If I’m honest, setting goals makes me sweaty.

After all, I’m a 7 on the Enneagram, which means I prefer spontaneity and fun over restrictions and thinking through details. #sendhelp

So me and goals haven’t been BFF’s.

That is until five years ago during a conference where the speaker had us walk through setting goals during the session. We all left with 5 smart goals we would accomplish in the next 90 days.

And guess what? I did. And so did my husband.

It’s not difficult if you set smart goals. And it’s important to take time to consider what you want the next 90 days (or longer) to look like so that you can make a plan to make it happen. Otherwise, it likely…won’t.

So although setting goals makes me sweaty, it’s worth it. 

Take 5 minutes to sit down with a pen and paper and set some SIMPLE, smart goals.

1. Choose the areas of your life you’d like to set goals in, such as: personal health, marriage, spiritual growth, or personal development.

2. Under each area (even one area is great), write out how you’d like to grow. No need to be specific yet, just generally speaking. Spending more time together, for example, is what I wrote down as a goal for our marriage.

3. Take each of those and make them S.M.A.R.T. To make sure your goals are clear and reachable, each one should be:

Specific (simple, sensible).

Measurable (meaningful, numerically driven).

Achievable (attainable).

Relevant (realistic, results-based).

Time bound (time-based, time-sensitive).

For example, I turned my goal of spending more time with my husband into: Starting now, my husband and I will schedule at minimum one date without other couples (just us) each month for a minimum of 3 hours/date.

4. Share your goals with your husband or a close friend, and post your goals up where you’ll see them often and be reminded of them – because we all know it’s exciting at first, until, it’s not. “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” – Jim Rohn

The most important thing isn’t what you write down, it’s that you have a plan to work toward. 

Wife Step: Head over to our A Wife Like Me Gathering group and share your goals with us!

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Amanda Davison is the wife to a Minnesota farmer, mother of three, and President of the nonprofit, A Wife Like Me. She is the co-author of Dear Wife: 10 Minute Invitations to Practice Connection with Your Husband, speaker, and serves on staff at her local church, where she and her husband lead the marriage mentor team. Former psychology professor, Amanda is now relentlessly sharing how her education in counseling and God’s word changed her life and marriage. You can be a part of the growing community of wives on Facebook or Instagram, and can find many helpful resources for your marriage at A Wife Like Me.