How To Set Up a 1-PAGE GOALS SHEET: Step 1

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Wouldn’t it be great if you could put everything you’re aiming for on one page! To have a tool that is short, concise, and condensed to help live each day successfully. Instantly accessible. Something to carry on your device wherever you go, or to print and keep a visible copy at your desk. How about a 1-page goals sheet to help you aim for your best!

I’m delighted to tell you – this tool exists. And it works. I have been using a 1-Page Goals Sheet for decades, and it’s helped me focus and grow. Now I’d like to share this tool with you.

Don’t Waste Your Life – Not Even A Day

January is the time people often think about their life purpose and goals. They may re-visit regrets or dreams they once had.

I’m guessing you want to live with purpose and not waste your life. Because life is challenging, feeling overwhelmed is common. God allows life to stretch you, but He intends to kindle hope and walk closely with you. God gives wisdom, counsel, and power to help you aim for fresh beginnings.

You need a plan with practical action steps to keep from floundering.

  • A 1-Page Goals Sheet helps you live with purpose.
  • It’s a personal development and self-accountability resource to help you be your best.
  • This tools helps you track your progress as a healthy, balanced individual.

 

How God Made You

God planted things in your heart when He created your unique design, personality, skill sets, and abilities. He wants you to have a year of forward momentum. And He wants to help you live a life that is simple, flexible, focused, effective, and free. God wants your life to have impact on others.

There is only one way to do this well. Put God first in everything. Ask Him for wisdom. He promises to give it to you. (Js. 1:5-7)

It’s Not As Hard As It Seems

To start, explore and brainstorm. Get ideas inside you to the outside. Think yourself onto paper (or electronic file). Each step has links to worksheets to illustrate.

Don’t let this 1-page exercise be overwhelming. Invite God to guide you. Let hope rise with each step. Reclaim managing your life.

It is never too late to set goals.

Setting Up a 1-Page Goals Sheet

Now let’s set up your goals sheet.

HEADS-UP: It’s not complicated, but steps are laid out in detail so you can see exact steps.

See an Example of a 1-Page Goals Sheet

Before we begin, here’s an example of a 1-Page Goals Sheet. (Sections have been blurred until we develop them.)

Simple Questions

Start with simple questions:

  • Have you developed goals for the New Year?
  • Have you thought about a life theme for this year?
  • Did you identify areas you need to grow or develop?
  • Do you have reasonable, measurable objectives to help you get traction?

 

Think Yourself Onto Paper

 

ESTABLISH BASICS

If you are a pen and paper person, start jotting. If you are a computer or ipad kind of person, pull up a doc and start typing. Most of what you write at this step will not go on your Goals Sheet. Use the 4 concepts below to develop thoughts. Just start writing to prime your pump. Once you start, you will be surprised at how much comes out.

 

Downloadable Blank Worksheet

Here is a downloadable blank worksheet you can fill out on your device or print and fill out by hand. You will use this worksheet through all the steps. (Download, save first, then interact with and fill in the form, then save again to prevent losing your work.)

To manage your life, you must establish 4 Basics:

  1. Approach – How you approach a new year “makes or breaks” daily living. What has your approach been?
  2. Perspective – This sets the tone for everything. Attitudes, thoughts, dreams, hopes, experiences, etc. What’s your perspective?
  3. Priorities – Your priorities determine how you spend resources, especially time. Have you identified your life priorities?
  4. A Plan – A plan keeps all the moving parts working properly. It needs to be clear, yet flexible. Achievable and measurable. Do you have a plan?

 

Example Sheet

Click on the worksheet below (ESTABLISH BASICS) to see an example of a person interacting with these 4 Basics.

