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From the time you were a little child you were probably asked the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Although you may never have given it any thought, once asked the question, you began to dream about what it is you wanted to do when you grew up. Did you dream of becoming an astronaut, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a cowboy – maybe the President or an actor or even a professional football player? Whatever it was, you spent countless hours dreaming about it. You could play pretend and even imagine yourself in that role.

Now that you've grown up, have your hopes and dreams changed? Are you thinking about your future and planning beyond just today? Things are different now. They are complicated. As a child, the hardest decision you were faced with was where you were going to ride your bike today. Now, the "real world" stares you straight in the face, and you must decide what bills to pay, whether to take that job that means a move across the country, should you buy that house or not.

The questions get harder and the decisions have a bigger impact on your life. It can be very scary at times because of all the "unknowns".

It's obvious the writer of Proverbs knew the importance of goals. In Proverbs 21:5 we are told that planning will lead us to profit but living recklessly will lead us on a path of poverty. I'm sure we could take that to mean that it's more than just poverty in the sense of money, but poverty in spirit and poverty in relationships. If we are living simply for ourselves, carelessly and recklessly, then the gain is only short term and temporary. Without plans and goals life is pretty much a toss-up – and your future is determined by the wind. If you don't give some serious thoughts to your goals, how can you ever realize your dreams?

I've seen so many people let life pass them by because of lack of planning. One of the best investments you can make in your future is to sit down, think, pray and formulate some goals now and how you can begin to start taking steps to achieve them. Don't let this overwhelm you. Realize that Rome wasn't built in a day. It's going to take time. One of the best sayings I've ever heard is "progress, not perfection". Don't expect to accomplish everything immediately, but you can begin to plan.

Write down, in order of priority, goals you'd like to achieve in the near future. Be specific and state them in positive terms. Like, "I will…," "I want to…". Commit your goals to the Lord and pray for His wisdom. You may not be a child anymore, but you probably still have some lofty dreams. That's great. Don't let those dreams die. Begin now – set specific goals – goals for now and for tomorrow and for the future. Keep them in a visible place to remind yourself of what you are working toward. Keep your eyes open for progress and constantly ask God to keep you sensitive to the direction He has for your life.

Not only does he have plans for you,

"For I know the plans I have for you" – the Lord's declaration – "plans for welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 HCSB

But He also tells us in Psalm 37:4

"Take delight in the Lord and He will give you your heart's desires." Psalms 37:4 HCSB

"'Winging It" from Stan Smith

Inspired