Do you ever feel like you're itching to start a new habit or set a goal, but get tangled up in doubts and procrastination? Like, you're SO ready to make a change, but the comfort of staying the same keeps pulling you back?
If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the process of setting and sticking to New Year's resolutions or like you're constantly second-guessing your goals, this episode is meant for you! Today, I'm sharing a deeply personal story about wildflower seeds and how it can shift your mindset on goals and resolutions to align them more closely with faith.
Key Takeaways:
- 🌼 A heartfelt story about planting wildflower seeds and how God uses such moments to speak to us.
- 📖 The importance of aligning our goals with God's truth and will—rooting our efforts in faith.
- ✨ The three critical questions to ask yourself when setting goals:
- What is the abundant harvest you're seeking?
- Does this goal align with God's truth and will?
- What labor is required, and are you willing to commit to it?
- 🙏 How relying on the Lord makes the work lighter and more fulfilling, even on tough days.
- 💡 Why consistent, sacrificial effort rooted in Christ yields a harvest greater than we can imagine.
📣 And speaking of aligning with God's will, I'm super excited to announce a brand new workshop coming this January: "Goal Setting with God." We'll spend three weeks together refining, clarifying, and aligning your goals with God's truth and will. Stay tuned for more details!
Next Steps:
Get ready for "Goal Setting with God" coming in January. Click Here to Join the Waitlist
Join the Faith-Led Wellness Coaching Program - A 10-Week Christ-Centered Journey to Heal Your Relationship with Food & Your Body.
Learn more and register at https://www.karatrochta.com/faithledwellness Book your FREE Wellness Audit Session at https://calendly.com/karatrochta/wellnessaudit Join the Nourished to Bloom Community at https://community.karatrochta.com Nourished to Bloom Show Notes: https://nourishedtobloom.com Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karatrochta/
Time Stamp Overview: 00:00 - Intro and setting New Year's goals with faith. 06:21 - Kara's wildflower story and its spiritual lesson. 08:49 - Aligning goals with God's will. 11:28 - Key questions for setting faith-filled goals. 14:45 - The importance of consistent effort with divine guidance. 19:13 - Announcing the January "Goal Setting with God" workshop.
Join The Nourished to Bloom Community: www.community.karatrochta.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/karatrochta
The Nourished to Bloom Podcast Show Notes: www.podcast.karatrochta.com/shownotes
00:00:02
I really feel like the Lord has been speaking to me through scripture and
00:00:06
different devotionals here recently. And really the message that I feel
00:00:10
like he's trying to share with me has been
00:00:14
these different perspectives of how we can look at New Year's
00:00:17
resolutions or goals that we're making for the New Year or
00:00:21
maybe new habits that we're trying to build. And just like last week,
00:00:25
I shared with you the perspective about how Mary's
00:00:28
yes is an invitation for us to give our yes
00:00:32
to the Lord and how we can really start to look at what
00:00:36
it is that we're saying yes to the Lord to in this new year.
00:00:39
I want to share today another perspective that I feel like
00:00:43
scripture and a devotional has really put
00:00:47
into my own my own life as a way to look at
00:00:50
what I'm really going to be focusing on in the New year. And I hope
00:00:54
that it helps you get a little more clarity in what your
00:00:58
goal or whatever habit you may be trying to build in the New year is.
00:01:02
So I hope you'll join me in today's episode and I'll
00:01:05
see you in there. Welcome to the Nourish to Bloom
00:01:09
podcast where your faith meets your health. I'm your host, Cara
00:01:13
Trocta, a registered dietitian and certified Catholic coach, and I'm here
00:01:16
to help you cultivate a deeper connection with your body, your spirit,
00:01:20
and the nourishment that sustains them both. In a world
00:01:24
filled with noise and confusion about food, health and
00:01:28
body image, this podcast offers truth and healing from a Christ centered
00:01:32
perspective. Together, we'll untangle the deep roots of diet
00:01:35
culture and discover what it means to truly care for
00:01:39
ourselves through joyful nourishment of mind, body and
00:01:42
soul. We're here to dive into the transformative power of intuitive eating
00:01:46
coupled with the rich teachings of our Christian faith. With every
00:01:50
episode, I'll be cheering you on, offering insights, inspiration
00:01:54
and practical tools to help you heal your relationship with
00:01:57
food and embrace the beauty of your body as a temple of the
00:02:01
Holy Spirit with confidence and courage that
00:02:05
can. Only be found in Christ. Join me as we journey together
00:02:08
towards a more holistic approach to wellness, one that honors the
00:02:12
wisdom of your body as God's creation, the teachings of our
00:02:15
faith, and the unique purpose you're called to fulfill.
