Happy New Year to you! The holidays have passed, and it is on to the season of new things. It may mean New Year’s resolutions, being bombarded with health information, but hopefully, above all, a sense of lightness and a “can-do” attitude that makes you feel as if some of those small changes you want to begin making in your life are possible!

Wholee Healthy’s new year is bringing the change of shifting the company to become a faith-based company, as I felt God was leading me down the path of helping other believers at a deeper level. Therefore, our mission statement has now changed to: “Empowering individuals to live the life God created them to live through a holistic approach to health, founded in faith.”

Goals?!

To get the ball rolling on this new, deeper element of Wholee Healthy, I’ve created a “course” of sorts to guide you to set your goals this new year with God… in fact I hesitate to even call it “goal setting”. Rather, I’d call it more of creating a blue print for your life!

Now, I know that resolutions, goals, yada, yada…. you’re overwhelmed with all of the talk of them. You might’ve already set them for all I know! But, I doubt you’ve set them quite like this…

And if you didn’t set them and are somewhat against them, I was with ya until I heard a statement from Pastor Rick that was something to the effect of: If you don’t set goals, you’re allowing your life to go into autopilot… and allowing your life to be in “default mode” rarely works to your own personal benefit and never helps you become the person God created you to be.

Basically, let’s live our lives on purpose! So, if I’ve convinced you to set goals (or re-set them), you have 2 options:

1) use the video guide I created for you along with the guiding printable sheets at the bottom of this post

2) read the rest of this post along with the guiding printable sheets at the bottom of this post

And you also have the option of both!

Take your time. But, get it done…

Either way, Happy New Year, and welcome to your healthiest, most purposeful year yet!

Setting Goals with God- creating a blueprint for our lives with the master architect

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

Why Not?

Why haven’t you already become the person you want to be? I think that question is often what prevents us from setting goals in the first place… because it’s admitting that we’re failures. We could do better. But, this will always be true! And until we highlight the things holding us back from becoming more and heal from them, we’ll never be able to move forward!

That doesn’t mean we dwell on the past, it means we allow ourselves to heal. We allow God to heal us. And then? We close the door to our past. We realize we don’t have to be that person anymore. We can tell ourselves a new story about who we are. We don’t have to accept one thing about ourselves as truth except for the fact that we are God’s creation. And in him, we are new creations… we are renewed daily!

With that segue, let’s set these bad boys like we’ve never set them before. Let’s get out of the driver’s seat. Let’s let God take the wheel. Let’s stop drawing on our own, limited power, and let’s plug into God’s nuclear, unlimited power source… Let’s set goals not based on who we think we are, but who we think our God is!

Holistic Health

Wholee Healthy, as I mentioned earlier uses the idea of holistic health, or taking our whole lives and beings into consideration when it comes to health. I have added a 7th dimension this year as well: Financial. We will be setting goals in each of these 7 dimensions:

Physical (exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress managment)

Social (relationships, interactions)

Intellectual (work, hobbies)

Mental (self-talk, attitude, outlook)

Environmental (surroundings, organization)

Financial (spending, budgeting, giving)

Wowza… that is a lot of goals, Jess! Yep it will be. And you might even have more than one goal for some of the dimensions. This process I’m taking you through is snippet of what I do with my clients… Sometimes this process produces upwards of 20 goals! Try to keep it to around 2 per dimension, but do what you feel works for you! Remember, the idea here is not to work on all of these goals simultaneously and hardcore, so trust the process… it’s not a race- it’s a blueprint for our lives. We’ll get to that more soon…

The Goal Setting (or blueprint creating) Process

Dreaming

For each of these dimensions, I’ll ask you a few guiding questions you can answer. And then, we’ll start with dreaming. The first part of the process is creating a vision of what our ideal health would look like– in the most detail we can possibly create. That is why I created an open page (in the guiding printable sheets) for you to just write. What would a person who had this kind of health look like? What would they do? How would it feel to have attained this kind of health? What would you have to do to maintain it. Remember, the more detail the better… and don’t limit yourself! It’s the best reality you can imagine for each dimension.

Making the Dreams Reality

Then, we’ll start making those dreams into reality. We’ll break it down into where we want to be a year from now. Then, a month from now. Then, the big doozy, the bite-sized daily or weekly ACTION we can take to eventually become this person we imagined. This is where we really want to make sure our goals are SMART- Measurable is especially key to goal attainment and we also want to make sure we can realistically attain each of these smaller steps to build confidence and create long-term habits! (see guiding printable sheets for each of these steps)

Bringing God into the Equation

Most people would stop here. But, we’re going to take it a step further, and this step is where the magic happens! We’re bringing in the big guns- the big guy in fact! After we create a blueprint, we’re going to give it to God for the finishing touches. I love the analogy that we all have a God-shaped hole. Only with him in our lives do we truly feel fulfilled. Every moment. Every success. Every decision. We only feel the true, wholeness of fulfillment we were designed to feel when God is in it with us!

