By Liv Dooley

Y’all know, we have goals on lock over here at The Colorfully Candid Paradigm. In fact, we host an event called Unconditional, to do just that (and by that, I mean, set goals that honor God). There’s only one problem: if your systems are out of wack, so are your goals. There’s a quote by James Clear that says, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems,” but I disagree. After all, why would God have told us to write the vision or that people perish for a lack of it, if we could never rise to it? Still, there’s something to think about within that quote, and I’m adapting it. You’ll never rise to the level of your goals until you organize your systems.

What are your systems? Your systems encompass the strategies that lead you to maximize your schedule, choose relationship building over busyness, and the joy of pursuing wholeness in a healthy environment. They include everything from laundry to networking, and they are important because you won’t rise to the level of your goals until you get them organized.

What do I mean? Well, my system of incorporating a devotion every morning during my prayer time helps me to rise to the goals I have of pursuing an intimate relationship with God and gaining additional Biblical insight and knowledge. My system of making smoothies and taking vitamins directly impacts the energy I need to be flexible and inviting during the many tasks I have of teaching small children, leading a life group, and hosting events. My system of doing laundry (which I hate) helps me to enjoy my space, remember that my home is my first priority, and enjoy having people over in a clean house I’m proud of.

Without strategic systems, we get caught cycling the same mountains again and again. Instead of honoring the time we dedicated on our schedule to Bible Study, we get pulled by the distraction of the overflowing laundry basket (ask me how I know). Instead of remembering to spend time learning the new skill or meeting the new people who can help us with our current skills, we find ourselves heading off to bed early or taking way too much time in a nap that makes us feel so guilty we head back to bed again-this time, for the night.

Now that it’s March, it’s clear that we need to return to that resolution, review that goal, and check that vision board with our systems in mind. We will be successful this year. We will walk into everything God has for us. We will discover the freedom to be everything He’s called us in this season. Below, I’ve included a few questions for you to consider…If we’re going to be the best examples for our daughters, neices, and little sisters, we’ve got to get it together. Love you to life!

• What have you done to support your emotional health recently?
• Have you identified accountability partners whom you can support as they support you?
• When was the last time you scheduled your day or, at least, identified your three priorities for the day?
• What thoughts have stolen your productivity or your joy and inspiration in accomplishing those goals?
• Are there any people whom you’ve been comparing yourself to lately?
• How clean and organized is your space?
• Which goals have you continued to put off over and over again? What mind set are your nursing about it or what do you keep using to procrastinate over it?