Growth Plan Part 2

I recently read an article that was encouraging goal setting. Which is a good idea that I practice. However, as I read the goals, I quickly thought these are not goals but rather habits.

For example, one goal was to complain less. We are all guilty of complaining too much. Complaining less would make our lives better. As I see it complaining less is a habit that needs to be developed.

Goals help develop healthy habits which lead to healthier lives.

If I want to complain less, I need to set a few goals to help develop this habit.

Complaining less Goals:
• Track how often you complain and about what.
• Write down three things a day you are grateful for.
• Every time you complain commit to doing something positive.

Goals are a specific task that have a fixed endpoint.
Goals help develop and maintain healthy habits.

Healthy Habits are actions that are engrained in us, that have become natural because of continued repetition. Healthy habits are the things we do without thinking.

I had a bad habit of listening to the news multiple times a day. Too much bad news (most news is bad news) will affect your life. I needed to change my habit. So, I set a goal to listen to a new podcast every time I was in the car. I also set a goal to read more books and to exercise more which took more time. So, I didn’t have the time to watch and listen to the news. My goals changed my habit.

Here are a few more examples:
Habit: Read Scripture
Goal: Read the Bible in a year
Habit: Exercise
Goal: run a 5k
Habit: Be more loving
Goal: Acts of kindness

Part of a good growth plan will include good goals that will develop healthy habits.

What goals are you going after? What habits are you trying to develop?