Do You Have a Dream You Need to Resurrect?

Life moves in a different direction.  Health struggles make you doubt.  And the result is postponing a dream……You are the only person who can decide to pursue your dream.  Whether it is a book you want to write, a business you want to launch or an adventure you want to go on – YOU need to take the first step and keep moving forward.

Have you postponed a dream? Is one of your ideas sitting on the shelf collecting dust? What hope or vision has been left for dead in your life?  Maybe it is time to dust it off and bring it back to life…..Believe it or not, it is not difficult to do.  So how do you do that? What’s the first step to get you started?

Walk through these powerful questions and you will be on your way…..

1. What dream lies dormant in your life you wish were still a possibility?

Is your dream buried so deep, you forgot about it?  Think for a moment. Maybe it is a dream connected to your professional life, finances, relationships, health, or personal life. What is it for you right now?

2. What do you need to give yourself permission to do about it?

There is a reason something important to you has been buried. Whatever the reason you decided you couldn’t pursue it any longer, now is the time to give yourself permission to do it.  Maybe you got hurt in the past and found a safer road to travel.  Maybe life took over and you let your dream die. Or maybe the dream seemed unattainable, so you gave up on it. Let the past be a learning tool to recast your dream. Have the faith to believe nothing is impossible with God.

3. What do you need to say about it?

Did you know the power of life and death is in the words you speak?  Speak life into your dream right now. Say it out loud. Allow yourself to hear the words. There is power in this exercise. Speak life, not death. Then watch how you talk about your dream to others. When you start with all the reasons you can’t have what your heart desires, you speak death to your dream. Each negative word is like a shovel, digging the grave and then piling dirt onto it until you can no longer see the dream at all. Negative words will steal your vision.  Negative words will NOT get you to your dream!

4. What action will you take next?

Faith without action is dead.  Did you know you may have killed your dream by inaction?  BUT when you take action, you can bring it back to life. Do you believe your dream is possible? Then take steps toward it. It doesn’t mean you have to take BIG steps or lots of them you just have to take them!  Even baby steps, when taken consistently, will get you to the finish line.

I challenge you to dust off your old dream! Give it new life.  Think about the dreams lying dormant in your life then answer the four questions above.  Share your dream with us and what is the ONE baby step you will take?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Show, Don’t Just Tell

Thank you Arlene Pellicane for today’s message….

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. ~ Proverbs 14:23, NIV

I’m going to stop wasting time on TV.

I am going to lose twenty pounds.

I would like to help the poor.

I’m going to show my kids I am the boss once and for all.

I’ll apply myself at my work starting tomorrow.

Do any of these sentiments sound familiar? At some point, we get frustrated and fed up and make an impassioned vow to change. Like when my forty-something-year-old face breaks out with acne because I ate way too much chocolate the day before, I promise “No more chocolate until Easter!”   But alas, just a few days later if I’m given chocolate or find a secret stash at home, I’m prone to forget my words and eat dark, delicious chocolate instead.

It can be hard to back up our words with actions! Yet words without supporting actions are weak and powerless.

Today’s key verse reminds us that it’s hard work that results in profit, not just mere words, no matter how poetic or persuasive. “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Hard work on one side of the equation. Mere talk on the other.

Now for many of us, talking is easier than working! But talking, without working, will make men and women poor, both financially and spiritually. It says it this way in Proverbs 10:4 (NKJV), “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”

Do you know someone who talks big but works little? Now isn’t it funny that we quickly judge others based on their actions (I can’t believe she didn’t show up to volunteer!). But we judge ourselves based on our intentions (Well, I was planning to go but something important came up). With others especially those closest to us, we demand justice. With ourselves, we tend to apply mercy.

So, let’s take a moment today to take inventory of our talk and our walk. Do we follow through with our commitments? Do we work or do we just talk about how much we work? If I profess to be a Christian woman, do I act like one? Does my calendar, social media, bank account, credit card bill, and movie collection confirm or contradict who I say I am?

Now don’t get carried away. This isn’t meant to make you a crazed, work-oriented, legalistic person. Go back to the equation addressed in today’s proverb: hard work on one side, mere talk on the other. This is about ditching grandiose speeches and empty promises and foolish words. It’s about embracing hard work, good habits, faithfulness and diligence. Diligence means “careful and persistent work or effort.”

I read this saying in a Bible commentary about today’s key verse: “The stirring hand gets a penny.” Nowadays, not very many people are willing to stir anything for just a penny. We’re into “get rich quick” schemes and “3 easy steps” to whatever solution we need. But the way you get ahead in life is by being willing to put in a good day’s work – whether that’s at home, in your career, or your personal life.

Hard work may not be popular or easy to market, but it truly is the pathway of growth and success.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

How to Organize Your Great Ideas

Thank you Christie Browning for these AWESOME ideas..

 I used to think I was the person who took ideas and made them happen.  Over the last year or so, I have become an idea person.  The problem is, I get the idea – maybe write it down and then forget about it.  Or I get obsessed with it and go over board doing everything in my power to make it happen.

Can you relate?

Most ideas which fizzle out probably should.  They would be the ultimate Pinterest fail (at least in my case).  But sometimes there are some really good ones, I don’t want to lose track of.  Maybe the timing is wrong or worse the ideas keep coming to the point I am on overload.  Overload and MS are definitely not a good mix!!!  I then end up not taking action on anything or implementing any of the amazing ideas.

