Why is it so hard to stick with our goals? Thinking about the fact that we are two-thirds of the way done with our First 90 Days following the TRANSFORMED sermon series got me to thinking about this. I’ve thought about this before when I’ve had goals in different areas in my life. Some I’ve reached and some I’ve not even come close to reaching. After some reading on the subject and some personal reflection, I’ve picked what I think are the top couple of reasons why we often fall short in our goals.

One of the first reasons, and probably number one for me, is the lack of a clearly defined goal. I’ve heard many people talk about this before and it’s so easy to overlook. A goal of “exercise twenty minutes every day” is easier to achieve than “get into better shape.” When you clearly define a goal, you know when you reach it, or by how much you’re falling short. When you have a goal that is more vaguely defined, such as “get into better shape,” how do you know when you’ve reached it? What does getting into better shape look like for you? Looking at that goal, you might not know exactly when it has been reached. Getting into better shape can be your main goal, but you need to have clearly defined steps to getting there, such as: exercising twenty minutes every day, eating three servings of fruit every day, and eating less than 2,000 calories per day.

Biting off more than you can chew is another recipe for disaster. If you lack patience like me, you might want to go out and run 3 miles after weeks or months of inactivity. If you set that as a goal, you’ll likely be disappointed when you’re ready to give up after one mile. If you break your goal into smaller, more achievable goals, you’re more likely to follow through and succeed, because you are achieving smaller goals and building confidence as you move toward your big goal. If I wanted to run 3 miles, the best way to achieve that might be to start with half a mile, then one mile, two miles, and then three miles, after I’ve built up my endurance.

One idea I’ve read about that I really like is writing your goal and posting it where you can see it every day. Maybe that’s on your refrigerator, the desktop of your computer, or the bathroom mirror. If you’re able to see it every day you’re much less likely to forget a day and it makes it more difficult to put it on the back burner. Similarly, some people make their goals public, by sharing them with family and friends, or posting about it on social media. These people are braver than me but it’s hard to deny that it does have the power of holding one accountable.

There are many other potential reasons why we fall short in our goals and there is a lot out there on the internet about making a plan for setting and reaching goals. If this is an area you struggle with, I would encourage you to think about why and consider doing some research and finding some strategies that can help you achieve your goals.

In His Service,
Jarvis

If you would like some one on one help in identifying personal goals and developing a plan, or you would like help with finding some additional resources, contact Jarvis at 217-423-6955.