Deep Rooted Goals Build Habits That Last

I’m sharing tips for deep rooted goals build habits that last.

One of the biggest results of goal setting is nothing. They get set and then no progress is made. So many of us love the planning and dreaming about them, but the execution is missing.

We live in a state of “I’ll wait until Monday,” or “Next year,” or “After I loose some weight,” or “When I’m older,” or “When the kids are out of the house,” or we simply think “I could never do it.”

I’m sharing some of the ways I make positive growth and change in my life by making sure my goals take deep root.

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Yesterday, I shared about my word of the year. Actually, my two words for the year, how I decided and what it is inspiring in me. You can read the post HERE.

Do you follow this practice? Do you:

• Declare New Year’s Resolutions?
• Make Bucket Lists?
• Set Goals?
• Choose a Word of the Year?

New Year’s Resolutions

I don’t usually set just New Year’s resolutions. I’m an all year goal setter constantly evaluating my habits, reviewing the things I want to accomplish and tweaking things.

There are notebooks full of my goals and resolutions and it’s fun to look back at past lists to see how far I’ve come, what I let slide and need to start working on again or don’t really care about anymore.

There’s always a journal near me full of everything for that time period that’s on my mind. When I write it down and get it somewhere besides just in my mind, I can get more concrete steps in place to work on it.

Bucket Lists

Do you write bucket lists? They can be a fun way to think of not just goals or habits you want to begin or break, but adding memory making moments to your life.

When I think of items on my bucket list, they are places I want to travel, activities I want to participate in or things I want to learn.

Have you heard the song Bucket List by Mitchell Tenpenny? I love this line from the chorus “And never have to ask myself ‘What if’ ” That sums up bucket lists for me. They are a way to stretch myself, try new things and keep me curious. Then later in life I won’t have to think, what if I’d tried that?

Some things on my list don’t get checked off because they end up not being doable because of time, finances or other life obligations, but many of the items are achievable and so much fun. Items may be ones I do independently, with my family or friends.

Sometimes they are seasonal lists too like when my kids and I have made Summer bucket lists.

Goal Setting

There is so much great information out there about goal setting. Many of us have been doing it and learning strategies for them since we were in school. Here’s how I work through my goals.

• I start by writing them down, remember that journal I keep nearby, at the top of a page.
• I give a page for each one and leave a few more blank behind it.
• Then I write a plan to follow with steps and ideas for getting it done.
• If I try an idea I’ve listed and it doesn’t seem to be effective, then I cross it out and move on to another step or add a new one to the list.
• My goals are constantly adjusting and being tweaked. I try to not to think of any bump in the road as a failure or set back, just a lesson and a way to push me a bit harder to stay determined and gritty.

Word of the Year

I began choosing a word of the year a few years ago. I’ve liked doing this as it feels like adding a title to the chapters of my life. Speaking of thinking of your life like a book, my daughter has a sign that hangs in her room that I love. It says:

I trust the next chapter, because I know the author.

That sums up well how I feel about my goals, my bucket lists, my word of the year and my resolutions. I know I can make progress, because I’m not doing it on my own. God is there each step of the way and goes before me setting the path.

I heard a great analogy from author Pricilla Shirer. She said hearing from God about the path we are on is like taking directions from Siri. We get one step at a time rather than every step in the journey. It would be too much to know it all at once. Just like we trust our phone GPS to get us where we are going, we can trust God to do the same in our life. He knows the final destination and will reveal it to us if we are listening, obeying and moving forward.

Read more about my word of the year and choosing your own HERE.

Surround Yourself With Encouragement

One of the biggest indicators on how successful we will be is what we surround ourselves with. I love collecting quotes, bible verses and inspiring sayings and keeping them displayed around the house, in notebooks and on my Pinterest boards to pull up as needed.

• Frame your favorites
• Head to Hobby Lobby and choose some ready to display
• Hang them on the fridge
• Stick one on your dashboard
• Add them to your mirror

I also fill my ears with encouragement listening to podcasts, TED talks and books full of inspiration. I share what inspires me throughout the day in my social media so you can follow along and find extra help staying motivated too.

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Surround Yourself With Encouragers

I mention this often, but who we surround ourselves with is vital. Sometimes that means setting boundaries or even some distance even with family and friends.

In the past few years I’ve had to distance myself from some people I love. I still love them, care about them and pray for them. But being around them is unhealthy. They like to live in trauma, stir the pot and focus on negative emotions and things. I’m not comfortable in that kind of space and company and so for my own health, I have had to give some space to those relationships. Do you have people like that in your life?

Surrounding myself with other people that care about growing into better people and are encouraging to me and everyone around them is very important to me.

Some things my encouraging friends do:

• Text me a little devotion each morning they read as well
• Text me and ask what they can be praying for
• Pass on inspiring songs, quotes, books they’ve read and think I’d like too
• Ask me to go for coffee and catch up
• Really listen

In the same way I want to be that kind of person to others as well.

I’m excited about the year to come as I build off of the ways I’ve been growing in past years and strive daily to do my best, learn a little more, get healthier and find more direction and connection in my life.

If you need encouragement I’m here for you! You’ve got a friend in me. (Sorry if you’ll have that song in your head all day now!)

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