Pastor Checkup: Reflecting on Your Calling and Life Balance

At any point in the year, it’s valuable to pause and assess key areas of your life: Physical, Spiritual, Social/Relational, Recreational/Fun/Relaxation, Mental/Intellectual, Financial, Environmental, and Career/Life Calling. Using a scale of 1 to 10—where one is low and ten is high—consider your current level of satisfaction in each category.

Perhaps you’ve set goals or intentions but haven’t yet taken action. Maybe you’ve made progress but haven’t achieved the desired results. Or you might even struggle to recall the goals you set initially. No matter where you are, it’s always a good time to reflect, recalibrate, and reignite your resolutions and dreams.

Make Your God-Given Dreams a Reality

Everyone has dreams and aspirations that God has given them. For some, these dreams seem hazy and undefined, while for others, they are laser-focused and highly specific. But no matter what your dreams may be, it is essential to remember that you will not achieve them by accident. God calls you to be intentional about setting and working towards your dreams and goals. Otherwise, life will happen to you, and you will end up stuck in a rut, going through the motions day after day. If you want to join the small percentage of people who live intentionally and make their God-given dreams a reality, here are three steps you can take:

First, write down your goals. This may seem like a simple task, but it is crucial to the success of your goal-setting journey. When you take the time to sit down and physically write out your goals, you are more likely to commit to them and see them through to completion. Just as importantly, writing out your goals helps you to clarify them in your mind. It is hard to achieve something if you are unsure of what you want.

Tim Hansel says, "When you write down your goals, you are putting your dreams on paper." In doing so, you are taking the first step towards making them a reality. By developing a goals program, you are investing in your future and partnering with God to accomplish His will for your life. The effort you put into creating your goals program will be repaid many times over as you see God work in and through you to accomplish His purposes.

For two or three of your lower-scoring categories, consider setting meaningful goals to boost your level of satisfaction. For instance, if your Career/Life Calling category scores low, it might reflect a sense of discontent or uncertainty about your current job. Even if your score is relatively high, you may feel God nudging you toward a new role or career path.

Reflect on what fulfills you in your work life and align your goals with those insights. Whether you pursue additional training, network in fields of interest, or explore roles that align more closely with your values, living your vocational calling means intentionally shaping how you spend your hours, days, and years. 

Second, develop a plan of action. Once you have written out your goals, it is time to start planning how you will achieve them. This step can seem daunting, but remember that there is no such thing as a perfect plan – the important thing is to get started. Break your goals down into smaller steps that you can complete regularly, and then commit to taking action every day. Even if you only make small progress each day, those small steps will add to significant results over time. This article will provide examples of how to write out priority goals and action steps.

Third, stay motivated and accountable. Goal-setting is not a one-time event – it is a lifelong journey. That means there will be days (or even weeks or months) when you feel like giving up on your goals. On those days, it is essential to have a system that will help you stay motivated and on track. This might mean enlisting the help of a friend or family member who can hold you accountable or posting regular reminders of your goals in places where you will see them daily. Whatever form it takes, staying motivated is essential to achieve your long-term objectives.

Finally, and most importantly, as Saint Augustine said, we need to pray as though everything depends on God and work as though everything depends on us. That joint partnership with God will give you the traction to achieve the goals and dreams that God has given you to steward.

What If You Don’t Know What Career Goal to Focus On?

If you are struggling with what your career goal should be, God may be calling you to take a “time out” in life and to do career planning so that you can be a wise steward of your gifts. One of the primary reasons for the Great Resignation during COVID-19 was that many people realized that they didn’t enjoy their work and were giving too much of their lives to unfulfilling work. If this is you, your priority goal may be to explore how career testing and career counseling can help you find the work God is calling you to do. You can learn more about taking the needed steps by reading Career Master Planning: How to Find Work You Love to Do. You can also schedule a free career services consultation if you would like career counseling help.

By following these steps, you can develop an intentional approach to life to help you achieve the dreams God has prompted you to fulfill. So, what are you waiting for? Get started today!

© Article copyright by Kevin Brennfleck and Kay Marie Brennfleck, ChristianCareerCenter.com, ChurchJobsOnline.com, ChristianJobFair.com, CareerFitTest.com, and LiveYourCalling.com. All rights reserved. The above information is intended for personal use only. No commercial use of this information is authorized without written permission.