Think Big, Start Small, Keep Moving

The best piece of advice I’ve ever heard for making and reaching goals (in life or in ministry) was from some random speaker at a Catalyst conference. He said:

Think big, start small, keep moving.

Think Big: As you set goals for yourself and your ministry, think big. If nothing was holding you back (not even a lack of budget or volunteers), what would you want to see happen this year? We serve a God who specializes in doing the impossible, so dream big! Maybe your dreams are so big that you’ll need more than just this year to complete some of your goals. That’s OK! What 3 or 5-year goals do you have for your ministry?

Start small:  Now that you’ve got your grand plans, look for the specific, next steps that will help you accomplish each goal. You can’t jump from point A to point D without going through steps B and C first. And if you were really dreaming big, you may have to go through the whole alphabet from point A to point Z. Maybe a family VBS is one of your goals. That’s great! But if the families in your ministry are not ready for that kind of change, it’s going to backfire (trust me – this happened to me). So start small. Offer more single-day family events this year, and let your families build up to the idea of a family VBS.

Keep Moving: No matter what happens, keep moving forward. There will be bumps, curveballs, and setbacks along the way, but don’t let them bring you to a halt. Continue pressing on toward your goal even if you have to take a different route than you were expecting. You may have to re-evaluate how you’re going to get there, but keep moving.

So in 6 months when you think back on the goals or resolutions you set for the year, just remember: think big, start small, and keep moving. (Psst – here’s a pretty printable to help you remember this motto all year.)

Want some help setting goals for this year? Check out my 7-step process for setting – and achieving – my ministry goals and download the Deeper KidMin Goal-Setting Guide.