Four Ways to Keep Goals

Posted by Chris Gallagher on Dec 1, 2011 in Leadership | 0 comments

As the new year is closing in very fast, many are beginning to set goals for 2012. Some will continue to work through their goals throughout the year and others will struggle within a few weeks after 2012 has begun. With these thoughts in mine I want to share with you a few tips on “Four Ways to Keep Goals.”

Anyone can make a goal, but to continue traveling the road of success we have to keep those goals. Constantly having those goals in front of use and working towards them will create a powerful year and long-lasting success!

“People with goals succeed because they know where they are going… It’s as simple as that.” – Zig Ziglar

Four Ways to Keep Goals

1. Write them down!

• Make your goals visual goals. Stop placing your goals in a desk drawer and frame them on your desk. Your goals need to be seen and realized each day.  The often quoted “Author Unknown” once said, “Write it down. Written goals have a way of transforming wishes into wants; cant’s into cans; dreams into plans; and plans into reality. Don’t just think it – ink it!”
• If you have not written any goals for the upcoming year, take time this evening and begin writing your goals for the upcoming year.. Remember the foundation of long term goals is short term goals.

2. Share your goals!

• Sharing your goals with others holds you accountable to your goals. Simply writing down your goals and hiding them in a desk drawer holds no one accountable. When you share your dreams and goals with others, they will remind of your goals. Many times they will find your goals interesting enough to ask you about them when they see you.
• If someone has shared their goals with you, why not ask them about them and assist them whenever possible?

3.  Talk about your goals – to yourself!

• Ask yourself each day, “Is what I am doing today making progress towards my goal?” or “What am I able to do today to make progress towards my goal?” Be sure you do at least one thing a day in progress towards your goal.

4. Let go of the peanuts!

• I am sure there are things we do which each of us needs to let go. Allow me to share a paragraph from Dan Miller’s book, “Rudder of the Day”,
  • “Now let me tell you how to catch monkeys in Africa. The natives take a coconut and cut one end off to make a small hole just large enough for a monkey’s hand to enter. The other end of the coconut is attached to a long rope. They then carve out the inside of the coconut and put a few peanuts inside. They place the coconut in a clearing and hide in the trees with the end of the rope. The monkeys come around, smell the peanuts and reach inside to grab a fistful. But now, with a fistful, their hand is too large to retract through the small hole. Then the natives yank on the cord and haul that silly monkey to captivity because the monkey will not let go of those few lousy peanuts he though he wanted.” (Rudder of the Day by Dan Miller, page 70)
• What are the peanuts holding you back?

Just some thoughts,

Why Goals Fail

Posted by Chris Gallagher on Nov 30, 2011 in Leadership, Random | 1 comment

2012 is right around the corner and procrastinators are still planning to develop goals on 11:59 pm on the night of December 31st! Some will wait and ring in the New Year then develop goals on a whim and wonder why they failed.

• People set goals to fill time instead of filling a purpose – Many set goals as they schedule their week. They look to fill the time instead of working towards the purpose set before them. Goals should be set with the end in mine. Personally, I plan my goals by looking toward the future. I look as far as 20 years from now (I will be 57 years old) and work backward. I plan using a 20-10-5-1 philosophy (see an example below) I plan this way to get an overall pictures of the future. I like to think of it as “Living Life backwards.”
  • Where do I want to be in 20 years?
  • Where do I want to be in 10 years?
  • Where do I want to be in 5 years?
  • Where do I want to be in 1 year?
  • What am I doing about those goals today?

• People set goals based on someone else’s expectations – Some will set goals based on what others think they should do. There are many people who have lived their life because someone else thought they needed a certain career. For instance, I know people who were told they should be engineers and they are, but everyday the hate their job. They are only there because someone else said it would be good for them. Are the goals you are setting for yourself, your goals?

• People set goals not based according to their abilities – Your abilities are yours for a reason. People set goals which are not in line with their abilities as a person of purpose. Many seek to be a “jack-of-all-trades” and turn out to be a “master-of-none.” Discovering your top three abilities is powerful in achieving your purpose in life. As you discover your abilities, you will blend those abilities into your daily life and powerful things begin to happen. Take time to examine your goals according to your abilities and see great things take place.
  • Examine your abilities and find your top three abilities.
    • Ask others  what they would classify as your top three abilities.
    • Focus 80% of your time on your top three abilities.
    • Use your abilities to serve someone else.

Take a look at your goals again; are they your goals?

Just some thoughts,

See Your Life Backwards!

Posted by Chris Gallagher on Nov 23, 2011 in Christian Living, Leadership | 0 comments

Golf is not my sport! I have tried and tried but my golf shot looks more like an Australian Boomerang than it does a golf shot. Several years ago, while surfing the pages of Golf Digest, I happened upon a fascinating article on golfing better by playing each hole backwards. The article was simple, before taking the first swing, picture where each shot should be from the hole backwards. Instead of planning to crush each ball as hard as you can, seek out where you want to be at the end of the hole and work backwards. 

Sounds weird, right? Well, consider the notion that you begin working from the hole to a two foot putt, to missing the sand trap, to a 50 yard pitching wedge and so on. You begin drawing a picture from your goal to your present state instead of your present state to the goal.  Viewing your life backwards enables you do to several things:

• You Begin Each Shot with the Goal in Mind! – You should begin each day with your goal in mind. Ask yourself each day “is what I am doing now going to help me reach my goal?” If you cannot answer in the affirmative, you might need to change direction.
• You Create Small Goals of Achievement! – Each step you create as you look from the goal backwards provides you with goal setting along the way. You are creating greater goals because you are starting from the finish. (You can call it pacing yourself.)
• You Examine Obstacles at the Beginning – As a golfer would see sand traps, water hazards and other obstacles, you will be able to view some of the hazards you will need to achieve. Remember you will not see everyone, but you will see some to plan for from the beginning.
• You Personalize Your Dream – Looking at the place where you wish to be in 20 years and panning to steps to get there, make it a powerful reality and it becomes something you want to share with those around you.

