The Secret to a Meaningful Year: Pick the Right Focus (Not Just More Goals)

Happy New Year, friend!

For many of us, a new year brings with it a fresh awakening to dreams in our hearts, new goals, and even a recommitment to healthy habits.

Depending on the life season I’m in, I typically find myself drawn to one of the above (dreams, goals, habits.)

“What’s the difference?” you might be asking.

Here’s a simple way I like to think of them:

• Dreams—begin in the heart. Almost always linked to my greater purpose/destiny. I need God and other people to help them come to pass. Require faith and action, as well as a healthy dose of trust that I am being supported and guided, especially when the path isn’t immediately clear.
• Goals—have measurable outcomes (running a marathon by x date, losing 30 lbs, getting 8 hours of sleep each night, etc.) I can often reverse engineer the process to figure out the steps I need to take to reach said goal. Other people are helpful (coach, workout buddy, personal trainer, etc. provide strategy/motivation/accountability.)
• Habits—regularly repeated processes that, over time, compound and can create big results. Based on a decision to align my lifestyle with my values. Not necessarily linked to dreams or goals but are almost always a key component in helping the other two come to pass.

By looking at my current season and honestly assessing my capacity and clarity (of vision), I hone in on one (or a combo) of the above to focus on in any given year.
(This year, it’s a combo of all three.)

I’m curious, in light of my definitions, which of the three are you most drawn to?

One? A combo? None of the above?

Let’s be honest. If you’ve navigated a lot of heartbreak and disappointment recently, dreams especially might not feel easily accessible.

If that’s the case, I’m so sorry that life has felt crushing lately, and I’m praying that light breaks through the darkness very soon.

Something I’ve found helpful, especially in difficult seasons, is this:

In the absence of a clear vision, I focus on my habits. (If this feels helpful, feel free to take it for yourself.)

The key? Start small.

Even something as simple as choosing to drink water each day—over time—adds up and creates its own momentum.

I promise you, you’ll never regret a choice to invest in your physical, emotional, or spiritual health.

Baby steps add up.

With you in the journey towards great wholeness and wellbeing,