00:02:19
You were made to bloom, to come into
00:02:23
full beauty and health in order to bear good fruit for the Lord with your
00:02:27
life. So if you're ready to nourish your body, feed your soul
00:02:30
and bloom into the best version of yourself, then you're in the right place. And
00:02:34
I'm so happy you're here. Welcome to Nourish to
00:02:38
Bloom, where every day is a sacred invitation to
00:02:41
thrive. Hey there. Welcome
00:02:45
back to the Nourish to Bloom podcast. I hope that
00:02:49
you are having a beautiful week. I'm sure it
00:02:52
is a busy week. My kids will be finishing
00:02:56
up school on Friday, so it's all about the last minute
00:03:00
shopping, the last minute wrapping, the last minute class parties.
00:03:04
All of the little things that tend to just, wow, just
00:03:07
pile up into these massive mountains right before Christmas.
00:03:11
But I do hope that you're having a beautiful week and I hope that. That
00:03:14
you're taking some time to really slow down and prepare your
00:03:18
heart and prepare your mind for what this season is really all about
00:03:22
and what it means for us that God loved
00:03:26
each of us so much that he sent his son in
00:03:29
the form of Jesus to live here on Earth and to share in
00:03:33
our humanity and to
00:03:37
save each one of us and love us so
00:03:40
much that we really use this
00:03:44
time here on earth to prepare ourselves to
00:03:48
come face to face with God in heaven. So,
00:03:52
like I said in the little intro, I
00:03:56
feel like the Lord's kind of been speaking to me through different scriptures and
00:03:59
just different devotionals and different things that have been happening.
00:04:03
And really all these different perspectives have really been about just
00:04:07
different ways to look at New Year's goals and
00:04:11
habits and, you know, resolutions and
00:04:14
things like that. So I want to share today a different
00:04:18
perspective with you. Something that happened to me here recently when
00:04:22
I was on a walk that I just felt like it was one
00:04:25
of those moments where God very clearly was trying to tell me
00:04:29
something. And so I want to share that with you. So
00:04:33
basically the way this starts is that each year I
00:04:36
am so bound and determined to plant wildflower
00:04:40
seeds and wildflower seeds, because
00:04:44
a lot of them make really good cut flowers in vases and
00:04:48
they're just very, very simple and just add a pop of color.
00:04:52
And anyway, I have a neighbor, I have a friend
00:04:55
who has done this at her own house. And anytime we go over there in
00:04:58
the spring, it's just so beautiful to see. So I have been bound
00:05:02
and determined that I was going to do this for myself and my
00:05:06
yard. And here in Texas, late fall is
00:05:10
really the best time to plant those seeds. So it gives them time
00:05:13
to, I'm not
00:05:16
honestly, super sure, but something to do with the cold
00:05:20
weather and it allows them, because they don't really establish, but it just
00:05:24
makes them ready to be able to, I guess, really plant those roots
00:05:28
and grow in the spring. But as is true for
00:05:31
many things in my life, I was behind schedule
00:05:35
this year in planting these seeds. But
00:05:39
this past week, I still. I woke up one morning and I told myself, like,
00:05:43
this is the day I am going to plant these seeds today.
00:05:47
And even if it is a little late, like, I was just hoping that something
00:05:51
would take root if I put these seeds in the ground.
00:05:54
So I told myself, this is the day that we're going to do it. And
00:05:57
so I that morning I went out for my usual walk and
00:06:01
I was feeling motivated. But as I rounded the bend
00:06:05
back towards my house, I started to really second guess myself
00:06:09
and second guess this decision as to whether or not today was
00:06:13
really going to be the day that I was going to plant these seeds. Because
00:06:16
it was chilly and the wind was blowing so
00:06:20
hard. It was just that, like, perfect weather. To really cozy up with a
00:06:24
good book instead of going outside and digging in the dirt. And so I
00:06:28
was really just kind of talking myself out of this. And I can remember,
00:06:32
like, this exact thought, the exact thing I told myself was,
00:06:35
I really, really, really, really want these flowers in my flower
00:06:39
bed. I want these flowers because I want to be able to cut them and
00:06:42
put them in vases, but I really just don't want to do
00:06:46
the planting today or really any day.
00:06:49
And it was one of those moments. Where I just had to
00:06:53
laugh because. It was just such this aha. Moment of those times
00:06:57
when God was clearly trying to teach me
00:07:00
something. Because how often do I do this in my own life?
00:07:04
And maybe you do too. It's that we want this end result,
00:07:08
right? We want the flowers, we want the beautiful thing.
00:07:12
We want the end result of whatever. Our goal is, but we
00:07:16
really resist. Doing the work that's required to get there.
00:07:21
I don't know about you, but a lot of times I just want to be
00:07:23
able to snap my fingers and see the outcome.
00:07:26
But it means that a lot of times I'm really not willing to
00:07:30
put in the effort. And I think this is such a key
00:07:33
struggle for so many of us when it comes to being able to stick with
00:07:37
our goals or being able to build new habits.