So, where will you be in 20 years? I know where I want to be. If you want to know, feel free to call me on my office line and I will tell you.

Positive Thoughts:

• “We don’t change the message, the message changes us.” (Unknown)
• “To be happy, make other people happy.” (W. Clement Stone)
• “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” (Walt Disney)

Just some thoughts,

Antagonists in the Church: Book Review

Posted by Chris Gallagher on Oct 17, 2011 in Book Review, Leadership, Ministry | 0 comments

If you are a minister, read it!

If you are a church leader, read it!

Every now and then you read one book and wish you would have read it years ago. This was one of those books for me. I wish this topic was a class taught during my years studying ministry at Freed-Hardeman University.

The topics of antagonists in the church did not end with the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes of Jesus day, but they continue to exist in the church today. As antagonists have reeked havoc in the past, they will continue to reek havoc until church leaders recognize them and deal with them.

Dr. Kenneth C. Haugk goes through the process of identifying an antagonist and the characteristics the antagonist will possess. The chapters of the book will not only reveal the characteristics and patterns of antagonists, but it will also discusses how to prevent and deal with antagonists in the church.

I highly recommend “Antagonists in the Church”  to ministers and church leaders. If you are currently dealing with conflict in your ministry, order “Antagonists in the Church” and read it before taking your next step.

You can order the book at the link below using my affiliate link and assist in supporting the Preacher’s Pen.

Just some thoughts,

*The post above contains an affiliate link for Amazon. A percentage of the purchase price (4% to 6%)  goes towards my affiliate account.

How Should the Church Handle Unemployment?

Posted by Chris Gallagher on Sep 22, 2011 in Christian Living, Church Growth, Leadership | 0 comments

“If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” 

(1 Corinthians 12.26-27; ESV)

Our nation is currently holding a 9.1% percent unemployment rate. In addition, there were 0 jobs created in August. (statistic link here) The current jobs bill presented by President Obama is going to be a scandalous and political brick only to weigh down the current job struggles of individuals and families.

In the midst of an unstable economy, how are churches supposed to handle unemployment?

This topic is not an easy one to handle because it becomes highly personal. Many see the money they earn as theirs and no one else’s; whether the government, the church or anyone else. Discussing the distribution of money is a dangerous topic for a minister because is hits at the heart.  With the heart in mind, consider the words of Jesus in the sermon on the mount:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

(Matthew 6.19-21; ESV)

The unemployment rate (9.1%) is not just a secular issue to be discussed, but it is a church issue to be acted upon. Church members work in the world and they suffer the same unemployment as those outside of the church. This issue is not something to consider small, but might grow larger over the plight of an unstable economy.

How Should the Church Handle Unemployment?

• Stop Depending (wholly) on the Government – The government is not the dependence of Christians. As many of us know, there is a benefit to being a citizen of the United States, but there are great benefits of being a member of the Lord’s body. We are citizens of a higher country, a country greater than anything this world has to offer. (Philippians 3.20; ESV).

• Prayer – The church needs to be praying before crisis hits our members not just after the crisis has reeked havoc. Christians are to look to God by prayer and supplication in everything (Philippians 4.6; ESV). Realizing that God is truly (not slightly) in control of one’s life, changes the current outlook to one of hope even in the midst of trial. See Hebrews 11 and Romans 8. Let God be your strength in time of trouble (Psalm 28.8, 9; ESV).

• Fast – Fasting has become a religious trend, but it is more than a fad, it is a Biblical lifestyle. I believe Jesus expected his disciples to fast. See Matthew 6.16 where Jesus uses the words “when you fast…” It seems like he is providing an expectation of a lifestyle. Fasting is a action to be encompasses with prayer and focusing on the providence and workings of God. A person who fasts is practicing a spiritual discipline which creates a dependence on God.

• Be a Liberal! – Yes, we need more liberal Christians – liberal giving Christians! (2 Corinthians 8.1-4) The Christians in Macedonia knew their was a concern and they took action on the issue. They stopped talking about the problem and they reached beyond their ability to create an overflow of generosity (2 Corinthians 8.2; ESV). Some of our brothers and sisters in Christ are struggling with making house payments, bill payments and other payments because they have lost their jobs. It is time for the members of the church to reach into their pockets and support those who are in need. There are countless examples of the early church reaching to help!

• Realize You’re a Family – Paul writes of the power of the Christian family in 1 Corinthians 12.12-31; ESV. Give an ear to Paul describing the support of having a spiritual family and the bond a Christian family possesses. This bond is one when “one member suffers, all suffer; when one member is honored, all rejoice.” (1 Corinthians 12.26; ESV) In this regard, let use begin united suffering and united rejoicing!

What are your thoughts regarding how the church should handle unemployment?

Just my thoughts,

Leadership Powerpoints

Posted by Chris Gallagher on Mar 31, 2011 in Leadership | 0 comments

“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” (John Maxwell)

Below are a few lessons recently presented on leadership. These lessons/powerpoints were part of a series on the eldership of the church. Each church needs qualified leaders to bring the church into a strong fellowship with God and man.

My personal statement on elders:

“The church needs qualified leaders to bring the church out of its infancy and into maturity, so with everyone working together, the body of Christ grows in closeness to God and fellowship with each other.”

Enjoy the powerpoints below and let me know what you think.

Just some thoughts,

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