It’s January 3rd. Gyms are filling up, organizational totes are on sale, and people are pulling out brand new planners. That means there are also all kinds of articles and reports about how no one ever meets their goals, people quit after 2 weeks, and so on. What is happening between January 1st and February 1st?
The truth: The goals seem unattainable, and people lose sight of what they are working towards.
If you have checked out the introduction article to my new site you’ll know that I created Homestead 128 to help you and I create a home with a purpose. A home that embraces the family and meets needs. And while that sounds lovely, the truth is that the only way to create the home you want is with one small change at a time.
So when I began the work on my new website I also began to work on our home. One small task, system, and attitude shift at a time. But before I started making these changes I took out a pad of paper and pen and forced myself to answer two questions.
What is one word that I want people to think of when they think of our home?
How am I going to get to this point?
It’s easy to come up with a big list of what my home is supposed to be like, but I forced myself to take it one small step at a time. So I picked one word to describe the environment we want to grow in our home.
If you feel like your home could use some improvements (think organization, attitudes, responsibilities, or physical appearance) this is the perfect place to start. The big picture, how do I want to describe our home? Here are a few words that can describe a home to help you get the ideas flowing:
joyful, generous, caring, peaceful, loving, creativity, responsibility, forgiving, hospitable, safe, humorous, cheerful, affectionate, active, Christ-centered, prayerful
All of these words would be perfect for describing a home, but just pick one to focus on for this month. (This is a great time to get your family involved! Ask at dinner what they think should be a word to describe the home.) You can always pick a new word to focus on in the coming months.
From here it is time to pick two goals for the month. These goals should be simple (please don’t pick 10 step goals!), and specific. They can be things that you take care of physically, or they could be dealing with habits or attitudes. And with each of these goals you need to write down the WHY. If you do not know why this is important than there really is no reason to bother getting it done. A few examples of specific goals and the why:
- Goal: Freeze 4 casseroles during the month. Why: I will have extra meals on hand when I think of someone who could use the support.
- Goal: Organize 3 drawers in the bathroom. Why: It will make our school mornings easier and less stressful.
- Goal: Pray with each kid before bed. Why: It will show them the importance of prayer in daily life & will help us all develop a good habit.
- Goal: Refinish the bathroom cabinet. Why: To be a good steward of my resources, and because it will help me feel more relaxed at home knowing the job is done.
- Goal: Take turns sharing one good thing that happened to us today at the dinner table. Why: It will help us grow grateful attitudes.
Here is one very important thing I want you to remember as you think about two things you want to work on in your home this month. Do not write down a goal that you “think you should have”. You won’t be motivated to finish this kind of a task. It holds no real meaning or value in your life. Instead, start with a word that you want to use to describe your home because it is important to you. And then make sure your goals have a why.
I put together a printable paper that gives you space to write down all of these important parts for your goals. Save it to your computer and print it off each month. Spend a few minutes brainstorming or discussing with your family and come up with your two goals for the month. Step by step you can create a home that has an environment your whole family can enjoy.
One word I want to use to describe our home: Hospitality
Goal 1: Clean out and organize the linen closet. Why: So I will be prepared for any guests and be encouraged to open up our home to others.
Goal 2: Invite others to our home for dinner twice this month. Why: This will help us develop a habit of welcoming others into our home, and being more comfortable with guests.
Don’t waste any more time just getting through. Right now is the time to take a small step towards creating a home with purpose.
Leslie says
What a great idea! Most of us are familiar with the one-word resolution concept, but I never thought to apply it to how I want our household to feel or operate. And you laid out a fantastic plan for achieving that goal, too!
Becky says
Yes! And going about it this way helps the whole family get involved. Thanks for taking the time to check this out.
shelley says
What a wonderful idea that will help guide every aspect of the home. Thanks for sharing at Over the Moon.
Becky says
Thanks Shelley! It is definitely an encouragement to me and helps me focus on what really counts when things get hairy around the house. 🙂
Lori says
Great tips on setting and achieving goals. I especially like the tip about not putting goals “you should do”. You’re right… there isn’t much motivation. Thanks for sharing at Dishing It & Digging It! Looking forward to seeing more of your creativity!
Becky says
So important to avoid those “should do” goals! Who is really going to work hard at those? Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Michele says
So much good and practical that you’ve shared!
Becky says
Thank you for stopping by and reading Michele. x
Hil says
We don’t entertain much but I wish we did!!
Thanks for linking up at #bloggerspotlight!
Becky says
I’m the exact same way!
Erlene says
This is a new approach to reaching my home goal. I’m in the middle of a 30 day kitchen challenge, so I’ll have to write down a few things that I want my kitchen to reflect. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday. Pinned.
Becky says
What a great season to use the home goal sheets! Hope the kitchen challenge is going well.