So, as we shape this blueprint for our lives, we’ll ask ourselves a few questions about each goal. We’ll see if it is in alignment with God’s plan for us, and then we’ll see what he has to say about it. Because we might plan our lives (insert: “and God laughs”), but he is the one who gives us the power to live it… and he is the one who knows what is best for us.

Reminders

As we go through this process, remember something: We often underestimate what we can do long-term and overestimate what we can do short-term. Also, small, focused, consistent steps can add up to big things over time. Oh and one last thing: the weekly or daily action? Make it realistic! Make it something that you can do long-term and adopt as a system… for life! Celebrate consistency vs results. Make it something you can attain and build confidence with! I’ll give examples as we go… but, without further ado, let’s dive into it!

Spiritual Health

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

Here are a few guiding questions to get you started on writing out your “dream” spiritual health:

• What do you believe is the purpose of life?
• What do you want to be remembered for?
• What do you want your relationship w/ God to feel like?
• How aligned is your life with these beliefs and desires?

Next, transfer it to yearly goals… then goals you have for the next month. And then, what can you do each day or week to get there?

Bite-sized tasks might include daily prayer, setting midday reminders on your phone to reconnect, daily devotions, weekly small group Bible Study, or attending church regularly each week.

As you look through this plan, ask yourself what foreseeable challenges there may be to attaining it?

Next, ask yourself if it’s specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic (SMART-time-based we’ve already done).

Now it’s time for the game-changer! This is where we give it to God… The guiding questions?

1. Will it honor God?
2. Is is motivated by love?
3. Will it require depending on God?

When you can answer yes to each question, get ready to present it to God:

1. Focus on the goal in your mind (or say it outloud) and ask God what his opinion is.
2. Wait. Listen.
3. Did he present you with any pictures or thoughts that sway the goal? Was there any way that you might change the goal when presented with the idea of bringing it before God?

Maybe he wants you to make the goal bigger. To depend on him further. Maybe he’s telling you to simplify it. Maybe he has an entirely different avenue he wants to take you down. As you listen and meditate with him on each goal, adjust them as needed.

NOW you have your master plan. Signed and sealed by the master. Subject to change. A guide for the time-being. Purposeful steps to take to better yourself.

Physical Health

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The goals in the physical dimension of health should pertain to (see parenthesis for examples):

• Exercise (strength, improve physical health stats, lose fat, lose weight, etc)
• Nutrition (cleaner, keto, veggies, water, intermittent fasting, meal plans, regularly meal planning, etc)
• Sleep (7-8 hours a night is the goal!)
• Stress Management (meditation, breathwork, yoga, 10 deep breaths, walk around the block, stretching, etc)

And we go through the process again. Dream. Yearly. Monthly. Weekly/daily tasks. Ask the questions to ready it for God. Give it to him. Adjust as he guides you.

Social Health

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17

For this dimension, focus on:

• Things YOU can improve (communication, tone, consistency, etc)
• Consider each close relationship- how do you want to show up in it?! (a parent with a listening ear, a son who is there to help with technology questions, a friend who checks in regularly, etc)

Dream. Yearly. Monthly. Bite-sized weekly/daily tasks. Prepare it for God. Give it to God. Adjust.

Intellectual Health

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 90:17

In this dimension, consider:

• Work (career path, retirement, volunteer-work, etc)
• Hobbies (enjoyment, things you find stimulating and invigorating, etc)

Dream. Yearly. Monthly. Bite-sized weekly/daily tasks. Prepare it for God. Give it to God. Adjust.

Mental Health

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

In this dimension, set goals relating to:

• Self-talk (pinpointing where you turn negative and reframing the narrative, believing in yourself, changing negative stories others have told you or you’ve told yourself, etc)
• Comparison (celebrating things you may have previously been jealous of and encouraging vs putting others down in your mind, celebrating diversity and differences as God’s artistic work, honoring differences and respecting them, etc)
• Attitude (waking up with thanksgiving, nightly gratitude, flipping stress into a list of thanksgiving, etc)

Dream. Yearly. Monthly. Bite-sized weekly/daily tasks. Prepare it for God. Give it to God. Adjust.

Environmental Health

The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for God has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.