00:07:41
And it was just really in that moment I thought of Jesus's words
00:07:44
to his disciples in Matthew 9, verse
00:07:47
37, the harvest is abundant, but the laborers
00:07:51
are few. And just what that meant in my
00:07:55
own life, that Jesus had this beautiful plan that he has
00:07:59
this abundance, this harvest that he has planned for his life,
00:08:03
or plans for my plans to
00:08:06
achieve through my life. And he
00:08:10
just needs us to do the work. And how often
00:08:14
do I just not want to do the work? And maybe
00:08:17
that's something you struggle with too. But
00:08:21
you know, if I wanted these flowers, right, If I want these wildflowers to
00:08:25
bloom in the spring, I really needed to be able to do the work.
00:08:29
I needed to till the soil, I needed to plant the seeds,
00:08:32
I needed to water them regularly, pull any weeds that were coming
00:08:36
up, prune things as necessarily
00:08:39
necessary. And if I could just stay
00:08:43
consistent with it, I would be rewarded with these beautiful flowers I
00:08:47
envisioned. And as I sat there and I reflected
00:08:50
on this lesson and could just see this whole thing folding out in front of
00:08:54
my eyes, not only with the wildflowers that I was really wanting
00:08:57
to plant, but just so many things in my own life,
00:09:01
especially around kind of growing and creating a wellness and a
00:09:05
life coaching business of just having this beautiful vision of this
00:09:09
community and this place and this impact for so many women,
00:09:13
to really being able to healing their relationship with food in their
00:09:16
body, to really being able to discover who they are in the
00:09:20
lens of Christ and step into that purpose
00:09:24
and that calling that he has for each one of us like that is that
00:09:27
beautiful harvest that I envision with this. But how
00:09:31
many times am I just really not willing to do the day to day work
00:09:34
that's necessary to get there? And I think that this
00:09:38
lesson applies to so many of us, to any goal or
00:09:41
habit that we're trying to cope cultivate. So let's just say
00:09:45
that one of your goals in the new year is to really
00:09:48
establish a strong prayer time, to, to have a prayer
00:09:52
time and maybe it's to wake up earlier each morning
00:09:56
so you can have that prayer time and that harvest
00:10:00
that you are after that you're envisioning is really
00:10:03
this deeper connection with the Lord. It's the peace of a
00:10:07
quiet house and the joy of sipping your
00:10:11
coffee or tea while it's still warm. But the labor
00:10:15
that's required to reach that harvest means setting your
00:10:19
alarm earlier. It means getting out of bed even when it's
00:10:22
hard and it's your bed is warm and cozy and it's
00:10:26
pushing through that temptation to hit snooze. So
00:10:30
imagine, I think it's such a good tool to be
00:10:34
able to imagine this harvest, this abundance. Imagine
00:10:38
yourself sitting in that special prayer spot
00:10:41
and the Lord is beside you saying, I
00:10:45
know it was really hard to get up today, but I'm really glad you're here
00:10:49
with me. We have to remember that this
00:10:52
abundant harvest, the harvest that maybe Some of us can
00:10:56
envision, or maybe the harvest that we couldn't even imagine is
00:11:00
awaiting us. By just saying yes to the Lord
00:11:03
is so worth the effort. But it is going to
00:11:07
require sacrifice and consistency.
00:11:11
And we also have to remember that another element to consider that
00:11:15
we can take away from Scripture is really kind of that soil in which we're
00:11:18
planting our seeds. Scripture shows us that the
00:11:22
best harvest comes when seeds are planted in good soil.
00:11:26
When they're planted in rocky soil, they don't take root. When they're planted amongst
00:11:30
the weeds, the weeds grow up and choke them out. But we
00:11:34
need that dip, that deep, rich soil that comes
00:11:38
from having a heart and a mind
00:11:42
that is aligned and connected with the Lord. And that
00:11:45
soil is that alignment with God's truth and will.
00:11:50
And when our goals and our habits are rooted in him, oh,
00:11:53
man, that yield is so much greater than we could even imagine.
00:11:58
And ultimately, because we are doing it with him
00:12:01
alongside him, that labor feels so much lighter.
00:12:05
So as you're thinking about these new
00:12:09
goals that you're wanting to set, or these new habits that you're wanting to build,
00:12:13
ask yourself, what is that abundance, abundant
00:12:17
harvest that you're seeking? Does it align with
00:12:21
God's truth and will? What
00:12:24
labor, what is the day to day that is required to reach this
00:12:28
goal? Are you willing to commit to that
00:12:32
labor? And what are the steps that you need to take?
00:12:36
What do you need to believe or think or feel
00:12:40
in order to commit to what is required of you?