ESTABLISH BASICS with 4 concepts:
  1. Approach I have been down on myself – negative. I want to change. Since I’ve never done this before, I choose to be a learner. I will aim for basics and keep my ideas simple. Since I can’t fix everything at once, I will be realistic. I invite Jesus to help me.
  2. Perspective My tone has been angry. I’m grumpy, irritable, and tired. Going forward, I choose to be positive, honest, and humble. My life has not gone well. I’m trusting God to renew hope. Even if I feel awkward or fake while getting traction, I will not quit.
  3. Priorities I will sort by big/important, small/less important, and not important. For example, my relationship with God, my job, family, property care, and personal development will get preference. Extra-curricular and free time will get next preference. Lesser things will get much less preference. I will use Scripture to set priorities. My goal is to please God.
  4. Plan This plan needs to be super simple since I don’t know what I’m doing. If something isn’t practical, I’m going to throw it out. My plan needs to be realistic and flexible with small action steps I can carry out. It needs to fit on 1 page when I’m done.

Now it’s your turn to interact with these 4 Basics by using the downloadable worksheet link above.

ASK GOOD QUESTIONS

Next step, ask yourself these kinds of questions to help identify where you want to make progress. You may have additional questions.

  • What is on your mind these days?
  • What is broken that you’d like to fix?
  • Specifically, what do you need to work on?
  • Have you identified hopes in your heart?
  • What do you want to accomplish? Change?
  • How . . . . .
  • When . . . .
  • Why . . . .

 

Here’s an example worksheet (ASK GOOD QUESTIONS) to see how to use good questions to get good answers.

Example Sheet
ASK GOOD QUESTIONS and record your answers:
  • What is on my mind these days? I’ve been so sad and disappointed. And I’m angry. I can’t seem to stay in a good place. I want to succeed and have more discipline.
  • What is broken that I’d like to fix? Besides everything? Well, my quiet time with God. My finances, relationships, professional skills, and personal communication skills. My health. Overweight. Plus, my house is a wreck.
  • What do I need to work on? I’d like to fix it all, but that is overwhelming. I want to target my relationship with God, with family and close friends, and my skills – professional and personal. And I suppose I need to be healthier.
  • What hopes are inside my heart? Because Scripture says so, I choose to believe my life has value. I want to please God, to be more disciplined, to have better friends. And I want to lose weight. I also want to be proud of my choices.
  • What do I hope to accomplish? Change? My attitudes, lack of discipline, proud and negative outlook. Underneath, I actually feel “less than.” Then there’s loneliness, quickness to anger, and lazy habits.
  • How . . . How will I implement the plan I come up with? First, I need God’s help. I’ll ask for it. Second, My plan should be where I see it. I will refer to it and implement action steps.
  • When . . . When I hear condemning voices in my head, I won’t listen. Instead, I’ll throw those thoughts in the trash can outside my head . . . and SLAM the lid! In place of those thoughts, I will claim a Scripture to meditate on.
  • Why . . . Why am I stuck? I’ve been spinning my wheels for years. Yet, I want to serve God and others better. I want to stop being angry. So, I’ll confront myself, keep working, and not quit. I will explore why I believe I’m not good enough, afraid, and sad.

Now that you’ve seen an example, write your questions and answers on your downloadable worksheet.

SHORT LIST FOR YOUR GOALS SHEET

Review your brainstorming on your worksheet to this point. Highlight, circle, or underline main ideas you want to address. Use these main ideas to develop a short list of areas you will work on this year.

Check out the example worksheet. (SHORT LIST)

Example Sheet
SHORT LIST FOR YOUR GOALS SHEET:

Since I can only focus on a few things and I feel unsure, I will focus on 4 areas for now:

  • My relationship with God – to grow closer.
  • Relationships with family and close friends.
  • Professional and personal skills sets and communication.
  • My health – I need to lose 15 pounds, exercise regularly, and lose the potato chips.

This short list goes on your Goals Sheet. But it will go further down on the 1-page document. So wait till I tell you to do this. For now, just write out your short list on the worksheet.

THEME

Take a step back and look at everything you’ve written. Notice common themes. What ideas stands out? How can you funnel this into 3 – 4 words to become your theme for this year?

Here are a couple of examples to help you see how to choose a theme:

Example 1: if you are lonely – or just had a loss – or you don’t know what is going on with your friends – maybe choose a theme like “Comforter and Friend.” Repeat that phrase in your mind as you navigate circumstances this year. It helps you regain balance. Jesus is your Comforter and Friend.

