It's vital to remember that the goal is to become less like our old sinful selves and increasingly more like Jesus. The Bible says, "Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."(1 John 2:6).
Creating a growth goal is simple. Look over the list below and choose a spiritual discipline you want to focus on for the next season of life. You can select a discipline based on interest or need (e.g., if you're experiencing anxiety you might choose sabbath, or if you need spiritual strength to deny yourself in order to overcome temptation you might choose fasting, etc.).

Goals are great, but without executing a detailed plan our goals amount to very little. Follow the prompts below to create a plan for how you are going to practice this discipline in the next season of your life. 

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Is lunchtime your free time? Choose a time that works well with your schedule and set a reminder notification on your phone. If things don't go according to plan and that time isn't working well, then switch it up. What time of the day isn't as important as having a time and being consistent.

Location. Location. Location.
At first, it may feel like this step is overboard, but if we really want to succeed in forming a habit we need to nail down where we will practice our new discipline. Think: my room, the kitchen table in the morning, in the car, on a walk, etc. We recommend choosing a place as distraction free as possible.

Click your chosen discipline to visit a page of recommended resources. There is a button at the top of each page that will bring you back right here to finish making your detailed plan.

We all need people who are in our corner, cheering us on and challenging us to be better. So, who will go with you on this leg of the journey? This can be your spouse, a friend, your community group leader, or anyone who is committed to seeing you become more like Jesus. Feel free to choose more than one person. In fact, we highly recommend it because it will make the final step more enjoyable!
Depending on your needs, you may want to set up some one-on-one's with those holding you accountable along the way for added encouragement and help.

This is the step some of us may be tempted to omit because we aren't used to doing this. Don't give in to that temptation! Put effort into this step for your own sake and show up when it's time to celebrate growth in the lives of others!

A quick note, even if things don't go according to plan, don't cancel your celebration. If you've chosen the right people, then this will be an encouraging and uplifting time even if you haven't grown like you thought you would. Also, remember that ultimately you're doing this to celebrate Jesus, and what He's doing in your life—not to celebrate yourself. So, get over the unhelpful feeling that this step is somehow self-centered.

This date can be as far out in the future as you'd like (e.g., 30 days, or 3 months). It's important to have starting and ending dates for this season. If you feel like you need to keep growing in this discipline, just keep doing it after this celebration and choose a new end date. We do not recommend canceling this one simply because you're not moving on to a new discipline.

You can invite your accountability partners out for coffee or a meal, or you can celebrate with just your family over dinner one evening. You may want to celebrate with your community group the next time you get together. It's up to you!
It doesn't have to be a grand affair. Go get coffee, or desert, or have them over to your house just to hang out. This shouldn't be something that creates anxiety. Just have fun and celebrate Jesus and what He's doing in your life.
Go ahead and invite people now, rather than waiting until the last minute!

We begin each year with a two week fast as a church. It's a time to seek Jesus as we lay plans and set priorities for a new year.

Lent is the season of preparing our hearts to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus—the whole reason for our hope as Christians.

Christmas isn't a one day event for Christians—it's a season. Advent helps us focus on the reason for our hope as we celebrate Jesus' birth.