Were you one of those people that tried to get everything in order to start fresh for the new year? Like so much that it became a chore vs something you were able to enjoy?
A few of my friends and I spend quite a few hours at a local coffee shop earlier this week to work on our goals for this year of 2020. We purchased Powersheets (a GOAL planner to help you dig into and cultivate what matters the most) and we all sat at a long table, all spread out just choosing to dig in. Choosing to do the messy work of digging deeper to realize what actually fires us up. There is a whole section of what I call “Soul Work” in the beginning before we even make it to the area to actually write out our goals.
That work of digging in stretches us past our comfort. Y’all, its not always fun digging into the dirt! Its not fun digging into the stuff that we may be dragging along with us year in and year out. Its not easy digging into our fears and then choosing to let them go. Its not easy letting some goals that you think you should accomplish go.
Then, in the midst of all that we get hit with trying to make it perfect. Trying not to mess up. Wanting to have it all done RIGHT NOW because if we don’t get it done now, some invisible goal genie is going to come down and chastise us. We will look like a failure and a fraud. We will not be enough.
“Well everyone else has their crap together and I am over here struggling. I will be so behind and will never be able to catch up”, we think to ourselves.
Okay, let me ask you something. How do you know if everyone else has their crap together? You know good and well if you sat to think about it, you could name a few people in your life that couldn’t care less about even thinking about setting a goal. Did you go to their house to watch them set goals? Did you see their process? Do you know if those goals that look so perfect are even from this year? What if they have been posting the same photo over and over each year because they feel like a fraud if they don’t set goals, so they are just putting something out there to fool us?
You know kind of like those people that shove stuff in closest for that perfect Instagram photo.
You see, its so easy to see one or two people that jotted down some goals and automatically call it “everybody”. Its easy to believe a highlight reel thinking it’s all rainbows and sunshine for others. We don’t get to see all the dirt that was plowed through. The reality is, we need to focus on the truth.
What is the truth here?
I can tell you a few truths.
Girlfriend, you gotta be you! The way you do things and how YOU get to your goals and intentions is just as good as someone else that seems to have theirs ready to go.
Life happens and we must give ourselves grace. Heavenly Father extends grace out to us over and over, but why is it so hard for us to give ourselves grace. We are not chasing perfection here. We are chasing little by little progress, but I need you to look at your progress and call it good. Comparison will rob you. You were not meant to be her. You were meant to be YOU. Accept YOU for all that you are. She is good enough.
Let’s let go of the idea that you will miss out if it is not done right now. Anything great that was ever accomplished took time. It took planning. It took cultivating. It took one goal that probably got scratched out and revised. Maybe it took not even realizing the goal until 6 months into the year.
There has been new goals and ideas that have come to my mind later on in the year. Things will change and it makes life better when we learn to embrace that change, instead of thinking everything will crash if we go off course for a little bit.
I want all of us to dream big, but just because we dream big does not mean it all has to be worked on RIGHT NOW. What if I told you that it could even be worked on next year. Getting the ideas down on paper and out of your head is still a way of honoring those things that are in your heart.
So even when you are not working on them right away, you are still able to just guard them with your heart until the time comes.
My sweet sister, release yourself from the worldly way of thinking it all has to be together or you will have to wait for another fresh start or you have to hustle and do it all. Each day we have been given is a fresh start. And the truth is we can’t do all the things and do them all well.
Good things grow where its messy. Just as God doesn’t look for perfect people to do his will. He comes after us just as we are, right where we are in the mess, in the brokenness, in the healing, because he knows that just as seeds are watered little by little, in order to bloom and grow, we are the same. Seeds waiting to sprout.
Our goals are waiting to sprout as well, but we must be gentle and nurturing, tending to them little by little, taking time to meditate on them, sit with them, and focus on a little at a time. Too many at one time will overwhelm you and take your joy away just as too many seeds in one spot will choke the roots of the other plants and never grow.
You can set goals and give yourself grace at the same time. So my love, the way you do you is amazing and more than enough! I am super proud of you for diving in.
If you are reading this and you have not set any goals, I’m going to love you enough and tell you to go after the things in your heart.
You have been created for more than just existing in this world.
You have been created for more than just going to work and going home each day with no fun in between.
You have been created for a divine purpose and it’s time that you discover the true you!
Start writing something down. It’s okay to dream crazy seemingly impossible dreams because with God all things are possible. Take those baby steps to get there. Then, if it starts to become crazy and overwhelming, go back and read this whole post for yourself, message me, email me, whatever it is so I can speak some truth over you!
Much love,
Charleston Artist | Writer | Photographer 