Toss the 100th gym membership thought out the door. Today on T Time, we talk about SMART goals for 2021. If you’ve never heard of or made a "SMART" goal, join us as we break down a life coaching strategy with Christina Lee, CEO and co-founder of Paradigm 360 Coach Training LLC.

00:10 Twanna introduces special guest Christina Lee.

02:21 Twanna asks Christina how she helps people set good goals.

05:19 Christina breaks down what a "SMART" goal is.

08:03 Twanna asks Christina how successful are people when starting goals to bring them to completion.

09:42  Christina shares the "SEE" acronym and how it is essential to completing goals. 

11:47 Christina shares that accountability is not just important for goals but every area of your life. 

12:07 Twanna asks Christina what she would say to the people who feel like the goals they set for 2020 never happened.

12:36 Christina says there has to be grace without lowering the standard. 

14:36 Christina explains that as long as we set our goals through the lens of Scripture, then we should be getting our goals right 100% of the time. 

17:00 Christina shares four things to start setting goals. 

18:57 Christina shares how Jesus is the best coach to have ever walked the earth. 

22:59 Christina closes in prayer. 

For video versions of episode 48 and onward visit us on Youtube.

Twanna Henderson: Welcome to T Time: Spiritual Conversations For, With and About Women. I'm your host, Twanna Henderson and I want to remind you to take a moment and like this podcast and share it with your friends and other women in your life. Well, I am excited about today's guest. Our guest for today is Executive Leadership Coach Christina Lee. Christina is CEO and Co Founder of Paradigm 360 Coach Training LLC. She also holds the position of Assistant Chaplain for the Mothers of NFL players through the Professional Football Players Mothers Association, and Christina is a highly sought after motivational speaker, corporate and nonprofit trainer, certified executive leadership coach and coach trainer, she is passionate about helping people discover and fulfill their goals and dreams. Christina, welcome to T Time.

Christina Lee: Thank you so much Rev. Twanna. It's just a blessing to be here.

Twanna Henderson: Absolutely, absolutely. And so with that, then let's just talk about how people should be trying to set some goals. As a coach, what process do you take people through when helping them to develop goals?

Christina Lee: Well, the first thing I do, when working with them, I really want my clients to reflect on where they are, personally. There are eight areas, Rev. Twanna that people really need to look at and engage in their life prior to setting what we call a SMART goal. And I want to share those eight areas because hopefully, our audience that's listening, maybe they can get a jumpstart, on just kind of thinking through some of these things for themselves. The first thing I want them to look at is their relationship with God. And what I do is I give them something called the Wheel of Life Assessment. So they're looking at what is your spiritual temperament? What is your relationship with God? Then I have them look and assess their work or career, right? Is this the season that you may want to scale your career pathway, maybe they're going up for that promotion, or they need that next certification, and that's going to be their SMART goal so that they can be able to move into the next area of their life as it relates to their career, and maybe its finances?

Twanna Henderson: Yeah. that's right. That's right. Right. That's right.

Christina Lee: And then of course, family life balance. You know, my husband and I as of yesterday, we are officially empty nesters. My precious, all six are gone. And don't say it too loud. They might be back after that 12 month lease is up, but right now, we have freedom. So for us, we have to look at family life because it's going to be different. So after that Rev. Twanna, I then asked them to measure the area that they feel they need the most work or what's most important to them going into their new year and then we set a SMART goal.

Twanna Henderson: Now I know you've said that term SMART, and some of us have heard it and some of us have not. Can you just kind of unpack what a SMART goal is?

Christina Lee: Absolutely. So SMART is an acronym, but it really is a vehicle to help a person to move from where they currently are, and be able to launch themselves into their future purpose. And so the word smart, the acronym, the "S" stands for specific. The first thing, you want to make certain is that the goal is specific. Does the client know exactly what it is they would like to accomplish? So I may ask a powerful question like, what would it look like when you reach your final objective? The "M" in smart is measurable. You know, if you've included a way to measure the progress, you want to make sure that it is quantifiable, that they can measure it right, that they can put a number to it and that they know when they've reached it. The "A" in smart is attainable. Is this goal within your current capability? And does it depend only on you? So if losing weight depends on the jam, and the husband and the dog and all these other people, you're probably not ready for that particular goal. Because the SMART goal doesn't mean those people can't help and be contributors. But anything that is attainable has to be within the client's own capability. The "R" is relevant. So I'm asking them, do you care enough about this goal to make it a priority? And if so, what are you willing to let go of to make it a priority? Because sometimes we're in seasons where we have to shift some things so that we can make the main thing, the main thing. And then the last thing is time specific, it must have a deadline. And what that means is, when will you reach this important goal, or when will you start it? Now here's the reason why it has to be time bound as well. If I say that my goal is to lose 30 pounds over the next six months,

Twanna Henderson: Mm hmm.

