2016 Goals

I am so excited to share with you my 10 goals for 2016!

How did I arrive at these? I used powersheets like I have for the last few years. Similar to the prayer journal, they have organized my thoughts and kept me focused instead of scattered with something as daunting as goal setting. They are designed to help you dig deep and find out what matters most to you and I feel like God refines me through this process more and more each time.

After I worked through the powersheets, I listened to Michelle’s webinar for She Works His Way on goal setting and it was sooo powerful. I mentioned a few days ago, Michelle is a highly motivating person. She shared some things I have never really thought about as I plan so it helped refine my process even more!

Two things that really stuck out from Michelle’s talk were discover possible roadblocks BEFORE you hit them and having a response for it. Her example: If you want to leave the office everyday at 5 and you know late phone calls in the day are what usually make you leave late, you decide ahead of time not to pick up your phone if it rings past 4:45. I feel like this makes things so much simpler when they are thought about ahead of time and planned for!

She also mentioned celebrating each goal in some specific way. I wrote this post a few years back about celebrating but honestly needed Michelle’s refresher! Being driven means sometimes you forget to stop and reflect on everything the Lord has done. 

One last thing from Michelle. She said real goals should be outside of your comfort zone. If they aren’t, typically little will change. If they are, it will force us to grow. So if you goal is to keep things the same as last year, make lots of goals you are comfortable with, but if your goal is to change don’t worry that your list scares you a little. It should! And really, this is where I am most dependent on God anyway and where I’d like to be: in a place where only He can make something happen and I can’t assume I can do it on my own.

Below you will see my goal, verses paired with each goal, possible roadblocks and how I will celebrate. That last one was tough for me because so many goals seem like their own celebration if they are accomplished but I’d love to practically celebrate too and mark each one so feel free to share any ideas for those that are blank!!

Also, I am not including the full verses because I want you to dig into your Bible to read them!! 🙂

And one last note. Most of these goals don’t follow the formula of being specific or measurable. I’m ok with that for two reasons. 1. The breakdown of these goals for each month are specific so I will have some direction and gauge so it won’t be completely fluid. 2. I can go overboard about trying to do something without thinking about the heart behind it. This keeps me focused on the original purpose and not some arbitrary overall goal I set for myself. For me personally (it’s not like this for everyone so don’t hear me say this is a bad thing!!) if I put “read through the Bible in a year”, I can get too driven to do this and read without understanding or letting it sink into my heart. I have fallen in this trap so many times. My first trimester really slowed me down. I hated it. But now I see the Lord was wanting to slow down my too driven heart to pursue Him above all the good goals in the world!

GOAL 1. Glorify and serve God as a family. (i.e. cultivate a thriving marriage, train Vivi well, balance being a mother of two with peace and joy, prayerfully think about adoption, have our home be a strong foundation for rough seasons and our loved ones)

Verses: Deuteronomy 6:5-7, Matthew 7:24-27

Possible roadblocks & how to combat them:

• Neglecting quiet moments with the Lord because He is my provider for patience, grace, etc. for my sweet family – Don’t pick up phone before QT.
• Neglecting self-care because so much depends on me and letting myself get rundown and not very useful – Schedule time each week for self-care and budget for it.

How I will celebrate: ??

GOAL 2. Spend more time cultivating a life-giving and intentional brand culture for VMP and less time on logistics.

Verses: Hebrews 10:23-24, Colossians 3:23-24, 1 Peter 4:10, Philippians 2:3

Possible roadblocks:

• Urgent needs that aren’t important – Start my day with my top 3 tasks, not email. 
• Not setting out a clear plan – Map out my weekly goals before it starts.

How I will celebrate: Plan a giveaway that blesses a fan AND a good cause.

Goal 3. Live a life of peace and joy, not fear and negativity.

Verses: Psalm 34:4, Psalm 16:11

Possible roadblocks:

• Too much news, FB links or People mag – Take a few day media fast when I feel fear creeping in. 
• My own thoughts – Fill my mind with Scripture and prayer.

How I will celebrate: ??