00:12:44
And then ask yourself, how are you going to rely on the Lord,
00:12:47
especially when you don't feel like doing the work? And
00:12:51
I really think answering these questions can give you some clarity
00:12:55
and really help you hold on to your vision,
00:12:59
especially on the tough days when the labor just feels
00:13:02
overwhelming. And I think the hardest part is just
00:13:06
really getting started. But remember, there
00:13:10
is life and potential in every seed that we plant. And
00:13:13
that potential comes from the Lord. Every single seed that we see,
00:13:17
the ones that we're wanting to plant, that are our habits or our goals.
00:13:21
But we can really look at all the seeds that, that are out there in
00:13:24
the world, right? That each one of them holds this special potential
00:13:28
to be something. The seeds that we, that we
00:13:32
plant physically in
00:13:36
the ground. You know, some of those seeds are going to grow up
00:13:39
and be vegetables like carrots. But a carrot seed can only become a
00:13:43
carrot, and an acorn seed can only become an oak
00:13:46
tree. And a zinnia seed can only become a
00:13:50
zinnia flower. But when we really think about ourselves,
00:13:54
as the seed, and our goals and our habits as the seed. They have the
00:13:58
potential to be so much more. They have the
00:14:01
potential to be, you know, anything that really
00:14:05
God desires them to be.
00:14:08
And when I think about this, it really reminds me of
00:14:12
St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians in chapter three, verse
00:14:16
six, when he writes that I, Paul, planted
00:14:19
Apollo's water, but God gave the growth.
00:14:23
And that's really what this is all about. This is allow about
00:14:26
allowing growth to happen in
00:14:30
ourselves because of God, because of his will, because of us
00:14:33
doing his will, because he really wants us to
00:14:37
experience that abundant harvest and the fruitfulness of
00:14:41
our labor. But we have to trust him to
00:14:44
show us what seeds to plant this season. Those
00:14:48
goals, those desires, those dreams,
00:14:52
those habits that he is really encouraging us to plant
00:14:56
because he knows that that is what we need in our life.
00:14:59
And so as we head into the new year, really take some time to reflect
00:15:03
on what seeds it is you want to plant in your life.
00:15:07
Maybe it's a new habit, maybe it's a dream you've been putting
00:15:11
off, or a goal that really aligns
00:15:15
with God's purpose for you, that it's one step closer
00:15:18
to fulfilling his will. Remember
00:15:22
that God's plan for you takes a
00:15:25
lifetime. Write down your
00:15:29
answers to these three questions that I posed for you and really pray over
00:15:32
them. Ask the Lord to guide you, to strengthen you, and to
00:15:36
help you cultivate that good soil that's needed for your
00:15:40
harvest. And I think just remember
00:15:43
that the potential for growth is already within you.
00:15:47
That habit, that dream, that goal is just lying there
00:15:50
dormant. It's just waiting for that chance to bloom.
00:15:55
And so I encourage you to plant those seeds and to
00:15:58
trust God for the growth.
00:16:03
So I thank you again for joining me today on the Nourish to Bloom
00:16:07
podcast. I really hope this episode resonated with
00:16:10
you. It was just something that kind of happened to me that was on my
00:16:14
heart to share and just offered a really different perspective as
00:16:18
to what these goals and dreams and habits can look like going
00:16:21
in to the New Year. And I just want to give you kind of a
00:16:25
sneak peek. I'm still ironing out all the details, but
00:16:28
just the, the Mary's, yes, from
00:16:32
last week and the seed this week. And I have another one to share with
00:16:36
you either next week or the week after about just
00:16:39
goals and the New Year's resolutions.
00:16:43
But all of these, these kind of messages that I feel like the Lord
00:16:47
has been putting on my heart to share with you has really led me
00:16:50
to deciding and working through
00:16:54
hosting a workshop in early January that's all about goal setting with
00:16:58
God. So please stay tuned. I'm still ironing
00:17:02
out the details as far as the date and what this really looks like, but
00:17:05
what I'm kind of thinking is a little bit of a mini course that we
00:17:08
really spend about a good three weeks in January together really
00:17:12
working on refining and clarifying and aligning
00:17:16
these goals with God and His truth and his will.
00:17:19
So stay tuned for all the details. I'll be sharing that in
00:17:23
upcoming episodes, but until next time,
00:17:27
Remember beauty shared. Beauty held is the
00:17:30
seed. Beauty shared is the flower. It is your
00:17:34
time to bloom. I hope you have a beautiful and blessed week. As
00:17:38
you are preparing for Christmas. Remember to take
00:17:41
some time, slow down, spend it with the Lord and really let him speak to
00:17:45
you about what it is these seeds are that he's desiring for you to
00:17:49
plant. Until next time, I
00:17:52
will be praying for you and your family and hope that you'll have a beautiful
00:17:56
and blessed holiday. We'll talk soon. Bye.