Lessons Daniel Taught Me About Achieving Goals. Part 2

I’m not ‘simple’, I just like to keep things simple. Do you?

Complexity baffles me, frustrates me and adds to the resistance to achieve goals.

I like to keep things simple.

I’m not alone in this as I read the story of Daniel and the goal he set of not eating the Kings food. Check out the reasons why in my previous post. It was a do or die goal that needed a plan to achieve it.

A goal without a plan is just a wish.― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Daniel couldn’t rely on just wishing his goal would be achieved. He didn’t sit back and hope and pray his goals would be achieved. Instead he formed a plan.

I call it his S.TA.N. plan

Simple to understand by all
Timed for a Review
Aimed at a Deep Value
Negotiated with Key Others.

Lesson Number Two. Your Plan Needs To Be Simple Enough To Be Understood By All.

Daniels plan was a simple plan. It was easily understood by all, especially by those directly involved.

“Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 You can then compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men who eat the royal rations, and deal with your servants according to what you observe.” Daniel 1:12, 13

One of the sure fire ways of not achieving your goals is to make the plan to achieve them too complex.

Here was Daniels plan.

Have a diet of vegetables and water for ten days and then compare with others.

Do you ever give up on achieving your goals because its too overwhelming to think of all the things you have to do to achieve the outcome.

K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple Stupid

Daniels ultimate goal was to not eat the Kings food at all. To do this he broke it down to a simple plan of a trial period of not eating the food for the next ten days.

Daniel broke the complex down into the simple.

I have set myself a goal this year of writing an eBook on Forgiveness. To break this down to something simple I have my first S.T.A.N. plan.

Print out a series of sermons I gave on forgiveness and review in the next week.

Simple, easy to understand, and achievable.

Daniels plan wasn’t just simple, it was also easily understood by others. Daniel needed the support and trust of those involved in the plan. This was life or death goal. He wanted to make sure that they knew and understood.

If your plan involves others then make sure they understand the plan. You might like to ask them if there are any questions, anything that needs clarifying.

Want to achieve your goals? Make sure your plan is simple!

Questions to Consider and leave a Comment

Do some of your goals seem too large and overwhelming?
If something seems too big or overwhelming what happens inside of you, in your motivation to achieve the goal?
For a goal you have set, what is the plan? Is it totally understandable by those involved?

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Barry Pearman

Photo Credit: Sarah Ross photography via Compfight cc

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