What if I told you there are four steps to take to meet your goals and become a better person in one month?
You don’t have to wait until New Year’s Day to set goals and make resolutions. You don’t have to get discouraged for not achieving your resolutions or goals you set in the past. So, I want to share four steps you can take to change your life in just thirty days.
Why We Don’t Achieve Goals
There are three factors that prevent us from reaching our goals:
- Lack of focus
- Lack of clarity
- Lack of desire
It’s not that we completely lack focus, clarity, or desire, but we lack the discipline of directing these towards our goals. We often lose motivation because our vision gets a little blurry on the way to achieving our goals. Just like with hiking, you might be super excited at the beginning of your hike, but somewhere from your starting point and your destination, you might drag your feet, pause more often for breaks, and roll your head like a toddler who doesn’t want to keep walking.
This happens to me A LOT.
When I was working on my book, there were moments I wished it was over. I wanted to call it quits and questioned my skills and the intentions of my heart. I’d throw my head back in annoyance because I wouldn’t get the wording quite right or couldn’t put my thoughts into coherent sentences. I felt overwhelmed, annoyed, and unmotivated.
That’s when I knew something was off. It wasn’t me or my project. It wasn’t the goal or the end-result. The problem was my lack of discipline of directing focus, clarity, and desire towards my goal. It was a lack of consistency and commitment to the steps it would take to grow exponentially.
That’s why I want to share how to change your in 30 days. This framework is helpful for personal development, spiritual growth, and motivation for your goals. You will grow as a person (and hence, change your life) when you follow these four memorable steps.
Step 1: Read ONE chapter from the Bible
The first step is to read ONE chapter from your Bible every day for at least an entire month. Start with Proverbs or one of the gospels and open to the chapter that correlates to today’s date. Keep it simple.
When I first started doing reading through Proverbs daily, I noticed the impact it had on my heart, mind, and emotions within one month. I was challenged to change negative behaviors, habits, and false belief systems within one month. It didn’t much longer after one month for its wisdom to trickle into my daily thinking and my conversations. And ever since then, I’ve encouraged everyone in my path to read through Proverbs every day for one month. It could be any other book in the Bible, but I just strongly recommend Proverbs as a starting point.
In Psalm 119:97-99, there’s an emphasis on the value and benefit of regularly studying, reading, and meditating on God’s Word. It says, 97 Oh, how I love your law!I meditate on it all day long. 98 Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
In this passage, the psalmist expresses his deep love and appreciation for God’s law, His word. The Word of God holds instructions and teachings that give us wisdom for daily living. The psalmist declares his commitment to meditate on God’s law continually, implying a consistent and dedicated practice of studying the Word of God. As a result, he gains wisdom, insight, and understanding beyond his enemies and competitors and even his teachers and elders.
Even though the Bible doesn’t directly say to “read the Bible for X amount of days” or even “every day,” we can look at this example and understand the transformative power of daily Bible reading and meditation. Through this step, we can develop a deep understanding of God’s principles, gain wisdom and discernment to navigate life’s challenges. We also grow in focus, clarity, and desire to live a life full of purpose (like we’re given through Jesus Christ!).
Read ONE chapter from the Bible (Proverbs) starting today!
Step 2: Write down TWO things you’re grateful for daily
The second step is to write down TWO things you’re grateful for everyday for 30 days straight. Keep a notebook by your bed and do this first thing in the mornings or right before you go to sleep. Be grateful for BIG and small things.
Gratitude is a popular topic. Yet most of us still don’t practice it. We acknowledge the benefits and understand its importance. We nod our heads in agreement when someone shares a cool quote about gratitude. But most of us still don’t practice it, and I think that’s why we feel like we struggle more than other people. One of my theories is that we don’t actually believe in practicing gratitude. Maybe we don’t think it will work because it seems too easy and too good to be true. Maybe it feels cheesy to be practical about it. Or maybe we just don’t know the power of gratitude. Whatever the reason, this is your sign to practice gratitude today!
(I’ll mention the Bible again because I’m all about personal growth through biblical principles).
The Bible does not explicitly mention practicing gratitude for a specific duration of 30 days, but there are many passages that encourage and emphasize the importance of cultivating a heart of gratitude. One example is in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. It says: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
In this verse, the apostle Paul instructs the Thessalonians to rejoice always, maintain a constant attitude of prayer, and give thanks in all circumstances. This tells us that gratitude is not just a temporary practice, but should be a way of life for Christians. I like to break this verse down like this: when I rejoice always, it’s easier to pray. When I pray constantly, it’s easier to give thanks. When I give thanks in all circumstances, I know God’s will for me in Christ Jesus.
