Author: Noelle

In this blog I want to be transparent about the goals that I have set this year.  I also feel like the Lord put a word on my heart that he’s going to continue to weave throughout my life this year.  I know sometimes goals seem counter intuitive to people.  Its this feeling that if I don’t succeed then what was the point in the first place?!   Actually I admit I thought this way for a number of years and then I realized I had just set my expectations AND my goals WAY too high.  Two things to keep in check when you are setting goals:

1.  Is this goal achievable/realistic?  I sat with a lady at a meeting the other day and her goal was to lose 15 lbs by the end of February.  I asked her how much she had lost since she’s been losing weight (about 4 months).  She admitted she has only lost 15 lbs in the 4 months.  I shared with her that her goal may not be realistic (based of history).  Don’t shoot for the moon.  

2.  Your Goal should be measurable and specific.  If it doesn’t have a number or a way to asses/measure then you won’t have a way to see the progress.  Also get specific- is it a weekly goal, monthly goal, etc.  Be as specific as possible so that you know exactly  what to expect and make a plan to achieve it.     

Here is the most important thing to keep in mind – goals are just a guide.  Don’t get discouraged if you didn’t meet it fully.  Did you progress?  Then give yourself some slack and celebrate the success not the fail part.  Goals can be re-written and many times need to be re-written!  Life get in the way!  My goals probably will change halfway through the year depending on what I have or have not accomplished.  Below are the goals I have set for 2020.  I do have plans for each goal which I did not go into.  Feel free to email or drop a question in the comments if you’d like some more details.  I will try to keep you all posted on how my goals are coming along.

1. Lose 20 lbs
2. Exercise 4 days a week with 1 class being dedicated to Strength Training
3. Save $200 each pay period
4. Save $75-$100 per month for car insurance
5. Read 15 book
6. Journal or blog at least 1x/week
7. Journal 1 sentence every day
8. Get away with David for our 10 year Anniversary (no kids, gotta take a plane)

The word I feel the Lord laid on my heart this year is BLOOM. I feel like I’m never quite content with where I’m at and God has told me countless times he has me right where he wants me. So my overarching goal this year is to dig in right where he has planted me and allow his work to bloom in my life!

“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither- whatever they do prospers.” Psalms 1:3

This year I gave some extra thought and prayer to what my goals would be.   I; like most of you feel like a failure when I don’t achieve the goals so by February I find myself giving up on that “resolution”.  I hate calling them resolutions.  Goal is much more fitting.  The entire point of yearly goals isn’t to “resolve” but rather to “move the needle forward”.  Its so that I can live intentionally and not aimlessly.  This year I developed 8 goals. I also chose a word that I feel will highlight my overall goal for this year.  Those goals I will share with you in a later blog.  For now I would like to share 5 things I feel help keep me on track with my goals.  If you build these into your plan I guarantee you will see progress by the end of the year!

1. Clean Out the Closet/ Start Fresh

How many of you need a clean office before your able to start a project?  Yep thats what you need to do in whatever goal you set.  Start fresh.  Go get that new pen and new journal.  Clean out the cupboards.  If you really want to set your mind to something you need to have an inviting environment to do it in!

2.  Be Nice to Yourself

The negative self talk has to stop.  If all we do is constantly shame ourself or talk negatively then we are really in an uphill battle.  As women we can be so tough on ourself.  We are truly our worst critic.  As I have battled losing weight often I was so critical.  Even when I had a really good week and the scale showed it I would tell myself yeah but I could have done … better.  Or Id have a really emotional week and if I gained (even in the slightest) Id hoist all kinds of shame upon myself.  I believe I quit so many time because I was too hard on myself.  Id come to the conclusion that I simply can’t do this and I’m not good enough.  If you battle really bad with negative self-talk start with a simple activity.  Make yourself stand in the mirror each morning (or evening) and say one nice thing (out loud) to yourself.  

3.  Not Too Nice to Yourself

Notice I put be nice to yourself above (not too nice).  Being nice to yourself really is key however anything worth achieving is tough.  Don’t be so relaxed that your not being honest with yourself.  Its important to “keep it real” and be honest.  This leads me to my next point.

4.  Build in Accountability

We need to have someone in our life that we can share our goals with and know that they will hold us accountable.

5.  Assess Weekly or at most monthly

These last three points really work together.  If you don’t put pen to paper and really take an honest look and assess your goals weekly or monthly you will likely fall of the path you intended to go.

“Grit is a positive, non-cognitive trait based on an individuals perseverance of effort combined with the passion for a particular long-term goal or end state.  The perseverance of effort promotes the overcoming of obstacles or challenges that lie on the path to accomplishment and serves as a driving force in achievement realization.”  -Wikipedia

Grit.  Its a word I’ve come to love.  Its not always been in my vocabulary but once I became a mother this word moved me to action.  Thats what it is.  Its the action part of this blog.  It is not based on our logic.  It is “non-cognitive”.  Though this word may be new to us; the concept is not.  Jesus had the most grit of anyone who ever lived.  Even from the moment he was a child and had been found in the temple (after missing for 3 days) he proclaimed to his mother “didn’t you know I had to be in my fathers house?”  Luke 2:49  Jesus’ ministry was not like any other teaching at the time.  He was a rebel.  His disciples all flawed (in some way) and what we might see as “regular or normal” men.  His teachings often labeled by the pharisee’s and priest (teachers of the Jewish law) as criminal.  Jesus was in fact a rebel in his time.  He had grit.  He didn’t care what the culture said or what the “norm” was.  He was about getting down to business.  When you really stop and think about it too He only had 3 years to do the necessary work.  

This is exactly how we find grit.  We once again look at Jesus and try to be like him.  Grit comes from a place of deep seeded passion.  Passion is a natural occurrence that stems from a transformed heart.  A transformation in the heart comes from a transformed mind.  “Do not conform to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  THEN you will be able to test and approve what Gods will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2   Grit is an action, it comes after we have done the hard work in our mind, heart, and soul.  It is the part where we become his disciple and live out our walk.  It eventually becomes a natural response.  

The Grit portion of this blog will highlight something as simple as achieving a fitness goal and as serious as seeing a sinner come to Christ or a sick person made well.  Goals that I’ve personally achieved or goals that I have witnessed others achieve.  I have a feeling that this portion of the blog will be the most fun to write about!  What do you think about when you think of this word GRIT?