What are we talking about today?
Happy New Year! Are you excited about the goals that you have for this new year? Maybe you’ve picked a word of the year, or you have a few resolutions – or maybe there are Big Crazy Goals that you want to see happen in your life.
Well, my friend, let’s make that happen. Okay, okay – the Lord is the one who truly makes change happen. But as we come alongside him in the work He is doing, we want to know what practical steps will help us move FORWARD toward these goals that we have.
Ready to get tactical, get practical, and get things done for yourself and your family in the new year?
Let’s dive in.
Listen to Episode 111:
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More resources for you!
If today’s topic is meaningful to you, these resources will give some additional support:
- 5 Tools Every Busy Mom Needs to Move Her Family From Autopilot to Intimacy is a great FREE 5-day email course to give you biblical encouragement and a real-life action plan.
- My favorite planner is The Hope Planner and it can definitely help you make progress on your goals! I love that it keeps spiritual growth at the front of every day and week, and is designed to let me use the space in the way that best meets my needs for the day-to-day.
[This post may contain affiliate links. If a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.]
Today's Episode Highlights
On the last podcast episode, we talked about setting G.R.E.A.T. goals for your new year. Are your goals godly? Relationship-focused? Exciting, achievable, and timely?
If you want to make progress in your life, you have to start with great goals!
But, of course, setting great goals is not enough. Goals don’t magically create change. No, action is needed in order to make progress and see success with any goal.
Steps to Achieve Progress
Start by writing dow the goal. Get it in your own writing, your own words, in a visible format. If you’ve identified a Scripture verse or other purpose and motivation for your goal, write that down too.
Next, cast a vision for yourself of what life will be like when you achieve your goal. How will your days look different? What will you be thinking about? Feeling? Doing? Who will notice?
Once you know the final picture that you’re walking toward, start walking back on a timeline in your mind. What needs to change along the way in order to successfully reach that final destination?
- Maybe you’re working toward kindness in your words. You can see so many positive impacts from achieving that goal. But what needs to happen in order to get there? Maybe you need to figure out how to handle frustration with anger, increase compliments toward your spouse, or achieve other “smaller” actions along the way.
Next up: Ask yourself some questions. Why are you currently doing whatever you’re doing (that you’re trying to change)? How did you create that habit, routine, or way of life? Try to understand what’s going on, so that you can address any negative thoughts or unhelpful habits.
From here, it is likely that some action steps have jumped out to you.
- In order to achieve the goal of speaking with kindness in your home, perhaps you have noticed that you first need to work on holding your tongue when you get frustrated. The yelling must stop. As you’ve asked questions, you’ve learned bout the common triggers that make you frustrated. So, what can you do to reduce or respond to those triggers?
Now you have to create a visual way of staying on track and seeing your action steps happen! Maybe it’s post-it notes reminding you to “take a deep breath.” Maybe it’s a note in your Hope Planner for daily moments of self care. Figure out the action, and do it!
Finally, don’t forget about the power of PRAYER to keep you on track, and make sure you stay exciting and motivated by your goal. If it starts to get stale, ask yourself why. Does it really matter? Is it a priority?
A Quick Cheat Sheet
- Write down the goal and the Scripture that encourages you for the WHY of the goal.
- Get a vision for what life will be like when the goal happens, and then break that down into things that need to change along the way.
- Ask yourself questions: why is the current situation happening and what would change it?
- Identify action steps and add them into your planner, routines, etc. in a visual way.
- Pray about the goal and your action steps toward it!
- Stay excited about the goal, and prioritize action steps that also excite you.
Want more encouragement on this topic?
Check out these other episodes for more biblical encouragement and practical tips on this topic:
Episode 60 // What if you’re the only one trying? 5 steps to setting goals and creating change in your family relationships.
Episode 85 // Finding the secret formula for raising (and enjoying!) your Christian family
Episode 96 // How a busy mom can create family rhythms that bring joy and peace to family life (no matter what craziness is going on)
And don’t forget to grab a resource or two that will help you LOVE Christian family life!
Friday Faith Follow-up
Even with all of our effort, you probably know that the Bible clearly tells us God is ultimately the One in charge. He controls the outcomes. So do your goals really matter? Do your action plans make a difference? How do your schedule, your habits, and your plans line up against the reality of God’s plans and purposes?
Spoiler alert… your plans do matter. But we have to approach them in the right way. Let’s look at Proverbs 16 together for encouragement and help along the journey.
Hey, before you go!
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Hugs & blessings to you, my friend! I’ll talk to you soon.
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A reminder of the Disclaimers & Disclosures Policy: I am an affiliate with many of the resources I recommend, which means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through my provided links. I never recommend products I don’t love! Also, I am a licensed therapist but this podcast is not therapy. It is not professional or personal advice to your specific situation. Get info about professional counseling here.