This brings us back to having focus, clarity, and a desire to live a purposeful life! When we commit to a 30-day gratitude challenge, we will absolutely change our lives within one month. By intentionally practicing gratitude for 30 consecutive days, we can cultivate an attitude of thankfulness and increase our awareness of the blessings in our lives.
True gratitude goes beyond occasional feelings of thankfulness. It’s also not just about habitually writing in gratitude journals. True gratitude flows out of us when we make it an intentional part of our lives and let it transform our inner beings and influence those around us. The power of gratitude is that when we practice it consistently, it actually affects and transforms our character. The importance of practicing gratitude is that it sets us up to become grateful people. If we want to be satisfied, content, and happy, it’s important to practice gratitude. The “practicing” part is, so that gratitude becomes part of us in the long run.
Step 3: Connect with THREE people weekly
Step three is to find or connect with THREE people for accountability once a week for one month. Look for people who inspire, challenge, and encourage you. One person can be someone on social media you follow and learn from (distant), another can be a friend whom you trust and is in a similar season (close + relatable), and the third can be a mentor or someone in a season ahead of you (close + mentor like). Spend time with these people and be one of these 3 for others as well!
I understand that once a week might be too much or not possible for everyone. But the point is to spend time with people who can keep you accountable. You could split these connections throughout the month and meet at least three times. You will see a change in your life.
My life changed completely when I found these three levels of accountability. I started out with weekly calls with one friend who is in a similar season, monthly lunches with a mentor, and tuning into personal growth podcasts and books at least once a month.
Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors, there is safety.” There is value in having multiple individuals in your circle who can provide guidance, support, feedback, encouragement, and things that challenge us to grow. When seeking accountability partners, it is important to choose individuals who are committed to their faith, trustworthy, and have a genuine concern for your spiritual growth, personal development, and a relationship with you.
Another verse is in Ecclesiastes 4:12: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” By having three levels of accountability through three different people, we can grow in different areas of our lives on a monthly basis. Godly individuals can offer accountability, support, and wise counsel in various aspects of life. Connect with the people you want speaking into your life.
Step 4: Schedule FOUR intentional time slots in your week
Step four is to set aside FOUR times during the week to meditate, pray, and connect with God. It doesn’t have to be fancy, long, or complex. Some ideas are to go on a simple 15-minute walk and talk to God. You could find a quiet space in your home or outside where you can meditate with minimal distractions for at least 15-minutes. You could take yourself out for coffee or a meal and journal about your experience this month. Finally, you could do this whenever you’re driving.
Personal example: I will be candid with you. This one’s hard for me. I stay busy and occupy myself with multiple projects. I work a full-time job while working on my passion projects on the side (podcast, blog, books, etc.), so to create four intentional time slots where I can connect with God can be difficult and frustrating. So, to streamline this step, going on walks throughout the week works best for me. When it’s not too hot or cold in my part of the world, I’ll step outside and sit on our patio in complete silence for 15 minutes. Eyes closed, listening to God, and praying silently.
If Jesus set aside time to connect with God, I believe this step is essential for ultimate spiritual growth and personal development (even in one month). In Mark 1:35, it says: “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” Nowadays, everything is pulling for our attention. Emails, social media, notifications, podcasts, the entertainment industry, our families, friends, coworkers, and all the other issues of life pull for our attention. We’re easily distracted and cluttered, which results in no motivation.
Jesus is the ultimate example of intentionally carving out time for communion with God. Despite the demands of the crowds, His disciples, His ministry, and His regular life, there are multiple instances in the Gospels where Jesus makes it a priority to seek solitude to connect with His Heavenly Father through prayer and time.
This last step of scheduling intentional times four times a week to connect with God allows us the space to recharge, receive direction, and gain focus, clarity, and a desire for a purposeful life. By setting aside specific time to connect with God, we can deepen our spiritual intimacy, seek guidance, pour out our hearts in prayer, and listen to God’s voice through His Word. It serves as a reminder that intentionally creating space for God in our lives is crucial for spiritual growth, strength, and discernment.
Conclusion
Just like there are three factors that prevent us from reaching our goals, there are three factors that help us reach our goals:
- Clear focus
- Consistent clarity
- Purposeful desire
We won’t always have these three simultaneously. They won’t always be synced. Our focus might shift, our clarity might change hues, and our desires might pivot. Which isn’t a bad thing, because that’s also a result of growth. But with these four steps, no matter what goals you’re achieving or if you simply want to grow personally or spiritually, your life will change in 30 days and you’ll learn how to watch the views as you hike to your destination.
tanyaremkiv 