Starting Something New: Setting Monthly Goals
Hello there friends!
We are officially entering the second half of this year, and it has made me take a step back to realize – we set goals for our new year’s resolution, but so many of us struggle to keep those goals set for the entire year. That then just made me begin to think about the reasoning behind that. Sure, there’s studies regarding things of this nature, but I have always found it more comforting and helpful to hear someone else’s truth on topics, as life experience is something irreplicable.
One thing I have learned from my life experiences when trying to reach those larger goals (or even smaller ones) is that sometimes the bigger picture is scarier and harder to accomplish. But by breaking it down to smaller pieces, we are able to walk through challenges with our set goals with more ease, focusing on the small steps to get there instead of being overwhelmed by the entirety of the picture.
This year, I have had some setbacks with my long-term plans, affecting even the short-term goals I had set for myself. But in the last two months, I have taken the time to start slowly implementing habits that can last me a lifetime. Habits such as praying more, reading every day, writing more for my enjoyment (blog post, journaling, etc.), junk journaling, and other similar habits that may seem small, but by taking a step back I am able to see the impact it can have on my life. A lot of the hobbies I have (re) picked up this year have truly been sparking my creativity more than it has been sparked in a long time. I feel more in tune with myself, my emotions, my environment, my social life, etc. etc. Overall, I feel happier. I feel closer to God. And I really feel blessed.
One of my main goals this year has been to simply find myself. To become a better Christian. To get more hobbies (I was seriously lacking in this). To become a more motivated person. To become more active/ to move my body more. To implement a more balanced diet (I long to be healthier in general). Truly, overall, I wanted to focus this year on becoming the best Christian woman I can be, prepping myself to be a faithful wife and mother, prepping myself, truly, for the rest of my life.
2025 was a rough year. I allowed the beginning of 2026 to be rough- but I am tired of dwelling in the negatives. Thinking about ‘what ifs.’ Thinking about what I could have done better or how I was wronged. Thinking about all of the bad things in my life (Instead of the goodness that God provides) But at the end of the day, the only way to get better is to do better.
Going back to the smaller steps to accomplishing larger goals, I wanted to start something new to continue working towards achieving those goals I have set for myself. That being said, I will be starting to set monthly goals for myself (whether big or small) while tracking my progress throughout the month, and I thought it would be fun to share my journey with you guys (and it also gives me motivation to hold true to these goals I will be setting).
So… Here goes nothing
July Goals:
Read 5 books
Specifically, I want to start and finish the Twisted series.
Switch to two blog posts a week
(currently at one a week) The only thing that could set me back on this is simply my work schedule. But short post shouldn’t be hard to spark up!
Catch up on my junk journal
I kind of fell behind on this and have been slowly catching up. Would love to fully catch up and become more consistent on that.
Start getting more active
It is hard for me to get motivated to go to the gym, so I want to start small by doing things such as stretching more and going on walks- just something to get into the routine of moving my body.
Read my bible every day!!!!!!
This seems so simple, but sometimes it’s not that easy. I need to get over the feeling of having to have a full, in-depth devotional session including annotations and all my thoughts every single time I read the bible. Even though it is great to be in-depth when reading the word of God, but I need to be okay with reading a verse of the day on the longer days I simply lack motivation. This is a step I can take to make sure I am taking at least 10 minutes to devote myself to God every day.
Drink more water
I used to be good at this…. until I misplaced my Stanley…. OOPS… I need to get over not having my Stanley and go back to drinking more water.
Do less Doom Scrolling
this is one of my worst habits that I will struggle to break. I have set time limits on my phone. The goal of this month is to stop doom at least an hour before I go to sleep (I also think this will help me sleep better).
Be more grateful.
Gratitude is something that is emphasized in the bible, and I think by practicing this more, I will overall become happier. Instead of comparing situations, I need to be more grateful for the life God has given me, the people he has put in my life, the resources I have, etc. etc. To do this, I want to pray about and/or write down at least one thing I am grateful for that day.
Looking at that list, it may seem like too many tasks to take on at first (and I like to overcomplicate when explaining things so they look extra long), but they are all small things that do not take up much of my time throughout the day. For instance, instead of doom scrolling, I can take the time to go on a walk or read for a little bit. I already have my month of July booked with plans, but I cannot let that be a barrier in the plans I have for myself, and even more so, the plans that God has for me.
So, friends, I encourage you to use this as your motivation to set your monthly goals and pursue them- break down those big goals ones into smaller, less overwhelming steps and begin being the person God wants you to be. Don’t talk about it- be about it.
With love,
Your Friend
JessC
(P.S. I added comments to all my post so you guys can interact now! Feel free to comment you goals of the month and we can take on this challenge together!)
