At Cultivate What Matters, we like to say we do goal setting differently. And we do!
We focus on progress, not perfection.
We don't think you can do it all.
We know that little by little adds up.
We emphasize thoughtful reflection, and growing slow, and setting goals in community instead of going it alone.
We believe naming what matters in the big picture changes everything, and that goals anchored to a strong why are far more powerful than goals that sound good in the moment.
And we believe that there's nothing magical about January 1st—any day can be a fresh start!
But there's at least one other big thing that separates us from almost every other goal-setting company—and that's what we call Big Dreams.
Big dreams, you say? I've heard of those!
Not so fast, sister. Around here, when we say big dreams, we don't mean goals that feel especially ambitious or challenging—at least, not exclusively. We're not talking about things like writing a book or climbing a mountain or running a marathon or hitting a record sales goal or paying off debt.
Those are all worthy goals—but in our world, they're not Big Dreams (even if they might be big dreams!). We call those Finish Line goals, because they're specific, measurable, and have a shorter time horizon (even if it's 5-10 years!).
No, Big Dream goals are something else entirely.
Big Dreams are goals without deadlines that help you become the person you want to be. For a community like this one, who believes passionately that who you are becoming is more important than what you accomplish, nothing could make more sense. Think:
Creating a welcoming home.
Building a strong marriage.
Growing resiliency in my mental health.
Cultivating a loving family culture.
Living generously.
For a lot of people, though, these goals don't make sense at all: they look like foolishness. They're not SMART! experts say. How will you know if you've accomplished them? they ask.
To which we say: great questions!
Yes, Big Dreams are big picture. They're goals you might be working toward for the rest of your life, in some form or another! We love them because they're inherently motivating—after all, they're tied directly to who you want to be and the life you want to cultivate. What could be more important or motivating than that?
But the Big Dreams naysayers are also right. If you were to stop at simply writing down a Big Dream, that's probably where the action would end—because "cultivate a loving family culture" or "live generously" is hard to get your arms around on its own. You'd quickly flounder, unsure of how to dig in or mark progress.
Thankfully, the PowerSheets® don't leave you alone, and they don't let you stop there. Step by step, page by page, the dynamic goal planner you love will walk you through breaking down your Big Dreams little by little: first by visualizing a clear endpoint, then walking through what it might look like to get from where you are to where you want to be. Month by month, you'll use your Tending List to check in on your progress, break your big vision down into projects and action steps, and take measurable steps forward. Right away, you'll find yourself living out what matters!
And therein lies the magic. Yes, we love a concrete yearly goal. We'll always champion a gal who wants to assemble a capsule wardrobe, meal plan each week, or complete a Bible reading plan. But we'll also always be a community that welcomes (embraces!) the types of goals that others dismiss. And we'll help you turn those Big Dreams into reality by walking alongside you each step of the way.
We'd love to hear: What Big Dream goals have you set with your PowerSheets?
Emily Thomas
