How Specificity Can Improve Your Life

Have you ever set a goal that you didn't reach?

Do you want to change something in your life but can't seem to make it happen? Do even your best attempts get mediocre results?

One of the most common but overlooked pitfalls in losing weight, starting a business, or achieving goals is not being specific about what you want and lacking a detailed plan on how you will get there.

Back in 2012, I ran a half marathon. When I signed up, I barely called myself a runner, so the thought of running 13.1 miles seemed crazy. I downloaded the Runner's World app and plugged in my race date. It created a detailed training plan of how often and far I had to run. If I wanted to finish that race, I had to follow that plan. I couldn't just run occasionally and for random distances. 

Running that race was possible because I set a concrete goal and followed a particular plan.

Setting specific goals doesn't just apply to fitness. It can benefit all areas of life.

Here are some categories specificity will improve your life.

• Faith - Well-defined prayer leads to a well-defined faith. When I am specific in my prayers, I can be more attuned to when God shows up and answers them. What are you praying for? Be specific. Who, what, when, where? What promises in the Word of God are you applying to your situation?

• Life - When taking on projects every day, I like to start with SMART goals. The acronym SMART stands for: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. For example, one project that has been on my to-do list for a long time is organizing my photos so I can put them into albums. I love taking pictures, but many go unseen because they stay on my computer. I want to curate a "yearbook" and give each of my kids a copy. While it's a big project, I know that once I complete it, future years will be easy to create. I will likely not "find time" to work on it, so I'll need to decide when I want it done, how often I will work on it, and how often to accomplish this.

• Community - After transitioning to a stay-at-home mom and moving to the burbs, I became lonely because I no longer had a "crew." Once I determined what kind of friends I wanted, I could find them. Not only that, but once I identified what I was looking for, I could appreciate the relationships I already had. Who are the people I want in my life? Other writers, other moms, other women of faith? How do I get those people in my life?

Being specific in these areas of your life does not mean that you have to be rigid. You can still be flexible or spontaneous within your particular ideas. However, knowing precisely what you want and having a plan to achieve it increases the likelihood of success and eliminates emotional decision-making throughout the process.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself that will lead you to achieve your goals.

1. What is the goal? Don't be afraid to sit with this and consider what you need or want. Keep it simple and check that it is rooted in your values.

2. How do you know when you have achieved it? When a goal is measurable, there's less guesswork involved in reaching it. When a plan is defined, you can track your progress. You will be motivated to keep going as you advance towards your goal.

3. What's the plan? Small, simple steps taken over time will take you further than a handful of big ones. Set dates and be realistic about the time it will take.

4. How will you celebrate? Don't let your achievements, answers to prayer, or the growth you've experienced go unnoticed.

Start with one or two goals, and you can add more as you progress in those through consistency.

You can achieve your goals in your faith, life, and community when you get specific about what you want.

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For more on the topic listen to:

Episode 59 How Specificity Improves Your Life

Join Elise Daly Parker, Kimberly Coyle and I as we examine why we often get mediocre results and give you some questions you can ask yourself to get you moving in the right direction.