Example 2: Perhaps people place expectations on you. You hear many voices telling you what to do. Your own voice – and God’s voice – gets lost in the noise. So, choose a theme like – “His Voice Only.”

Example 3: You may have suffered great losses and feel discouraged. You may need to focus on the JOY God promises to His children.

Look at the example worksheet (THEME) to see a theme developed and selected.

Example Sheet
THEME:

As I look at everything I’ve written, I notice I’m scared, sad, angry. Yet, I want to change. I feel out of control and have a negative outlook. So, I’ll change my approach, perspective, priorities, and plan. My theme for this year will be: NO FEAR; MORE CHEER.

Now it’s your turn. Choose a theme for this year by putting your thoughts into a short phrase. Your theme is the first item you actually enter on your 1-page document. 

Now let’s begin creating your Goals Sheet for this year.

Create Your 1-Page Goals Sheet

From this point forward, we will move back and forth between the downloadable blank worksheet (above in ESTABLISH BASICS) and this downloadable template of the 1-Page Goals Sheet. (Download, save first, then interact with and fill in the form, then save again to prevent losing your work.)

The Goals Sheet will become your final product, but continue to use the worksheet to formulate and organize ideas. Then transfer your work to the Goals Sheet template.

 

NOW BEGIN!

First, place the year and your theme at the top of your Goals Sheet. Repeat your theme daily, pray it, and apply it to your life by faith.

VERSE(S)

God’s Word is powerful. So, it’s time to claim at least one verse. First, ask the Lord to give you Scripture to carry out your theme. Brainstorm with your new approach, perspective, priorities, and developing plan. Now use your worksheet to jot possible verses.

Look at the example worksheet (VERSES) to see the development of a verse to claim.

Example Sheet
VERSE(S):

To reinforce my theme this year, I’ll claim 2 verses to hang my action steps on. And I commit to DO what these verses tell me – by faith:

“Do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Is. 41:10) “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4) (NO FEAR; MORE CHEER!)

Now, you select. From verses you considered, choose at least 1 to claim.  This is the second thing you add to your 1-Page Goals Sheet. Repeat this verse daily. Ask God to build the verse(s) into your life.

PERSPECTIVE

On your worksheet near the top, you addressed 4 basics: approach, perspective, priorities, and plan.  Read what you wrote for perspective. Pray over what your perspective should be according to Scripture. Sometimes, it will be almost opposite of what you wrote when you first identified your current perspective on the worksheet.

Then, read the worksheet example of developing a new / better outlook. (PERSPECTIVE)

Example Sheet
PERSPECTIVE:

To combat my current unhelpful perspective, I commit to the statement below, no matter how fake I feel. I will focus on God’s loving Lordship as I choose this perspective to combat my current unsuccessful perspective:

I believe God has created me to do “good works, which He prepared in advance for me to do.” (Eph. 2:10) Because this is true, I will intentionally partner with God to be positive, honest, and humble.

Now write a perspective for yourself. – Perspective is the third thing that goes on your Goals Sheet. This is the only one of the 4 Basics that goes on your Goals Sheet. Perspective affects everything.

PRAYER

With all these ideas you’ve developed, it’s time to develop a prayer that expresses your heart. Hold yourself to high standards and reverence as you direct your statements to God. Speak positively in faith. Yet be honest, transparent, and submissive.

For an example of a prayer, click on this worksheet. (PRAYER)

Example Sheet
PRAYER:

Jesus, as life continues to present challenges, I need Your love and wisdom. I need Your perspective. To have these, I must be close to You. So, I’m saying I want you more than anything. Draw me close. I’m filled with fear, and I’m sad. I lack confidence. You’ve promised to help me. So, I’m accepting Your offer. Thank you, Jesus. (Pray your prayer often this year.)

This is the fourth item for your document. Enter your prayer on your Goals Sheet template.

You’re Half-Way Done!

By now you’ve done about 1/2 the work. The next article will finish your 1-Page Goals Sheet with Step 2.

Take this week to pray over what you developed today. Ask God to prepare you for Step 2 so you can finish your 1-Page Goals Sheet.

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