Alright we are already well into 2019, I’ve got to ask. How are the goals going?
Honestly mine are doing okay. Not too great but I’m not as dedicated to all of them now.
Are your end goals still the same? Do you still want to be healthier this year? Do you still want to grow with God? Do you still want to manage your finances better?
Sometimes we get overly ambitious in January. We set a few too many goals but it doesn’t make any of them less important. It just means we have to make a PLAN to accomplish them!
I’m going to let you in on a few secrets I’ve learned over the years.
Are you ready to conquer this year with all you’ve got?
The #1 secret to success
The secret is self discipline. Maybe you thought that was what I was going to say or maybe not. Either way let’s dive in!
Self discipline is something we develop in ourselves. It’s something we choose. It’s a muscle we can build and make stronger even if it’s super flabby right now.
To me self discipline is the art of making a choice repeatedly with a long term goal in mind.
Why am I speaking on this topic? Over the learns I’ve grown this muscle. I was homeschooled in high school (by choice) I made my schedule and I chose to stick with it. I even graduated a year early.
I exercise at least 3 times a week and I LOVE it.
Now I get up early in the morning and spend time with God before anything else.
I’ve learned how to stick with things that are important to me and now I want to share five steps that you can follow to accomplish anything this year!
Step 1: Get your Head Right
Mindset is always my favorite place to start because it’s often the biggest obstacle to tackle. We hold ourselves back far more than we even realize.
So how do we tackle our goals with the right mindset?
We know who we are working for
We are God’s daughter. We were made free. We are lavished in love but we also have jobs to do. There is kingdom work that only we can do. I 100% believe that building this discipline muscle in ourselves can help us accomplish our life tasks, our life purposes.
Whatever our goal is we have to see the eternal kingdom impact it can have. We have to think bigger than ourselves.
Example if you are a mom and you want to be healthier this year it doesn’t only effect you. It affects your kids. Your husband. The way you view yourselves. The things you’re able to do later in life.
There is so much eternal impact in that.
Another example if you are a college student studying business to be a manager and your goal is to stop procrastinating guess who else that impacts. When you stop putting off those assignments until Sunday you won’t be as stressed. When you aren’t spending your weekends studying you have more time to love on your friends and the other people in your life.
You have no idea how one casual conversation at Sunday lunch can impact someone’s life.
Your goals no matter how small or seemingly unimportant can have great impact. Know that you can honor God in the daily doing.
We fight the lies
Lies. Another one of my favorite topics. These lies play the role of truth in our lives. They tell us they are true but we have to test their truth.
If you feel anxious then you are believing lies.
If you don’t think you are beautiful you believe lies.
If you think you don’t have purpose you are believing lies.
When it comes to accomplishing goals in our lives we need to fight the lies that want to hold us back. Which brings me into the next point!
We believe ourselves capable
I can tell you you are capable all day but if you don’t believe it, it doesn’t matter.
If you don’t think you can accomplish your goals you probably can’t. Your mind is holding you back.
Repeat after me. OUT LOUD.
I am capable of doing big things in my life.
God created me with a lot of purpose.
I am loved no matter what I do.
I can change other peoples lives.
I can do this. ??
Step 2: Accept the Grace Now
Now that we have that mindset in the right place let’s go ahead and talk about the elephant that stands in our way. Failure.
What often stops us from finishing things or even starting again is the memory of failing before.
Just because you gave up last time doesn’t mean you will always be a quitter.
Just because you didn’t finish doesn’t mean you didn’t make progress.
Grace is my favorite thing. Of course if you know God you know an overwhelming amount of grace. Sometimes it’s easier for us to accept grace from God and yet we don’t extend any to ourselves.
You deserve grace. It’s okay if you set goals and don’t accomplish everything at once. It’s okay if you miss a day or two or three.
It is okay.
Love yourself enough to extend grace.
Step 3: Make a Simple Achievable Goal
Alright now we have the right mindset and we have already laid down a blanket of grace to walk on. We must set an achievable goal!
I’m going to limit you and your mind. You can only choose ONE goal. You can only really build discipline in one new area of life at a time especially when you are just starting to exercise it again.
Take out a piece of paper and make a list of goals you have.
Now choose your top 3.
Now choose your top 1.
Good job! Okay what’s your reason for choosing this one goal? Why do you want to pursue it? What do you want to accomplish with it?
Hold onto that goal and why.
Step 4: Set up a Plan to Achieve It
Are you still holding onto your goal and why? Great! Let’s make an actual plan to achieve it.
What will be your daily task to work up to achieving it?
Do you want to write more? Write 500 words a day from Monday to Saturday.
Do you want to read the Bible everyday?
Great! Choose a time, find a plan and
Step 5: Do the Dang Thing
At some point you will hit a wall. You’ve talked about things for too long. You have to take steps and actions that meet your words.
You just have to do the dang thing. Then you have to do it again.
It’s really not more complicated than that right there.
You have a small goal, you have a why to hold onto, you have a plan to accomplish it, you just have to do it.
I’ve written a $15 developing discipline course over in the Created Academy I would love for you to check out if this is something you want to develop in your own life.
