I think for many of us, 2020 has been a year of challenges. Whether it has been a difficult year as a whole, or just challenging to continuously adjust to this "new normal," I bet we can all agree that we are looking forward to what the new year will bring!
I'm not much of a New Year resolution gal, nor do I think we have to wait for a deadline to start working towards new things. In fact, I think waiting for January 1st is one of the silliest things we do, after all, we could get a jumpstart on 2021 by starting now! However, I am a big goal person. I dream big dreams and want to do big things that push boundaries in life.
I haven't always been this way though, and the biggest thing that has changed me into a goal person is God! It's a little cliché, but it's true! I used to wrestle with goals like weight loss, fitness, riding horses. My goals didn't have much substance so when I hit a bump in the road, I easily shook those goals off and continued complacently where I was, but I always struggled with feeling like I had a purpose in life. And that struggle led to a lot of bad decisions just trying to fit in.
Finally, I began to realize, that goals could help me love people and love God better. After all, God did create me with my own set of unique talents and passions. He created me with a purpose, and to live complacently meant I wasn't doing those talents and passions any justice. To live out my purpose better, I had to work towards growth, learning, and getting better!
So now that the year is ending and I'm reflecting on this past year. I am ready to set goals for 2021. In all honesty, in spite of multiple family members battling cancer, Covid-19, and moving across the country (again!), my year has been really great. I have made some strides spiritually and personally that I STRUGGLED with in 2019. I kicked some bad habits out the door and ushered in new routines that are keeping me healthy and thriving. I reconnected with old friends and made many new friends. Here are some goal setting tips on how I am going to keep the good right on rolling into 2021:
- Remember whose you are. By remembering I am a daughter of the King and my purpose on earth is simply to love people like Jesus loved me, I will keep my goals oriented towards Christ and helping others. The less selfish we are, the more likely we are to attain our goals.
- Create your goals with a purpose. The substance behind those goals will keep you motivated even when you're ready to plateau.
- Break goals down into smaller goals. Doing this will allow you to get there one step at a time instead of requiring a giant leap.
- Share your goals with close friends or family. Create some accountability around yourself so you can't talk your way out of achieving what's next.
- Set a few goals that are really easy to achieve. These goals will help you feel accomplished and bold so you can take on your next, bigger goals!
I am going to be very vulnerable with all of you and share my goal board. I took the photo from a bit of a distance, because these goals are very personal and to some degree I believe we should hold our goals close to our heart and share them only with a select few. However, I did want you to have a visual picture of what I described above. So, as I said before, to break down goals to make them more achievable, my goals are broken down from five year goals, to yearly goals, monthly goals, and weekly goals.
Those 5 year goals are my big time dreams. They are goals that involve this blog growing exponentially, they are goals that involve me getting back to working with horses everyday. They are big time adult goals that are desires I believe God has put on my heart and they are goals I am stating but leaving fluid to give God room to grow and fine tune as I go over the next 5 years.
The yearly goals are all big goals as well, but they are a bit more attainable right here and now. In fact, I checked off one of my 2021 goals in November 2020 by moving to a place that is saving me money on rent. These goals go hand in hand with my 5 year goals, they just aren't on such a grand scale that I can't achieve them in 12 months.
My monthly goals vary between small day to day things that I've been putting off, like getting my truck registered, to trying to meet new people, to a certain number of times I want to ride or workout. These small goals are still walking me towards those big 5 year goals, they are just on a scale that I can get them done in 30 days or less. The reason why I include a certain number of workout days or riding days into my goals is I don't ever want the excuse of hanging with friends, work, or laziness to get me off track from those bigger goals.
Weekly goals are teeny, tiny goals that only take a few minutes. My weekly goals usually don't vary too much. Yes, I put cleaning as a goal on my weekly list because I view these goals as more of a To - Do list than a goal list, however, it feels pretty darn good to get to check some of these off each day!
Finally, my biggest tip, is wherever you have your goals whether it's in a diary or on a board for anyone to see, make it interactive! Write your goals down somewhere where you will constantly being looking at them, checking them off, and tweaking them as you go.
Goals aren't meant to be a super rigid thing that adds pressure and stresses you out. Goals are meant to be a tool to help you to continue to grow and serve God. Tools to help you be your best mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally! If you get to the end of the week and you haven't accomplished all of your goals, have grace with yourself, it's not the end of the world! If you get to the end of the month and you've accomplished none of your goals, have grace! Y'all as we end 2020, I think we should all learn to laugh more often and keep a positive attitude, as we've learned this year, so much of life is out of our control! All we can do is love God, love people, and do our best!
So let's goal friends! Be sure to tag me on social media @thewanderinghomesteader and use the hashtags #letsgoal and #thewanderinghomesteader to share your 2021 goals with me! =)
xo,
Sara
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