• Start
    Here
    • Start Here
    • About Barb
    • Barb Raveling’s Books
    • Renew Your Mind Seminar
    • Leader’s Guides & Resources
    • Contact
  • Renew
    Your Mind
    • Renewing of the Mind Project
    • Renewing of the Mind Tools
    • Grow Closer to God
    • Transformation 101
    • Renewing Your Mind Bible Study
  • Bible
    Studies
    • Free Bible Studies
    • Leader’s Guides & Resources
    • Online Bible Studies
  • Live In
    Peace
    • How To Live in Peace
    • Anger
    • Worry/Fear
    • Depression & Discontentment
    • Insecurity
    • Stress
    • Boredom
    • Other Emotions
  • Pursue
    A Goal
    • How to Start a Habit
    • How to Pursue a Goal
    • Goals and Productivity
    • Ministry and Blogging
  • Lose
    Weight
    • How to Lose Weight
    • Weight Loss Resources, Classes, & FAQ
    • Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast
    • Christian Weight Loss App
    • Weight Loss Bible Study
    • Weight Loss Blog Posts
  • Break
    A Habit
    • How To Break a Habit
    • Habits Blog Posts
  • Podcasts &
    Coaching
    • Coaching with Barb
    • Christian Habits Podcast
    • Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast
    • Podcast Interviews

Barb Raveling

Tips, Tools, & Bible Studies to Renew Your Mind

Subscribe

  • Home
  • Podcasts
    • Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast
    • Christian Habits Podcast
You are here: Home / Transformation 101 / Refining Your Goal

Refining Your Goal

March 18, 2012 By: Barb Raveling

This post may contain affiliate links. View our disclosure policy here.

Hi everyone, I’m back from a week of camping and hiking with my family (like my hair after  five days without a shower?) and ready to get started on my new renewing of the mind project. Here it is: Make a daily list and renew my mind every time I don’t feel like doing the next thing on the list.

Scary.

I’m not a list person by nature, nor am I a get-it-done sort of person so this is a project I can’t do in my own strength. I’m looking forward to seeing what God will do.

How about you? Have you chosen your project yet? Purchased your journal? Ready to get involved in your own transformation? If you haven’t made a commitment to renewing your mind before, you’ll be surprised to see how God works through this discipline.

Fine Tuning Your Project

Before you get started, let’s spend a little time talking about your goal. You’ll want to make sure your goal is the right size for the amount of time you have available to renew your mind.

For example, let’s say your project is to stop worrying and you’re a worry-crazy person. If you say, I’ll renew my mind every time I worry, you’ll be renewing your mind all day.

If you don’t have that kind of time to give to your project (and most of us don’t), you can limit it in two different ways:

Make a Number Goal

First, you could make a number goal: I’ll renew my mind twice a day in the area of worry before I go to bed each night. If you make this goal, then each evening before you go to bed, you would think back to what you were worrying about that day and renew your mind regarding that worry. Or you could renew your mind during the day whenever a worry comes up. (I’ll show you what that will look like in another post.)

Make a Situation Goal

You could also limit your goal by choosing a smaller worry topic. For example: I will renew my mind every time I worry about my son John (or my finances or my grades). This might lead to one or two days without renewing your mind at all and then another day where you’ll have to renew your mind three or four times.

Either way works well, but you may want to renew your mind at least once a day to develop the habit of the renewing of the mind.

Setting Your Renewing of the Mind Goal

If you have time right now, pull out your journal and answer the following question: How often do you plan to renew your mind? I’m planning to renew my mind every time I don’t feel like doing the next job on my list. How about you?

Related Posts:

  • How to Stop Being Angry – 12 Tips
  • 10 Lies that Make Us Give Up on New Year's Resolutions
  • How to Meditate on Scripture
109 shares
  • Share3
  • Tweet

Comments

  1. Loren Pinilis says

    March 19, 2012 at 8:09 am

    I think setting a situation goal is so powerful. A lot of times there are triggers to our incorrect thoughts. I get insulted, so I get angry. I am bored, so I want to eat. I am stressed, so I want to procrastinate. Recognizing those triggers helps us to intentionally replace bad thought patterns with good ones (the thought patterns of a renewed mind).

    • Barb says

      March 19, 2012 at 8:43 am

      Well said, Loren! The nice thing about situation goals is that they remind us to go to God every time that situation comes up so He can change our thinking. And the more often we replace lies with truth, the sooner we’ll start responding with truth first time around.

  2. Dan Black on Leadership says

    March 23, 2012 at 9:58 am

    I try and start my days renewing my mind and getting reading for the day by reading my Bible and connecting with God. Throughout the day I also pray and think about different Bible passages. I think it’s important to renew our minds throughout the day. As humans we sin, worry, stress, and can allow those things to effect our life, unless we renew our thoughts and mind. Great reminder here.

  3. Barb says

    March 23, 2012 at 12:20 pm

    That all sounds great, Dan. I like the fact that you start the day with God and keep going.

  4. Viv says

    June 1, 2017 at 8:56 am

    I renew my mind throughout the week to gain victory over my eating habits & overcome depression. Practically I have set up several reminders on my cell phone at different times of the day with key scripture references. For example on a Tuesday at 10:10 am a reminder is set for John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal, kill & destroy; I have come that they may have life, & have it to the full! A gentle reminder of who steals my joy & what Christs best for me is – to enjoy life in abundance.
    My screen saver on my phone is 1 Cor 10:13 reminding me that God will always provide a way out of temptation.

    • Barb Raveling says

      June 1, 2017 at 9:33 pm

      I love that, Viv! That’s so fun that you coordinate the Bible verses with the same time on your phone! And I love the idea of the alarms. I tried that for awhile and it was really helpful. I think I set them for about every two or three hours and took a minute to stop and talk to God. It really helped me from becoming obsessive about writing during the day. I’m glad you told me about it. I should try that again! Thanks!

Search Blog

Connect with us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Popular Posts

  • Spiritual Attack: 10 Tips for Spiritual Warfare
  • How to Meditate on Scripture
  • Weight Loss Bible Study: Day 1
  • How To Renew Your Mind
  • Freedom from Food Addiction through Truth Journaling with Debbie
  • How to Break Free from Idolatry
  • Feeling Guilty: 10 Bible Verses & 8 Questions
  • Christian Accountability Partner: A Beginner’s Guide
  • How to Overcome Insecurity with God’s Help
  • 29: 6 Steps to Breaking Free From Self-Condemnation

Archives

Categories

  • Anger
  • Bible Studies/Worksheets
  • Boredom
  • Christian Habits Podcast
  • Depression/Discontentment
  • Goals and Productivity
  • Grow Closer to God
  • Habits Blog Posts
  • Insecurity
  • Letting Go of Negative Emotions
  • Marriage
  • Ministry and Blogging
  • Other Emotions
  • Stress
  • Transformation 101
  • Uncategorized
  • Weight Loss Blog Posts
  • Weight Loss Podcast
  • Worry/Fear
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (www.lockman.org).
Copyright © 2023 • Custom blog design by The Pixelista • Built on the Genesis Framework
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT