Re-evaluating Goals

Bismillah

I’ve been thinking and I’ve reached the conclusion that my entire view of goals and goal setting needs to change. It’s not enough to have goals or to even go about writing about how you are going to achieve them, at least not just for one year. Not only that, many of the goals keep repeating them because somehow, every year I’ve not accomplished the past years’, so I restart or more like restate my goals. That’s just unproductive when you really look at it in the long run so I’m going to change things around inshallah.

First off, I’m not setting new goals, I’m reevaluating my previous goals and seeing where I’ve fallen short and can improve inshallah, so I may complete a goal. Second of all, recognizing that as life happens, my goals evolve right along with them, so instead of thinking them as set in stone and not accomplishing them as failures, I should realize they are work in progress and important stepping stones to the next phase that I’m trying to reach inshallah.

Second of all, in addition to writing down my important stepping stones down, I should have a means of accountability for them beyond a personal view and check next to the “to do” list inshallah. I need to involve not just my husband who is very forgiving of my shortcomings and general failures (may Allah bless him) but other members of my family and even trusted friends who will prompt and remind, advice, and push me towards reaching my own goals and realizing my own visions inshallah.

With that said, I will inshallah put down here where its viewable to the public (all and sundry!), the progress I make, the accomplishments I make, the rearranging of thinking or stepping stones to an important and life changing achievement that I make inshallah. Also, in this place where I can feel like I’m being accounted by the public (just in my dreams rightJ), I can add new thoughts, ideas, and goals as the year progresses. This being because each new day brings a better understanding and sometimes a new idea and I feel in order not to lose the ground that I gain, I must put down all the ideas and thoughts down inshallah so I can review and reflect and see if I’m even working on what I said I’d work on a few months ago inshallah.

There’s no better accounting that the one you can see in black and white and I think that may be one of the reasons why Allah will have us handed our book of deeds, “book” being the operative word. In it we will have all of our life and deeds accounted (written for us to read and see inshallah). If I copy this idea from our Lord and write down things as I go, then I can inshallah see if progress is being made and that way, I don’t have to re-invent the wheel each time I get the energy to improve my life or emerge from whatever doldrums I had sunk into for whatever reason inshallah.

I’m looking forward to making this “my life while in this life” book inshallah. I read somewhere about the idea of viewing our life as a book being written and the person went further to say that wouldn’t I want my book to be the type that becomes a favorite reading instead of a onetime read that pretty much ends up in the do not re-read list? I agree. Look at the life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad salatu wasalaam. How many times and how many people want to read his (salatu waslaam) story? I know I love reading it. It brings me to tears, it inspires me to change and be a better and more forgiving human being, it makes my heart beat fast, it makes me long to meet this man whom had Allah chosen to lead us in this “ends of time” subhanallah!

If I want my story to be a good story, one that inspires, brings joy, and deserves a repeat re-read inshallah, I must account my actions; I must work hard, in my Deen and in my life, which should be my Deen! Subhanallah the changes I must make. The more I write, the clearer I feel I’m becoming… Allah please guide me, and do not allow for me to be misguided nor to misguide others. Please forgive me and thank you for everything. My trust is upon you, my reliance as well and I love and worship only You, and only for You.