Goal 4. Give radically. (i.e. up our giving to TBC, give more through VMP, God pocket, cooking meals for others).

Verses: Deut 15:11, Proverbs 3:9-10, Proverbs 21:13, Malachi 3:10, 2 Corinthians 9:6-12

Possible roadblocks:

• Being caught up in my own world, too busy to see what’s around me – Pray daily for eyes to see the needs of others
• Not planning ahead to cook for people – Plan at Sunday family meetings.

How I will celebrate: Go through journal of stories of how God has used our family over the year.

Goal 5. Make concrete financial goals and work towards them. (i.e. pay cash for vehicle, pay down extra on house, add upstairs (?), fund HSA/baby account).

Verses: Proverbs 29:18, Proverbs 13:11, Proverbs 13:7

Possible roadblocks:

• Excessive spending on food and clothes – Write truths on contentment card and reference these when I start feeling like these temporary things will satisfy.
• Forgetting to look at expenses twice a month – Put it on my calendar.
• Not taking out money each month for food and overspending on the card – Put on calendar to go the last week of each month. Make a end of the month to-do.

How I will celebrate: ??

Goal 6. Make my health a priority.

Verses: 2 Corinthians 7:1, Roman 12:1, Isaiah 40:31, Phil 2:12

Possible roadblocks:

• Not scheduling time to work out and assuming it’s just going to happen – Schedule it during my Sunday night prep.
• Assuming other things are more important – Include a phrase on my calendar to remind me it’s important.
• Choosing junk food over healthier options – Don’t bring junk food into the house.
• Not having healthy options prepared – Prepare veggies on Sundays with Vivi.

How I will celebrate: Invest in new workout clothes.

Goal 7. End my phone addiction.

Verses: Proverbs 4:25-26, Psalm 119:10

Possible roadblocks:

• Looking at my phone after Vivi’s goes to bed. I am usually tired by that point and it’s easy to sink into the couch and mindlessly scroll and not feel motivated to get up and go to bed early, read or clean the kitchen – Put phone in office right before Vivi’s bath time.
• Wanting to see likes or comments – Post less often and delete app after you post.

How I will celebrate: ??

Goal 8. Live the simple life. Less technology, less clothes, more porch time, more family, more margin, less hurry, less full calendars and more time serving.

Verses: 1 Thessalonians 4:11, Matthew 6:21, Hebrews 13:5

Possible roadblocks:

• Feeling like I will be satisfied by keeping up with the Joneses – Look back on gratitude journal to see how many things I am grateful for that are simple things. Remind myself that those things are more satisfying than an overly full life.
• Not saying no – Come up with my priority clarity statement.

How I will celebrate: Weekend trip with no phones.

Goal 9. Solidify friendships. Serve more and support them in their season.

Verses: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Proverbs 27:17, 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

Possible roadblocks:

• A busy schedule – Make sure I am available and not over scheduling my days.
• Being a tired, uncomfortable pregnant gal – Workout!! It made you feel incredible your last two trimesters with Vivi. 
• Being a tired, mom with a newborn – Let people into my mess. Don’t feel like hangout time needs to be glamourous.

How I will celebrate: Throw another Favorite Things Party

Goal 10. Use the creativity God gave me and look to Him instead of everyone else for future VMP products.

Verses: Ephesians 2:10, Proverbs 22:29, Isaiah 64:8, Proverbs 4:25-26

Possible roadblocks:

• Seeing what works for others and jumping on the wagon – Post up my mission statement and vision for VMP as I work on new products.
• Stubbornness and being attached too an idea even if it’s not something that fits what God wants me to do – Pray before I work on products.
• Procrastination and throwing together something – Plan time creative time each week. Read book Daily Rituals. 

How I will celebrate: ??

So there are my 10 goals!! Leave a comment and share some of yours! 

Goal Setting Series:

Monday – What I read in 2015
Tuesday – My favorite resources for goal-setting
Wednesday – My Word for 2016
Thursday – 10 Goals and Verses for 2016
Friday – Books for 2016

And don’t forget to check out Natalie’s goal setting series too!!