Christina Lee: The six month marker allows me to know if I have accomplished what I set out to accomplish or not. And if I've only lost 25 pounds, I may then say I need to rework that SMART goal. And maybe I need to add two more months of coaching so that I can work to get to my final goal. So my goal really is what I set out to do be it six months, it may take eight and that's okay, because revision works as long as we get to our end goal.

Twanna Henderson: Right. Right. That makes sense. How successful are people when it comes to keeping the goals they started?

Christina Lee: Well, this is why every year we have all of those gym memberships on our key chain. That, you know, they have these little memberships, Rev. Twanna with the bar code. Some of us have every gym in the city, we've kind of we've dated every gym in the city, because it is difficult to keep a goal if it is not the season for you to work on it. And this is why we talk about the goal being attainable. This is where we bring in something called "SEE" Support, Encouragement and Accountability. And the "SEE" acronym is important because if a person doesn't have the proper support, and encouragement and accountability, they may start to run fast. But they'll find that after three or four weeks, they'll hit this low. What happens if we don't have accountability structures built into our SMART goal, what ends up happening is we get into the energy deficient pattern, which means that we run out of our own usable energy, because we don't have someone supporting us and encouraging us to keep the race.

Twanna Henderson: That makes sense. So then on a scale from one to ten. How much of a role does accountability play in accomplishing someone's SMART goal?

Christina Lee: Well, it's huge. It's huge, because let's just kind of go through "SEE", first of all, when I'm getting ready to do a SMART goal, I want to ask a person who I trust and admire, to hold me accountable in this particular area. Now I want to say this may not be your best friend. Okay, this is someone who in many cases have already accomplished this. Right? Yeah. And and they know what it takes, they know the grit. So the support means that I'm soliciting support on my own. Now, this means that I'm at the point where I realize, because I've that that energy deficient pattern has happened so many times, I then solicit someone to help. Now, I that that's the support piece, the encouragement pieces, the coach, or the person is providing the accountability there, the biggest cheerleader, right, that person is cheering them on. But they're also when they need to give them the hard conversation, they're also having the hard conversation. And then the accountability piece, this is what we tie into how change happens, until we submit to the authority of someone else who we've granted permission to lead us in this area, we will not see the proper change.

Twanna Henderson: And I think that's the key having somebody that we've given permission in that area, because a lot of times, you know, a lot of times we want to help people and, and they, you know, we haven't even, they haven't said that they need our help. And so we have to have individuals that are in our lives that we've given that permission to and we have that level of relationship with and trust with, to be able to provide the accountability, I think, that you're talking about. And so I think that is very important, because a lot of times we hear that word accountability, and we really don't know what that means, you know, or what that how that plays out.

Christina Lee: And then I got to say to you, accountability is not only important, with a SMART goal, it's important in every area of our life. And once we embrace that on the macro, then we are not challenged on the micro, when it comes down to us having those accountability structures in our life.

Christina Lee: Oh, that'sa wonderful question. First of all, I think it's important that those accountability structures that we do have in our in our in place in our life, that they exercise, Grace, I call it exercising grace without lowering the standard. So we don't want to lower the standard but we do want to help people be able to fall back and be able to get back up again. We always have to remember that anything worth having is worth fighting for. And so good coaching means that I A. believe in the client, even if the client is challenged with the SMART goal. I'm here to say you can get back up again. Number two, once I believe in the client, then I open up the door for transformation because sustainable change comes from within the client. When the client sees that I'm really on board, and I believe that there's nothing that they can't do they dig deep within themselves and that sustainable change unleashes a gateway of transformation in their own life.

Twanna Henderson: Sounds good?

Christina Lee: Yes. And then here's the third piece that leaders take responsibility. See, once that sustainable change starts to become unleashed in my life, I am now taking on my own responsibility and before you know it, I'm starting to soar like an eagle.

Twanna Henderson: Absolutely, absolutely. You know, when we set goals, a lot of times we're planning things and you know, we can have goals all over the place. But as believers I think we have to be sensitive to what God has for us and you know, is it is it necessary to ask if, if this is my goal, or is it God's goal for me?

