Here’s my quirky way of setting goals (it’s not what you think it is)
Happy weekending, Beloved!
So… who do you want to become this year?
Heck – you might even just focus on a few months at a time! (That’s 100% where I’m at right now. #noshame)
You see, when it comes to setting goals and my top priorities, I like to go a little… rogue.
Here’s the thing: Setting SMART goals (i.e. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) is a powerful way to accomplish things that matter to you.
My problem is that I can get so caught up in the minutae of setting SMART goals that I forget the “why” behind it all. (Btw starting with the details is NOT one of my strengths. You too?)
… which is why instead of starting with the “what’s,” I like to focus on the Who and Known-ish Future (not as complicated as it sounds, I promise).
When it comes to considering my top goals and priorities I ask these two questions:
1. What’s known-ish for the future? (i.e what are the Big Deal “likely-gonna-happen” items on the horizon?)
For instance, in 2020, I knew my family was moving to a new neighborhood, we were joining a new church campus, I was trying out some new ventures with Coffee Chats and Yoga Mats, and a few other things that boiled down to Exciting But Kinda Intimidating Changes.
2. Who do I want to be/act like in those circumstances/experiences?
In 2020, I knew it’d be so darn easy to hunker down and put minimal effort and intentionality into the upcoming changes. I knew that rather than letting myself be led by fear or be overwhelmed, I wanted to be proud of how I approached new challenges and opportunities. I wanted to be courageous in our new communities, my marriage, parenting, business, faith, and much more.
… which made it pretty darn easy to decide that I needed to focus on Courage during 2020 – and it was one of the best decisions I’d made. Even better? Choosing what to focus on didn’t require a hekcuva lot of effort because of those 2 simple questions.Yay!
Side note: I’ll share some practical, fun tips for how you can focus on your word/phrase in an upcoming message. Read your emails!
In the meantime, if you’ve chosen a focus word/phrase for the year, please hit reply with what it is. I’d love to cheer you on!
And if you haven’t? Use those questions above to see what comes to mind. You might be surprised by what you discover!
Here’s to you embracing who God created you to be (you’re pretty awesome) so you can be confident, purposeful, and passionate – no matter the season you’re in!
Cortney
I’m Cortney, a recovering over-achiever and God’s beloved who loves helping fellow Christian women like you embrace your God-given gifts so you have the confidence to live authentically.
I’m also a full-time mama to two sweet little boys, wife to my best friend, motivational speaker, and part-time Christian life coach. Chai lattes, strong coffee, podcasts, yoga, dance, and fairy tales nourish my soul and add sweetness to life.
Discovering the joy of embracing my God-given gifts and who He created me to be was a game-changer—a journey that brought freedom, unexpected delights, and relief from guilt. Finally, I felt free to be myself and ditch the pressure of being someone I wasn’t.
Incorporating those gifts into my day—from weekly planning to deciding on commitments, nurturing my marriage, and parenting—transformed everything. Now, I can’t imagine life without the perspective of fully embracing who God created me to be. I was missing so much without it!
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