The analytical person in me loves the December-January transition because of all of the statistics that could be done on new goals. By this point in the month, I already have an Excel sheet created for all of the future personal, profession, and spiritual goals that I plan to set for myself. But lets be honest, if we do goals like the other 96% of the world that have New Years’ resolutions, we stop by February and completely forget what they were by May.
Here are some techie ways to improve your process of creating and accomplishing your goals in your personal, professional, and spiritual life. Yet, it is going to take you putting the effort in now to be successful!
Personal Goals
We all have personal goals for a variety of things, eat better, exercise more, spend less, cut out stuff we do not want, read more, etc. While there are a lot of specialized apps for tracking and monitoring them, we are going to focus on generalities for accomplishing a goal and let you figure out how you will do so with the gadgets you have.
- Use Tempo to Schedule Your Process
For all you Mac people out there that long to have Android and Google Now, Tempo is as close as we can get to a predictive calendar application. Fill it up this holiday season with due dates, reminders, and ideas for the future. Seriously, download it now here, stop reading, and fill up the app for the next month and half now. - Create a Blog for Accountability
No matter what it is you are trying to accomplish, write a personal blog about the experience. Trying to cut food? Create a “five ingredients a meal” recipe blog. Exercising? Post once a week on your personal blog about a new exercise technique that will be great for a person with a busy life. Wanting to read a book a week? Review what you read on a formal website. Not only will this help you be accountable with others, but you might actually indirectly be their accountability person.
Professional Goals
Some of the best tools for professional environments and goal creating and completing involve team monitoring and reporting. If you are self-employed, most likely the suggestions above are going to be what you need.
- Sign Up for Basecamp
This might be the best collaboration application out there that allows teams to work together to set goals, share project research, and complete their goals in a timely manner. Above all other apps, you need to go this route to be more effective. - Audiobooks and Podcasts
I think that continuing to invest in your craft is very important. It helps to read blogs, but lets be honest, we do not have the time or energy to keep consuming all of the time. What about podcasts from church leaders or trade experts? Maybe even better to go into audiobooks like Audible.com to take your professional self to the next level!
Spiritual Goals
Even more than doing some great goals for yourself or your professional life, you need to make sure that you are growing in your faith and relationship with God. Here are two tech tools you might have been missing out on.
- YouVersion Reading Plans
If you are not using the reading plans on the Bible app, you could be missing out on great reading devotions. Instead of going out and blindly reading or paying for a devotional, push into these already made up and free ones on your mobile devices or online. - Do Not Disturb
There is an iOS function called do not disturb that ignores all notifications except for preselected apps and numbers. Android users, you have something similar in Agent. Turn on this feature when you are reading Scripture, praying, and spending time doing devotions with the family.
What tech tools did we miss that need to be shared for better goal creating and completing?
[Image via RambergMediaImages via Compfight cc]
Andy Geers says
I’ve made an app for iOS (and soon Android) called PrayerMate, to help you be faithful in prayer – some people might find it useful for any new years resolutions to pray more! http://www.geero.net/prayermate/
Eric Dye says
Cool! Thanks for the link share. 🙂
Jeremy Smith says
Love it! I’ll be checking it out soon.
kolby says
I often wonder how much I am just aimlessly wondering the social network world. This year I am going to limit my use of twitter and facebook. I need to live more on purpose, and not let my time be eaten up. I use the do not disturb feature religiously. Awesome post Jeremey!
Jeremy Smith says
Love that you have purpose to your social media, it is sad to see that most are blindly posting for no reason but to get content out. There needs to be more intentionality.