Psalm 24:1-2

This dimension includes your vision for your:

• Surroundings (work, home, remodeling, brightening, bringing beauty)
• Organization, cleanliness (cleaning schedule, chore charts, systems, etc)

Dream. Yearly. Monthly. Bite-sized weekly/daily tasks. Prepare it for God. Give it to God. Adjust.

Financial Health

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Philipians 4:19

This dimension considers:

Money Management (including giving, budgeting, saving, donating, spending, etc)

Dream. Yearly. Monthly. Bite-sized weekly/daily tasks. Prepare it for God. Give it to God. Adjust.

Priority Goals

Uffta. What a process! But, how empowering, guiding, and clarifying it can be…. Now, as much as we want this life that we just dreamed up for ourselves, we need to be realistic about our capacity, as far as the rate of getting there is concerned. And so, this is where we take the stress out of it and choose 2-3 “priority goals”. These are the goals we deem as the most important above the rest. And yes- always ask God to guide you as you choose them!

You have them? Great! This doesn’t mean you don’t work on the other goals at all! It just means you work towards them as you feel you are able to. I call the priority goal’s bite-sized/weekly/daily tasks your “have-tos” and the other goal’s weekly/daily tasks your “want-tos”. You only complete the “want-to’s” when you feel in a good place with the “have-to’s” and you feel up to it!

Sustaining Success

Now, we have this amazing blueprint for our lives. Signed and sealed by the big guy. But, we don’t get to just ride it out from here on autopilot. We don’t get to just forget these goals by the end of the month. We have to regularly check-in with ourselves:

• A quick, weekly check to adjust our bite-sized tasks for the week
• A longer monthly check to adjust our tasks as well as tweak overall goals
• A deep dive quarterly assessment to check our priorities and adjust them if God is guiding us to, tweak or add to our vision, and update the entire blueprint to help it fit our new current circumstances and to reflect where God has led our lives.

How do we remember to do it?! We schedule meetings with ourselves. In our Google Calendar or write them in our old-fashioned planners. It’s a meeting we can reschedule, but we can’t cancel. It is important. It enables us to become all we can be, so that we can carry out the mission God has put us on this planet for. We can’t miss it!

Conclusion

I hope that this guide was helpful for you as you take steps to living an intentional, purpose-filled life that is led by God! It is my hope that he works through this process to help you reach the full potential he intended you to have and carry out his unique and wonderful mission that he created you for!

I’m excited to be back with you next month as we move into February and discuss “Falling in Love with Food- Eat Like you Love Yourself!”

Wholee Healthy News:

I have one slot available to begin in February 2022! Email me at: wholeehealthy@wholeehealthy.com or check out: wholeehealthy.com for more information! The basic program:

• After an in-depth survey, we form goals for you in each dimension of health (mental, physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, and environmental)
• We break these goals into manageable, bite-sized, weekly tasks and priorities 2-3 above the rest
• We have brief weekly check-ins and monthly one-on-one deep dive chats where we change things up or progress goals as needed
• I’m here for you for troubleshooting, support, and tools whenever you need!

Beachbody news:

(I am a Beachbody coach and would love to work with you on your nutrition and exercise goals if you think Beachbody is right for you- it has been a game changer for me, as it’s taking the guesswork out of eating and workout programs completely! Trained personal trainers and nutritionists form every program! If you have any interest in joining me, please fill out my inquiry form)

It is a great month to jump in because all starter packages still are $20 off! Contact me to help you choose one that is right for you!

Since I’m not able to take on as many 1:1 clients I’d like in this season of life, I am going to be offering a few extra goodies for my Beachbody clients!

• An initial 1:1 goals call
• Weekly check-in forms
• Daily posts in our group for accountability, community, & motivation including monthly challenges w/ prizes!
• Saturday morning health chats 1x/month
• Morning virtual workouts
• A new referral program, where clients receive a free sample pack & gift card of their choosing for referring a friend!

If you are already a client, join our group: BEstYOU BoD Group, if you are interested, fill out my inquiry form!

Coach with Me!

Want to team up and coach with me? I am now searching for motivated, health-loving individuals who want to help others on their health journey to co-coach with me! The journey has been SO successful for me- the accountability & programming is exactly what I needed- maybe it’s right for you too!

Interested? Email: wholeehealthy@wholeehealthy.com for more information!

Follow Me on Social Media!

Facebook: Wholee Healthy- Holistic Health Coach Jess

Instagram: @wholeehealthy

Contact Me:

wholeehealthy@wholeehealthy.com

Have a great month, and stay healthy!

Jess

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.”

MAHATMA GANDHI