Thanks for stopping by today. Welcome back for those who have been following us, and if you’re new here, make sure you read my earlier posts, for the foundations of what “Becoming” is all about.
It’s that time of the year when we need to be looking ahead. Refreshing ourselves for the coming year and making our own lists and checking them at least twice. That’s where we’ll focus on the edition of “Becoming Today”.
Setting objectives for our individual paths is crucial to the process of “Becoming”. Today we’ll look back in preparation of growing ahead as we revisit goal setting objectives and planning, to help foster some ideas for your upcoming year.
So how do we start on the path of “Becoming”?
The first step is simple. Make the decision to do so. Just do it, already!
The next step a little harder, pledge to keep at it. Affirm your belief and commit to making the necessary changes, adjustments and growth focused necessities for whatever it is you want to become.
Then the third step, set some measurable goals.
Measurable goals and shared accountability are major factors in the outline for my household this year. We spent significant time prior to Christmas, examining, planning, developing, writing, reexamining, rewriting and further revising.
The result for our shared year of “Becoming”, is organized, written (and kept in a binder for easy shared access) goals for the entire household, each individual member and goals we each proposed for the other.
Now we did far more than a wish list, bullet points or “honey-do’s”.
We set standards, action plans and even went further and made covenants. Making our goals more than documents, rather as living testaments.
There are plenty of places where you can find resources to help you set goals, plan for them and format them. For us we decided on using a business template found in Google Docs. The project proposal forms translated well, with some adaptation to set our foundation for “Becoming”.
So I’ll share some of the elements and with respect to my family’s privacy, some of the specific language we used to formulate these covenants, because words are never just words, words have meaning, and that in itself means a lot.
We began with “Overview & Purpose”, a mission statement for the home to be in accord with what we want to be “Becoming”:
“Coming together as independent individuals, sharing a domicile, and intentionally setting our combined focus on becoming the strongest, most empowered God-fearing beings we can be; it is vital we set these objectives, hopes and shared visions in writing, to make them truly achievable and to hold each of us and the “we” accountable.”
From there we formulated our “Standards”. These are three main areas to structure the goals under. For our home they are:
- Emotional. Helping each other and fostering the atmosphere of the home.
- Financial. Necessary responsibilities and physical needs.
- Spiritual. Keeping individual and combined focus on the glory of God, always.
Then we talked about the tough stuff. “Verification and Accountability”. Setting scheduled times to review, revise and hopefully celebrate progress and growth:.
- February 1st. Initial review. Feelings? Suggestions? Immediate changes?
- March 1st. Growth should be seen in accountable standards.
- April 1st, no foolin’! Serious examination of our progress so far. Revisions necessary to continue becoming in Q2.
Now some steps are easier to measure than others but within three months we should be able to judge if we are remaining sincere, honest and true to our standards.
Now these are the areas my household is committed to “Becoming” in:
Emotional Well Being, Healing & Attitude
“The overall goal is to ensure and foster a warm, loving, caring, nurturing, safe and supportive atmosphere in the home at all times. God leads and directs our lives, individually and together, and is the ultimate authority within our hearts and these walls.
Steps to ensure that this objective is achieved include to live at all times, with an open, honest attitude and loving heart. Share all we can with one another and God. No hiding, failing to say, or omissions.
Specific practices shall include, but are not limited to……….”
We then outlined some very personal and specific needs in this realm, which as I mentioned before for the privacy of my family will remain private. However I hop this can serve as an outline for your specific needs.
The second standard is:
Financial Peace
“The overall focus is to regain control over the physical and material needs in our lives. To truly be responsible and accountable for being wise stewards of the means and abundance provided for us by God.
Steps along this path as of the drawing of this map are……”
Then thirdly, but certainly not least in importance:
Spiritual: Honor Commitments and Desires
“Growing together, loving, honoring and obeying the Lord in all aspects of our lives. A recommital of belief, faith and trust plus daily, ceaseless practices of the beliefs and works.
Promises being made and responsibilities being mutually accepted we pledge to…..
Plus we didn’t stop there. We asked each other to suggest a goal for another in the home. It is more than just a prompting or giving an idea. We stated the purpose behind our hope for the other and then offered steps we would take to assist them in achieving it; should they choose to accept.
Here’s an example for a goal offered for me that Im accepting:
PURPOSE
“This goal I offer to Rochelle as a prayer for her continued growth and becoming. It is a testament to who you are, how worthy you are and what I may be able to do to assist you. My goal for Rochelle in 20/20 +1 ( see I have the family on board with the year’s demarcation, lol) is that she be fully aware of how God sees her. And that she remains true to His truth and continuing walking her path in His Peace and Joy.”
COMMITMENTS
“While the ultimate accountability for achievement rests solely in Rochelle’s heart, mind and actions, the following outlines aspects and suggestions I believe I can and are more than willing to assist her with:………..”
Yes, the ultimate accountability not only in these goals but in the entire concept of “Becoming”, lies in ourselves. Personal responsibility is a key tenant of “Becoming”.
Then we also set specific goals for ourselves. Again with measurable acceptable and in three standards. From my own for 20/20 + 1:
SPECIFICATIONS
Review of progress on all three goals every 2 weeks throughout the first quarter of 2021. Increasing standards of accountability for taking responsible, inspired action on all fronts each and every day. A full review and shared revision with the household on April 1st. .
Then we get to the level of commitment. It’s not just a phase, a catchy slogan or pop psychology. We are viewing these written testaments as covenants:
“This year, 20/20 +1, will be my best year yet. Plus there will be many more, even better, yet to come.
This pledge of all the above documents is respectfully submitted for your and mine consideration; however those thought processes defer to and are secondary to the blind obedience I submit to God. I consider this a binding agreement between the Lord and myself, fully accepting all responsibility for co-creating my best life now.”
And I also personally signed mine with the following line,
“ I love myself. I love the Lord and I love life”.
Remember, you can always post comments, questions, thoughts, below. If you haven’t already done so, go ahead and subscribe, to be notified of our latest post. If you’re not ready for the world to see that you’re “Becoming”, well you’ll need to get over that; in the meantime though you can always send a private message on my Contact page.
Becoming Today with Rochelle Jeanette 