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In this course you will need to decide on 1 – 3 quarterly goals that you will work towards this quarter.
The 3 goals will be in the categories “Reset”, “Repair” and “Raise”. These categories are in a hierarchy from most foundational, to more expansive:
- A “Reset” Goal deals with a foundational issue such as an important roadblock or bad habit that needs to get fixed.
- A “Repair” Goal deals with an important issue or relationship, creating stability or preventing a future possible problem.
- A “Raise” Goal is about expansion – building something out for the future.
Reset
The “Reset” goal, is where you are strengthening the foundation of your life. If you have the strength to take on a major struggle there, such as opening a new front to tackle a serious passion or addiction you are suffering with, then you does not need to take on any other goals, but simply focuses on your Reset goal.
An example of a Reset goal could be keeping a stricter fasting rule than you have done so far, taking on an expanded prayer rule, or stopping with an addiction. These kinds of goals should generally be done with the blessing of a spiritual father before approaching them.
Repair
If the Reset goal is more about keeping his current spiritual practice stable and not a new front, then the man can also consider setting a “Repair” goal. This is similar to the reset goal as in that it is dealing with a weakness or passion, but normally it will be at a more superficial level.
Examples could be working on a relationship to a spouse or family member or attention issues such as getting more on top of work prioritisation and focus.
Raise
If (and only if) both of the two goals are not too ambitious so there is still good bandwidth, then one can consider also setting a “Raise” goal. This is the kind of goal where one is looking to be more expansive and ambitious – to establish or learn something new. This could be getting married, changing career, learning a new skill, etc.
Set your goals:
In setting these goals, I would encourage you not to be too “creative”, but rather to think about:
- Reset: What are the things that you are taking to confession most regularly? Are you ready to put in a serious effort to try to deal with one of those things? What is a manageable and realistic goal to set for the quarter?
- Repair: Are there areas in your life where you notice that things are not fully on track or seem unstable? Responsibilities, personal habits or important relationships you have not been prioritising as you would like to? Again, what is a realistic goal for this quarter?
- Raise: Is there something in your life that you are certain that you need to do in the next three months that is going to take focused attention and integrity?
Alignment With Your Habit
Having done the above, then it is also worthwhile to check in with the habit you have picked in the previous exercise – does it align with one of the goals that you have set? Is there a clear direct connection as to how that habit is helping you to attain one or more of the goals you have defined here? If not, then you need to revisit the habit exercise for the coming quarter, to ensure that alignment.