I don’t know if you are like me. I have tried to set New Year’s resolutions or goals, whatever you want to call them. Unfortunately, I have failed at every turn. I mean I made some progress. I even managed to lose 50 lbs over a course of about a year and a half. I eventually gained most of it back. Granite, I kept it off for close to ten years, but here I am now. I have even tried S.M.A.R.T. goals. You know specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. There are several things that I found didn’t work for me. For starters, the time-bound aspect is out of our control. We can’t decide how fast our metabolism works. Sometimes, changing circumstances affect our meticulously devised plan. I then get discouraged and give up. Maybe I also have a hard time with achievable. I think I bite off more than I can chew.
I have discovered that developing habits that support my goals is the best way to go. Habits are just little changes I make to reach a goal. Like counting calories or getting up early every morning to start the day with Jesus. I don’t focus on the goal. I only focus on the habit or habits I need to establish to reach my goal. In the past, I would get so obsessed with the goal that I would forget about my habits. Isaiah 28:10 says God grows our faith by adding precept upon precept. He adds line upon line. Here a little, there a little. I believe we can apply this to our goals and habits. Every little habit we can establish will get us closer to our goal. It will also help us maintain the goal. That was another problem I had with being goal-focused. Once I reached my goal, I had a hard time maintaining it. I didn’t establish the right habits, and I was too fixated on the goal. Like a dog chasing a car once I reached it I didn’t know what to do with it. Once the habit is established it’s like rolling a ball downhill you reach your goal and maintaining it comes naturally
I also found that if I want to really reach a goal I have to start immediately. If I set a date in the future, the chances are I will not start. Alternatively, I will lose focus quickly. When I started on my last weight loss journey I had a friend who introduced me to a weight-loss app. As soon as I downloaded the app she said go ahead and log everything you have eaten today. I was like no, no, I have already eaten a lot and I don’t know my measurements. She insisted so I said okay. First I learned that it doesn’t have to be perfect to work and secondly starting immediately is so important. I was pleasantly surprised that I was still within my calorie budget. I continued the habit of tracking. I watched the weight come off. I got in shape. If I am not willing to start immediately, I must ask myself. Do I really want to reach my goal?
Goals are not wrong. We need goals like a destination. We need to know where we are going before we can get the directions to get there. Goals are our destination and our habits are our directions. We have to ask ourselves where we want to go this year. Then, we must determine the route we will take to get there. I hope you develop habits this year. These habits will grow you physically, mentally, and most of all spiritually. I pray you reach your destination. Leave a comment below and let us know what habits you will be establishing in this new year.
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