Personal, Marriage, Family, and Financial Goals*

In reading for class found these goals for our Personal Lives, Marital Lives (eventually), Family goals (eventually), and Financial goals - very helpful!! I hope you'll read and find these both challenging and encouraging and you'll be able to adapt them to wherever life finds you at present. Looking at where we should be has a way of impacting where we are currently. 

After reviewing this challenging list, it's reminded me of the importance of goals within our lives, and the often review of them. -- Let me know if you disagree with any, or if some more should be added... (For a PRINTABLE version click HERE.)

  

"Information without application leads to frustration..." 

PERSONAL GOALS: 

      To be answered as if your husband or wife were asking: 

1.     What are your personal goals in life?

2.     What personal goals have you set for this coming year?

3.     How can I help you achieve your goals?

4.     What can I do to help or improve our financial situation?

5.     Do you feel there is a proper balance between my outside activity and my time at home?

6.     Would you like me to do more things around the house such as cleaning and decorating?

7.     In regard to my activities outside the home, what would you consider as priorities?

8.     Do you feel I need to improve in any area, such as my appearance, manners, attitudes?

MARRIAGE GOALS:

1.     Do you believe our marriage is maturing and we are coming closer together?

2.     Do you feel we clearly communicate?

3.     Do you feel that I am sensitive to your personal needs?

4.     What would you like me to say or do the next time you seem to be angry with me or you are not speaking got me?

5.     The next time you are late in getting ready to go someplace, what would you like me to say or do?

6.     What would you like me to say or do the next time you seem to be getting impatient with something or someone?

7.     What would you like me to say or do if you begin to criticize someone?

8.     Do you feel I need to improve in getting ready on time or getting to meetings on time?

9.     Do you feel we should go out together more often?

10. Do I make cutting remarks about you or criticize you in front of other people?

11. What should I do in public to encourage you?

12. Do I respond to your suggestions and ideas as if I had already thought of them instead of thanking you and encouraging you to contribute more?

13. Do I tell you enough about what I do every day?

14.  What little acts of love do I do for you? Which acts of love do you like the most?

15. What most often causes you to get angry with me?

16. Do I convey my admiration and respect often enough?

17. Do we “play act” a happy marriage in front of other people?

18. What do you think 1 Corinthians 7:3-7 means?

19. Do you feel we need to see a marriage counselor?

20. What are the responsibilities of a help mate/loving leader in the home?

21. Do we give each other the same attention we did before we had children?

FAMILY GOALS:

1.     What are our family goals?

2.     Are we achieving our family goals?

3.     A. (Wife) What can I do to help you fulfill your responsibilities as spiritual leader of our family?

B. (Husband) How can I better fulfill my responsibilities as spiritual leader?

4.     Do you feel we are meeting the spiritual needs of our family?

5.     What kinds of family devotions should we have?

6.     List the responsibilities stated for the husband and wife in the following passages:

1 Peter 3:1-2; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Timothy 2:11-15; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:17-33

7.     Do you feel we have a consistent prayer life together?

8.     Do you feel we are adequately involved in our local church?

9.     Do you feel we are meeting the physical needs of our family?

10. Should we improve our eating habits?

11. Should we get more exercise?

12. Do we make good use of our time? For example, do we watch too many movies? Should we have more hobbies? Free time? Work? Read more?

13. How and when will we discipline our children? What do you think is the biblical viewpoint of discipline?

14. On a sheet of paper, list the responsibilities of parents and their children in the following passages:

Colossians 3:20-21; Hebrews 12:5-11; Proverbs 3:11-12; Ephesians 6:4.

15. What kind of instruction and training should we be giving our children in the home?

FINANCIAL GOALS:

1.     Do you think I handle money properly?

2.     How could I better manage our money?

3.     Do you think I am:
Too frugal?

Too extravagant?

About right?

Why?

4.     Do you think I accept financial responsibilities well?

5.     Do you think we communicate financial goals well?

6.     What is your immediate financial goal?

7.     What is your primary goal for this year?

8.      What is your plan for our children’s education?

9.     What is your retirement goal?

10. What do you think about tithing?

Necessary?

How Much?

Where should it go?

11. How do you feel about giving in general?

12. Do you like the way we live?

13. What changes would you like to see?

14. Oh, and one more thing… What are a few things I’ve been doing right lately?

*This has been adapted from Larry Burkett’s book, “Your Finances In Changing Times”. (p.131-136)