Goal Setting Series | Post Four

Wow! I'm having to pinch myself that January is nearly over and we're already to the end of our #goalsettingseries. Over the weekend, I used my Powersheets to breakdown a few of my goals for the year. The ones I chose are incredibly simple. Here they are in their raw,  imperfect, "still being worked through" form:

Goal ONE: Go deeper in PRAYER.

• Why? Initially I wrote... "Because it's my power-source. I can't live WELL without it!" I'm adding "To meet and be transformed and INFORMED by God"... because Lara Casey puts words to thoughts and ideas I have but don't know how to express. I'm so thankful for talented writers!
• Action ideas: Watch the movie War Room [this has been on my list for awhile], journal my prayers, put prayers on post-its in common places for daily reminders, and pray on my knees each morning.

Goal TWO: Continue [YES, this is something I'm already doing from last year :)] working out at the gym on a regular basis!

• Why? So I can continue to feel energized, healthy, focused at work, and less stressed.
• Action ideas: Schedule workouts at the beginning of each week to ensure they actually happen and pack gym bag the night before so there's less hassle in the morning.

Goal THREE: To be eager to learn and ask for help! I want to be teachable this year.

• Why? It's SO easy to let pride get in the way. To think I have it all together or that I can do it on my own. But, those beliefs are lies and they actually prevent me from really growing and thriving!
• Action ideas: Seek out mentors in area's I need/want to grow. Be slow to speak and quick to listen and take advice.

Goal FOUR: To invest and grow in community with the people God has placed right in front of me!

• Action ideas: Monthly game nights, being available and intentional, and choosing people over projects or things that "need" to get done.

Goal FIVE: To continue [last year I paid off debt and started building an emergency fund, thanks Dave Ramsey!] being a good steward of the money/resources I have.

• Action ideas: Continue supporting ministries I'm passionate about and put money towards savings... I'd like to buy a new car by the end of the year!

This series has given me the kick in the pants I needed to make meaningful goals for the months ahead. I'm so excited to DIVE IN! If you've made some goals for 2016 comment below so we can cheer each other on. Thank you for following along!

As always be sure to go check out Naomi's #goalsettingseries post. I know you'll be inspired by the goals she chose for 2016.

GUEST POST: How to set and accomplish goals all year round!

Hello Lovely readers! I’m Naomi from My Fair Olinda. I’m so excited to be sharing on Julia’s blog this week. I’ll be bringing you part two of our three part series on Goal Setting. Today I want to share with you How I Set Goals. Julia and I both shared on our blogs last week Why We Set Goals. Today I’m going to talk about how I create and define my goals.

Now that we’ve established in Part One of this series why we set goals we get to explore the details of goal setting. I don’t think it will come as a surprise that wishy washy goals won’t get you far. Ask yourself, what is it you want to accomplish when you set goals, what end results are you looking for, and how will your goals help you grow?

Three ways to set and accomplish goals you will stick with:

Get specific and make a plan: Define and expand your goals. Get into the details of it. If your goals are too broad or vague you’ll lose sight of them. Being specific with your goals means clearly defining what they are and how you will achieve them. If I say This year I want to blog more. What does this goal mean? Right now this is not an actionable statement. However if I say, I plan to grow my blog by writing three posts a week about do it yourself projects, I have a defined, actionable and achievable goal. When writing goals identify what your end result will be and what steps you will take to get there.

Be bold: Step outside of the comfort zone box. Put yourself out there, explore new ideas and take risks. When you set goals be willing to do things differently. The whole reason you are setting goals is to make changes and find forward momentum. So be brave and go for it!

Invite others to participate: Sharing your goals is a great way to get fired up about them. I love to brainstorm and I love working with a team. When we invite others into our goals we have someone to bounce ideas off of, to support and encourage us and to keep us accountable. Including others in the process starts with sharing your goals with them. Julia has been part of the process from the moment I shared my goals with her. I remember feeling so fired up when we first talked about these goals three months ago. Sharing my goals out loud helped me not only to articulate them, but it made them real.

Action steps to take today:

1. Write an actionable statement identifying your goals and what steps you will take to achieve them.
2. Take a risk by being bold and getting out of your comfort zone.
3. Share your goals with someone who will cheer you on!

Next week Julia and I will each share What Our Goals Are with you lovely readers! Need someone to cheer you on? Let us know what your goals are in the comment section.

xoxo,

Naomi

Goal Setting Series | Post Two

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Welcome back to the #goalsettingseries! Today I'm breaking down my WHY for goal setting. The quote above by Jim Elliot has resonated with me the last few days as I've begun brainstorming specific goals for 2016. I don't want goals that will take up time or add another thing to my to do list. I want to choose goals that matter. Because I'm a "list" kind of girl here's my top 10 reasons [listed in no particular order] why I'm choosing to set goals and revisit them on a regular basis.

1. Setting goals puts words and action steps to dreams that would have otherwise been forgotten, ignored, or never started. 
2. They give me a sense of accomplishment. As I see things being completed and progress being made I'm inspired to keep going!
3. They are an easy way to track progress and recognize areas that need improvement.
4. They are great source of motivation.
5. Good goals help me refocus when life gets crazy or busy.
6. They provide vision for where I want to be a month or year down the road.
7. Make me more intentional in my day to day.
8. Being an internal processor I love that creating goals gives me space to get whats in my head on paper.
9. Goals are a fun way to connect with friends and learn about each other.
10. Call me a nerd but I think it's just plain fun :)

Be sure to head over to My Fair Olinda and read Naomi's post this morning. She shares some great insight that you won't want to miss!

What inspires you to create goals? Happy Monday! xo

Goal Setting Series | Post One

Happy New Year friends! Those of you who know me at all know that setting intentional, purposeful goals is something I love doing. When one of my dear friends, Naomi, approached me about collaborating on a goal setting series to kick off 2016 I couldn't say no!

Goal setting isn't so much about making BIG things happen as much as its making WHAT MATTERS MOST happen. The holiday rush is over but life doesn't seem to slow down once January hits. In fact, sometimes I think it speeds up all the more! Last week, I spent two days road-tripping with one of my best friends out to Pittsburgh where her husband is starting a new job. The weekend was spent doing final edits on a December wedding, adult-esque things like researching health insurance [blahh!], and prepping for a busy busy month at work. If there's any time I need to press the PAUSE button, slow down, and re-focus... it's NOW. You too? In the coming weeks I'll be sharing why I set goals, how I do it, and what some of my goals are for 2016. Follow along via #goalsettingseries and consider joining in.

Be sure to follow Naomi's goal setting posts over on her blog. For those of you who don't know her she's a talented graphic designer and DIY blogger in California. Some of my favorite memories with Naomi involve Cali beach days, laughter, shopping in Santa Barbara, and deeps chats about faith and life over a cup of chai. I just love her and I know you will too. Follow her here: 

INSTAGRAM | BLOG | TWITTER

Happy Monday, friends! xo