13 Steps to Setting Goals and Forming Permanent Good Habits

by thejourney

1. Identify the end results (goals) of what you would like to accomplish from this new habit. When you decided to start this new habit, it was because there was something about your life that was not working. Maybe your problem has created conflict in an important relationship in your life or career. Maybe your goal is to rid yourself of an existing “bad” habit or behavior. Be sure to identify your goal. Be sure to identify the behavior you are going to substitute along with the “new” behavior. Be very specific. “I want to be a better Christian” or “I want to quit smoking” is not a new habit. “I will study the Bible on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6pm to 7pm instead of watching television” is more specific and doable. Develop a strategy for completing your goals so the end results can be attained.

2. Discover your motivations for sticking to this new habit. Write down all of your motivations for forming this new habit on a piece of paper. We all have different motivations for accomplishing things. For example, you may want to get in shape, lose weight, lower your blood pressure, or feel youthful. Look at how this forming this new habit will benefit all areas of your life, not just your spirit or soul, but your body as well. God wants you to glorify Him in all things! So consider how this habit will affect your relationship with God, spouse, children, job, income, social contacts, and physical health. The more thorough you are when doing this exercise, the easier it will be for you to follow through! Keep writing until you can’t imagine a life without this new habit.

3. Examine the consequences for quitting this new habit. Along with the reasons why you should finish your goal, write down the ways you will be negatively affected if your life does not change dramatically. Again, consider all areas of your life: spiritual, physical and emotional. We all have urges to quit things. Have powerful reasons not to quit ready and accessible, so you are prepared when doubts come.

4. Make a public commitment. Be fully committed. This will do the trick every time. Accountability is a powerful stimulus to stick to a new habit. So tell everyone you can, at church, blog it, twitter, facebook it. When you have publicly committed to a goal or new habit your much more reluctant to quit.

5. Choose an accountability partner to support you in your development to help keep you focused and motivated. An accountability partner will help keep you on track. You can report your progress (and failures) as you go along. They will be there for great advice, for moral support, and to help keep you going when you want to stop. Marks of a good accountability partner are:

a. Unity- Either an accountability partner of the same gender or your spouse is preferred so you can comfortably share your inward struggles and failures.

b. Solidarity- Someone who understands your struggles and has developed past them can often be more effective in helping you. They know where you are coming from, and can speak from experience.

c. Transparency- Pick a partner who can have forthright and candid conversations with you. Accountability is not useful if you are lying about your struggles or progress with your partner.

6. Find inspiration from God on a daily basis. Inspiration is one of the best motivators, and it can be found everyday in the Word of God and by prayer. Every day, ask God for new inspiration for your meditations, and it will help sustain motivation over the long term.

7. Always think positively about what God is trying to accomplish. Cast down all negative thoughts while you monitor your thinking. According to the Bible, what a person thinks is what they become. The Bible also tells us that all thoughts that are negative, unbelieving, or untrue need to be pushed out, and replaced with positive (truthful) thoughts. Positive thinking based on God’s Word can be amazingly transformational.

8. Give it time – be patient. This is often easier said than done. Our 21st century thinking causes us to expect instant results. When you think about your goals, think long term. It has taken you years to develop the problems and mindsets that have led you to this new habit. So obviously, it will take God some time to change your thinking and bad habits.

9. Track your progress without condemnation. When you are not being consistent or lapsing, ask yourself “Why?” But be careful not to “beat yourself up” over a lapse. Ask God to help you have the strength to finish what you started.

10. Plan for a marathon, not a sprint. This is going to take a little time. Here are some methods for not burning out:

a. Break your goals into smaller, mini-goals. Sometimes large or long-term goals can be overwhelming. Instead of saying you are going to read a whole book or run 10 miles, say you will read 10 pages during lunch, or jog 1 mile during your lunch break.

b. Don’t burn your self out the first week in your enthusiasm for a new life. Plan out a course of action where you slowly increase your effort over time, then prepare for God’s grace on your behalf to keep it going. Keep a pace that you can reasonably maintain till you accomplish your goal.

11. Make the habit enjoyable. One reason you might be tempted to put off this new habit is because it is hard work. This might be true, but the key to success is to find a way to make it fun or pleasurable. For instance, if you do not enjoy memorizing scripture, try making it into a song or a game. If you do not enjoy reading, try reading the book with someone you enjoy, rather than watching television with them. If you focus on making this habit enjoyable, the duty of it will become delight.

12. Just do it. You are going to have to conclude that you are going to just do it! This is essential. Your life has come to the point, that you need to change something. Stop making excuses and just start doing the new habit! Here are some thoughts to help you with this:
a. Just get started. There are some days when you will not feel like getting out of bed, or reading, or exercising, or whatever your new habit is. Instead of thinking about how hard it is and how long it will take, ask God for help to start then do it! He will help you.

b. Make it a rule to never skip two days in a row. This rule takes into account our natural tendency to miss days now and then. We are not perfect. So, you missed one day … now the second day is upon you and you are feeling lazy, apathetic, or discouraged … tell yourself NO! You will not miss two days in a row

c. Commit to this new habits for a minimum of 30 days uninterrupted. Research tells us that it takes a minimum of 3-4 weeks to develop a new habit. Don’t quit. Permanent, habits are just around the corner.

13. Chart Your Progress with a journal. A journal will help track how you are progressing. Make a habit of looking back on your previous day to see how you are progressing. Then, at longer intervals, (weekly, monthly, etc.) look at previous days in your journal to see how you are developing through your struggles and see the victory. You will be amazed at the progress that you will see in hindsight.

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