Goal-Setting and Backsplashes

I’ve learned a secret about goal-setting.

I’ve learned that goal setting is not just about developing a list of systematic, time-driven accomplishments.

Goal setting is not about pride, striving, or playing the comparison game.

Goal setting is about personal growth.  It is the acknowledgement that we possess something of value – something worth offering this world – and that we are no longer content with being a lesser version of the person we were designed to be.

Goal-setting is less about the accomplishment of goals and more about the internal transformation that occurs in the process.

Take this faux brick backsplash, for instance.

I set a goal in July to find a temporary solution for our kitchen backsplash that would :

• replace the southwestern-inspired travertine (beautiful but not our style)
• serve us well for a year or so until we tackled a more intensive remodel, and
• not involve Fireman’s assistance (his project list was already overflowing).

I did not have a definite plan at first.  But the intriguing thing about goal-setting is this:

Once you write down a goal, the subconscious part of your brain begins to churn and spin and problem-solve in an effort to create consistency, or balance, between what currently IS and what is VISUALIZED.

One night, just as I was drifting off to sleep, my brain remembered this: The extra sheet of 1/4″ faux brick paneling left over from my son’s room, and in that moment I knew what I would do.

Often, as we progress toward a goal, the process can look decidedly rough before we begin to see improvement or growth.

We get tired, we grow discouraged, and we struggle to catch a glimpse of the “better” we initially visualized.

But then, as we press on from sheer discipline and grit, we catch a glimpse of reformation.  And the excitement of that glimpse offers just enough passion and inspiration to continue our journey…

…until we cross the finish line and raise our hands in victory.

But here’s the secret: Although my new faux brick backsplash turned out to be a successful endeavor – a realized goal – the true success is much more multi-layered.  Not only did I receive an updated kitchen, I also transformed a small part of me.

• I learned my brain is capable of solving a home design challenge if I’m willing to give it time to do so.
• I learned I am capable of utilizing skill saws, pneumatic brad nailers, levelers, clamps, and measuring devices without assistance from more skilled laborers.
• I learned I could mimic old bricks by using a dry-brush painting technique to add dimension and depth to a faux brick panel.
• I learned how to Insta-story the whole process from start to finish ~ definitely a stretch for me!

The truth is, a few years back, my brain would not have “let me” conceptualize tackling a project like this on my own.  My brain had already decided this type of DIY was best left to the man in my life, or to the power-tool-wielding Brittany of Pretty Handy Girl or Ashley and Whitney of  Shanty 2 Chic. Not me.

But my brain was wrong.  And your brain may be lying to you as well, telling you over and over that “we don’t do that type of thing,” and “we don’t have the skills,” and “that would be way too hard for us.”

I challenge you to set a few new goals of your own.  Write them down.  Dare your brain to begin churning and processing in a brand new way, to transform your reality (what currently is) into what could ultimately be.  I’m cheering you on!

Jaimee