Christina Lee: Now listen, that is that is powerful. Yeah, we were supposed to keep this the marketplace podcast we we get ready to go Kingdom real quick. Listen, I think every decision we make in our lives should be through the lens of Scripture. And when we're looking through the lens of Scripture 100% of the time we're going to get it right. But we're talking about goals like weight loss, we know that that's that that is a kingdom goal, right? Because God created this temple and it's his. And the way he gets glorified the best is when we're when we're at our optimal level of weight, and health and diet and all of that. And so when we have to, we don't have to discern long on a sometimes of some of these good things that we decide to do. Some of these things we know, yet God is calling me to do these things and I think we start. And that's why I start with the value systems in those eight areas. Because what I'm asking them to do is to measure every category, all eight categories through the lens of Scripture, where are you at through the lens of Scripture with family? Where are you at through the lens of Scripture with your finances? Where are you at with your relationship with God? Where are you at through your relationship with health, and once they start to look at those eight areas, now they're making a God plan for their life and their SMART goal becomes not only critical for their own human success, but it becomes biblical

Christina Lee: I know you asked for three kids cannot ask for four?

Twanna Henderson: You sure can.

Christina Lee: Wonderful. There's four things I call it, the "IIEI", I paradigm, the first thing they need to do is identify what is going on in me in this season that I need to work on? What situation do I need to be most reflective in so that I can create the right SMART goal? Number two? What is this opportunity developing in me? So when I've reached my optimal goal, when I complete my SMART goal, what doors what opportunities will be will unveil because I have interpreted God's word correctly in my life for this season, as I create these smart goals based on the Word of God? And then how do I need to respond? How do I engage into this season? How do I engage into the goal that I'm setting for myself? What do I need to do practically, to make it work? And then the last thing once we've completed it, and we're on the other end of it, what universal principle that's the imprint? What universal principle? can I learn from this? What? What anthropic principle, what fingerprint from God, do I see on my life now because I've accomplished this? And how is it now adding value to the kingdom? And how does it now become a teachable moment, not just for my life, but for the life and the people who are surrounding me?

Twanna Henderson: That's good. That's good. I think that is so important. And I think that's something that all of us can do and engage in. Christina, I know that this area is something that's very passionate for you. Tell us why. Why is it so passionate for you?

Christina Lee: You know, what? The greatest coach ever, to walk the earth is Jesus himself. And Jesus was the very first coaching question that ever was ever posed to mankind was in the garden, Adam, Where Art Thou? That was a open ended question. And it was not a demographic question. But it was a purpose question. It was a destiny question. Because Adam had to get in touch with who he was and where he was, in his own rebellion and sinfulness for him to be able to live out the rest of the trajectory of his life. And we see these types of questions all through scripture, and if we interpret scripture correctly, and then make the proper application, it can also transform our life. You know what, you know, shortly after that scripture, it talks about how and this is one of the the things I love about coaching, it talks about how, how Adam had his nakedness. And it talks about how God dressed him. And I think good coaching, dresses our client, it removes the shame, it removes the guilt, it removes the bitterness and it gives a person to be able to tap into their own purpose that God has implanted in them before the foundation of the world. And I just think being able to partner with God, in the human, on the human side of life, and he used me as a vehicle to help unleash people, and to help them get to a place where they're no longer bound. That is just, Rev. Twanna. I can't think of anything better to do with my time on earth. And I really, I really, pretty much relegated to this. It's great discipleship. It's great discipleship.

Twanna Henderson: Well, I think, I think that's beautiful, just how you put that dressing our clients, and, you know, I think just your desire to see lives transformed, is, I think that's the thing that is so rewarding, when we are able to, as you say, partner with God, to see people become everything that God has purposed for them to become. I know that you do a lot of coaching for nonprofits, as well as for corporate trainings, and coach training, how can people get in contact with you, Christina?

Christina Lee: They can simply find me at paradigm360consulting.com. And they can go to our website and check, check us out, and there's our phone and information is right there. And we would love to connect with them.

Christina Lee: Absolutely. Father, gracious, eternal God in heaven. Lord, we just thank you for an opportunity to worship you even in the midst of one of the darkest hours in our world. Father, we say thank you. And Lord, we pray for all of those under the sound of our voices, Lord, that are looking in searching for purpose. Father, we pray first, that they come to you through salvation if they don't know you in the pardon of their sins. And then those of us who are already in the kingdom, we pray for a divine reset, Lord, that You will turn them around and that you will give them this season to start to change the trajectory of their lives through creating good measures, accountability, SMART goal coaching discipleship, father in whatever format you bring into their lives, we pray that they use it to the fullest, we honor you. And we thank you and we ask every prayer in Jesus name, amen.

Twanna Henderson: Amen. Well, Christina, it has been so great having you on T Time today. To all of our listeners I'm Twanna Henderson and I look forward to connecting with you on the next time be blessed of the Lord.