Give me some sticky notes and ink pens and I am a happy girl! I have little collections of them all around the house. For me they serve as my simplest form of goal making/achieving. I find them handy when I am reading to jot down words that I do not know. That helps me reach my goals of keeping an ongoing list of words to learn the definition of. I keep them near my bible to jot down verses I want to transfer to index cards for scripture memory.  I have them handy when I am teaching the kids so that I can jot down things I need to discuss with them later.  I keep them in my pocketbook to jot down things that come to mind that I don’t want to forget.  They are everywhere and they help me to achieve my short term goals.  Yes, I have a smart phone, but to me my sticky notes are smarter!  Their assorted colors and shapes are too cute to resist!

Then there’s that white, rectangular object with blue horizontal lines and one red vertical line! Be still my heart!  I love notebook paper! You can do some serious goal setting with that!  That may have been where my trouble with goal setting began.  I figured the paper needed to be filled with things to do and those things needed to get done post haste. Before my journey towards wholeness, I kept my goal setting at an unrealistic pace.  My list was always too long and the timeframe to get it done was always too short. While I could control both those factors, I chose to drive myself at an unhealthy pace. That scenario was a contributing factor to my health crisis.

That crisis changed the way that I did many things and setting goals was one of them. Suddenly the list had to be shortened and the timeframe lengthened. I had to prioritize like never before. I soon learned that everything did not have to be done with urgency. I also learned that I had to become a priority in my life. Taking care of me became one of my main goals.  Since I knew my list needed to be shortened, I started to transition my list to post-it notes that look like index cards. I still get to enjoy the blue lines and one red line! I know written goals get done, but I needed to write on a smaller piece of paper!

Given that goals need plans, I try to put my plan into place soon after deciding on the goal.  That had never been the case where my health was concerned.  I had a goal, but never implemented a plan.  As a result, when my body was in crisis, I had to dive in and start to make immediate changes. If making healthy food choices is one of your goals, I would encourage you to make a plan to move away from the side of the pool and at least get your feet wet.  Take some time to think about what it would take for you. Do you need to drink more water? Do you need to drink less coffee or soft drinks? Do you need to eliminate sugar?  Decide today what it would take for you to become whole.

Goals need to be smart! I read once that they need to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-sensitive. While we all will have different goals, starting with that formula will help us reach them. Keep your goals in mind daily and do what it takes to realistically move towards them. Don’t forget why you started and keep going! Join the movement!

Some action items to consider:

Consider creating a vision board and be motivated by the vision you create.

Make you a priority.

Give yourself a mid-year assessment. Are you on track with your New Year goals? Do you need to create some new ones or brush off some old ones?

Take the next steps.

Don’t wait for someday. It does not exist.

Let your goals drive you.

Sow what you want! You can do it!

My recent journey has taught me so much about setting goals. I now set realistic ones more often.  I try to pray more than I plan.  I am learning to look (up) before I leap. I’m growing in my trust of His timing and His plans for me.