaps if they had set a goal or two in life, they would have had a reason for getting out of bed each day. Likewise, it is the lessons learned in accomplishing a goal that cause growth to take place in a person’s life, and with that growth comes a sense of satisfaction.
- Kay