6 Ways to Remain Consistent in Achieving Goals

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Another January can make some of us cringe when we hear that dreaded word “resolutions.” We can call them goals, strategies, or reorganizing, but our minds still know what the phrases mean.

There’s nothing wrong with setting goals and wanting to improve our lives. We should pursue improvements. Stagnation and boredom can cripple us mentally, as well as physically.

As the calendar page flips from Christmas to the new year, we can feel an urgency to fix something in our lives. Ads for workout equipment, diet food, closet cleanouts, and saving money overwhelm our eyes and ears until we can feel burned out before we even start a project. Magazine articles we read can make us feel guilty if we aren’t resolving to make changes in the coming months.

How can we aspire to achieve success for real change? We need consistency. One reason we fail to reach a finish line is due to haphazard attention to the steps necessary for accomplishment. It’s easy to think we can do it later.  

Also, we may view reaching a target as drudgery. We can alter our perception of the change we want as something to look forward to instead of something we dread. This is why we should set objectives that are not unreasonable.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV)

Our resolve to improve something in our lives doesn’t mean we are selfish. When we grow mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, we are in a better place to help others. We can aspire to be more like our Savior and be equipped to fulfill the assignment the Father has given us.

Jesus was the most successful and consistent person who ever lived because His commitment was to the will of the Father and not His own needs.

Here are 6 ways we can follow Jesus’ example by using Scripture to remain consistent, achieve our goals, and have lasting change. 

1. Pray

God knows our hearts better than we do, and He knows our capabilities. Better to have a godly plan to begin with than frustration later because our desires are not met.

Aim for what the Lord wants and not the pattern of another person’s ambition. The Lord doesn’t want us to compare ourselves to other people. Remember how Peter was too concerned about what John was going to do? (John 21:22). Ask God to reveal the results He wants you to achieve. What kind of change do you want to see at this time next year? We can reach the finish line when we have clear improvements in mind and stay laser-focused on His direction.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

2. Declare the Priorities

Reading the Bible through in a year has been a goal of mine for several years. In the past, when I missed daily readings, I grew frustrated, and catching up was difficult. I still read Scripture each day, but skipped around instead of staying on the schedule.

One thing about this type of goal is to discover our motives. Am I reading the Bible because it’s the thing to do each year? Or am I reading God’s Word so I can hear His voice and draw closer to Him? As I made this my goal and not a check mark on a printed schedule, I found it was easier to remain on the plan. I wrote notes about what I read, and I grew more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s voice.

This became my priority over all other accomplishments I had in mind. The purpose was not to check a box off a chart, but to hear God and be changed. This number one strategy also helped reach other goals. Because consistency in God’s Word helps ward off anxiety and depression, gives clearer thinking, and curbs our sometimes-fleshly outbursts. The Holy Scriptures give guidance and wisdom in every area of our lives.

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Photo Credit: ©iStockGettyImagesPlussamritk

3. Write Down Goals

After we have submitted our hearts to the Lord, we need to write down what He has given us. Using a bullet journal, planner, or notebook helps see the mission. Write down small steps you can accomplish each day. If the resolution is exercise, record the type of workout you want to do and the time you intend to spend on this each day. If it’s saving money, decide on an amount that can be put aside regularly, whether daily, weekly, or monthly. You would be surprised at how much can be saved by simply dropping change into a bank each day.

Place this reminder in a place you can see it each day. I found out the hard way that putting my calendar in a drawer doesn’t work. The old saying, “out of sight, out of mind,” is true. We can’t depend upon remembering.

Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:2-3)

4. Declare God’s Word Daily

As our bodies need food, our minds need nourishment that encourages us daily. If our intentions are the same as God’s, He will lead us and strengthen us to finish. Discouragement and negative speaking stifles our desire to continue. Our brains and bodies cooperate with our words, whether negative or positive (Proverbs 23:7). Agree with what the Bible says about you as a believer, even when you don’t feel like doing it.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (John 15:4)

5. Read the Plan the Night Before.

Reviewing our schedule before we go to bed each night helps us wake up knowing what we need to do. Life does get in the way, and sometimes we need to adjust. But that doesn’t mean we have given up.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

6. Don’t Feel Guilty

If some days don’t work out, just keep going.  We can beat ourselves up over failure, but God doesn’t condemn us (Romans 8:1). This is where consistency can help. Continue the next day and forget about the missed opportunities of the day before.

For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. (Proverbs 24:16)

Consistency Is the Key

Consistency is the key to any type of success. At the end of the year, we can look back and enjoy the change we see in our lives. These accomplishments can spur us toward new resolutions the following year. We can keep growing in the Lord and fulfill His will with every step we take.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:5)

When we set goals with God’s desires in mind, we can have a peaceful life knowing we are following His will.  

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

 Photo Credit: Unsplash/lilartsy 

Barbara Latta’s hunger for the Word of God drives her to search the Scriptures for truth instead of tradition. She loves researching the meaning of words and biblical culture for a deeper understanding of the Bible and the love of our Savior. She has earned a one-year certificate from Charis Bible College in Colorado and completed the Power Speaking Course through the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. 

Her book, Redemption, the Heartbeat of Christmas: What the Birth of Christ Means to the World, was released in October 2025. She loves coffee, a good book, and gardening, which would be more fun if not for the weeds. Barbara and her husband enjoy life with two sons, one daughter-in-love, and an energetic granddaughter who keeps these retired people on their toes.

She writes about living in our identity in Christ at https://barbaralatta.blogspot.com/. You can follow Barbara on Facebook: Barbara Latta, author; X @barbaralatta; and Instagram blatta2.