So you want something to change—maybe you need more money, want to hit a business milestone, or long for better health or relationships. Can you see yourself already living that reality? Can you feel what it will feel like when it’s finally yours?

These are some of the first essential steps to powerful and lasting goal achievement. But there’s another step that often gets overlooked: setting a date. While it's not absolutely required, there are several compelling reasons to put a timeframe on your goal.

Why Set a Date?

• It pushes your goal from “someday” into “real time.” It shifts your dream out of fantasy-mode and makes it something you're truly planning for.

• It sharpens your focus and helps you steer clear of distractions—because now you’ve got a deadline.

• It boosts your chances of success. A goal without a plan is just a wish.

• When done right, setting a goal with a date invites unseen help and momentum to help you bring it to life.

How to Pick the Right Date

Choosing a goal date can feel like the hardest part—but that’s actually a good thing. It forces you to think things through. It means making a quality decision and getting serious about what you want. It challenges you to get specific enough to estimate how long you think it will take.

But here’s the deal: don’t bother picking a date unless you’re pairing it with a firm commitment to believe. From now until that date (at least), your belief has to be solid. That inner commitment matters more than the exact date you choose.

And while yes, it’s possible to reach goals without setting a date, the process of choosing one often helps activate all the right mindset shifts—so you can see why it’s so highly recommended.

What If You Choose the "Wrong" Date?

What if it’s too soon?
What if it’s too far out?
What if it doesn’t happen when you planned?

Think of it like a due date during pregnancy. When a woman is expecting, her provider gives a best-guess based on data—never a guarantee. Similarly, when setting your goal, you’re just choosing a date that feels possible: far enough away to be doable, but close enough to keep you moving with urgency.

So don’t stress over choosing the “perfect” date. Just make your best guess, tie your intentions to it, and let it guide your focus and preparation. That’s the real power of a goal date—it helps you keep the goal in sight, no matter what’s pulling at your attention.

How Long Should It Take?

Like a seed, every goal has a gestation period. When planted and nourished properly, it grows and eventually bears fruit. Nature has precise timelines for seeds, but we don’t always know the timeline for our personal goals. So when you choose a goal date, you're really just estimating how long that particular idea-seed might take to ripen.

Now, on a personal note—I believe in miracles. I believe that things can happen faster than expected, through that rare kind of faith I often talk about. These miracles may seem to defy the laws of nature, but they’re likely working within higher laws we just don’t fully understand yet. The bottom line? Nothing happens outside of law. So while we may not grasp all of the laws God uses to govern the Universe, we can strive to live by the ones we do understand—and do our best not to be the limiting factor in what God can accomplish through us.

Missing the Date Doesn’t Mean You Missed the Goal

Let’s say you set your goal and it doesn’t happen by the date you picked. Does that mean you failed? Not even close. Think of it like a mom who doesn’t deliver on her due date—does she suddenly believe the baby’s not coming? Of course not. If anything, the delay heightens her expectation.

It’s the same with your goals. If your "due date" passes, your dream isn’t gone—it’s just still in progress. Don’t let a delay convince you that your efforts were wasted. The goal-setting process is still working. The due date was just off, that’s all. Stay in expectation mode. You're still expecting!

This Is a Critical Moment

Your thoughts in that moment—the moment the goal didn’t show up on schedule—are the ones that matter most. That’s the moment when your dream either keeps developing like a Polaroid, or it fades back into nothingness. Keep believing. Keep working. As long as you do, the people, opportunities, and resources you need will continue gathering around you, and the goal will keep moving forward until it’s complete.

Want to learn more about how this works? Read Hidden Treasures: Heaven’s Astonishing Help with Your Money Matters (FREE).

So hold on to your dream, especially when it feels late. That’s when your faith counts the most. If it mattered enough to pursue, then it matters enough to keep believing in. And once you’ve reached it, you’ll likely say what so many do: “It was better late than never.”

Because the truth is, if it hasn’t arrived yet, maybe it just wasn’t done cooking. And you don’t want a half-baked goal. You want it complete. When it misses your due date, get more excited—not less. That means it’s almost here. Stay ready. Stay grateful. And trust that when it arrives, it’ll be even better than if it had shown up early.

So go ahead—set some goals. Follow your dreams. Be patient with the process. Change takes time, but the time it takes is worth it. As my dad used to say, God doesn’t always deliver when you want Him to, but He’s never late.

To dig deeper into the fundamentals of goal achievement, click here.
Or, if you’re ready for the Mastery Challenge, join me now in the Mindset Mastery Program. See you on the inside!

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•   To discover how to start choosing more effectively now, read The Jackrabbit Factor (FREE!)  
•   If you want more step-by-step guidance on creating the life you really want, join me in the Mindset Mastery program.
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