Are you someone who has a lot of ideas but struggles with keeping them organized or putting them into action?  Thanks to Christie, there are some suggestions for you…. I am going to try to start organizing my ideas, so I can move into action mode and ultimately make them happen!  Want to join me?

#1:  Dump your brain

I have been to MANY trainings where we have done this at the start of the session to help us focus.  It is a great way to just empty the mind-clutter without losing the great ideas! YES, it is possible.  So, grab a notebook and pen and start writing!  Keep the notebook on your desk,  your nightstand or wherever as long as it is close so when an idea hits, you can write it down. Get the thought on paper and stop depending on your brain to remember!  My brain is useless for this.  LOL!  By writing them down, you have a written record of your ideas.  Believe it or not, some of them will overlap and work with ones you have already had.  Also, by writing it down, you can review them when the “aha moment” passes to see if it is really a great idea.  Maybe you will pass on it now, but who knows in a few years, it might be doable.

#2:  Organize the madness

Having ideas is a great ….BUT every brain dump needs a little bit of organization.    I use color coding in my planner, so why not use the same principle in organizing my ideas. Create a color reference for each category. My categories are:

• Blue – Personal (medical in my planner)
• Pink – Business
• Yellow – Family/ Household
• Green – Financial
• Orange – Spiritual

Once, you jot down an idea make sure there is enough information (not a book, just a few sentences) so if you come back to it, you remember what you were talking about.  Now, highlight it with a color.  In a “perfect world”, all of the ideas would be together in a notebook by category.  Yup, I’m so not there yet.

#3:  Plan to take action

So every idea I have doesn’t get acted on or do I even attempt.  There are some ideas  which die the minute I wrote them down or when I come back to look at them with a fresh pair of eyes, I think… “that ‘s crazy!”  I still keep them around in the never ending notebook because you never know, right?  The truth is, you will be able to tell from a brain dump which ideas will work at at that moment and which ones you need to hold on. The ideas I want to work on, I transfer to my planner and start planning it out. I figure out what steps I need to take to get started.  I identify what needs to happen. Then… jot dates (a basic timeline) or I prioritize what needs to be done first, then second, etc.  Unfortunately,  identifying a budget has always been last on my list.  If it is going to cost money,  I find someone with a more practical head to talk with about it so I don’t go off half cocked.

Organizing your ideas is a way  to help you stay focused on what needs attention now. I “squirrel” a lot lately so using this system has helped.  Be sure to ask yourself, “What needs to happen first?”.  “What projects have I already started I need to finish before I launch another idea?”  Sometimes ideas are great, but need to wait until other things happen first.  It’s easy to get distracted when something is new and exciting comes along, but the reality is, you will never actually cross a finish line or reach completion on an idea if you keep jumping around.

We all have goals, visions or even are why, right?  So be sure the idea you want to launch gets you closer to your goal, to your vision for your life, your business or your finances?  If it does, then hold onto this idea.   If it isn’t a perfect fit, push it to the bottom of the priority list.  Keep your list alive but updating it and reflecting on it regularly.

How do you organize your ideas?  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

What Dream Do You Need to Revive?

Are there dreams you have given up on?  I don’t mean the one you had when you were a child to be a ballerina or a super hero?  I mean the ones you had as an adult. Maybe FEAR and doubt got in the way.  Maybe life got in the way – taking care of everyone else so you let the dream fade.

I will admit, I have let dreams fade over the last few years.  Life definitely got in the way – health issues caused me to struggle and doubt whether any of it was possible.  But the dreams are slowly starting to resurface.  I have faced some of my fears and am struggling through a vision casting process.

Vision casting is when you place yourself in the moment of the dream becoming a reality.  You let go of all fear, doubt and negativity while you enjoy and FEEL the moment.  My director did this with me many years ago – the year I promoted to Director.  As she shared the story with a hundred other women on a call last week, the tears came back to me.  I remembered the moment we broke through and I could actually feel what the moment would be like.  It was a miracle on many counts because I actually remembered the conversation AND I was inspired to dream again.

Think about this for a minute:

You are the only person who can decide to pursue your dream. Books don’t write themselves. Businesses don’t launch themselves. You’ve got to take the first step and keep stepping.

So, let’s talk about how YOU can dust off the dream and bring it back to life…..

1. What dream is sleeping in your life you wish were still a possibility?

Have you buried your dream so deep you forget about it?  Think about it for a moment. The dream which needs to be awakened could be connected to your professional life, your finances, a relationship,  your health, or your personal life. What is the dream for you right now? Write it down!

2. What do you need to give yourself permission to do it?

We bury things which are important for a variety of reasons.  Whatever reason made you bury the dream, it’s time to give yourself permission to dream again.  It’s okay.  Were you hurt and decided it was safer not to go down a certain road anymore?  Did naysers convince you it wasn’t possible?   Did responsibilities in life dictate it was better to let your dream die?  Or did the dream seem impossible to achieve, so you gave up?  Whatever your reason, use the past as a learning tool to recast your dream. Have the faith to believe nothing is impossible.

3. What do you need to say about it?

Speak life into your dream NOW!  Remember “The Secret” and positive attraction?  Say your dream out loud.  Hear the words, I mean really hear them!  Attract the positive, not the negative!  Share your dream with someone else!  Then observe how you talk about it.  When you state all the reasons you can’t have what your heart desires, you speak negativity (death) to your dream.  Each negative word is like a shovel, digging the grave and then piling dirt onto it until you can no longer see your dream. Negative words will steal your vision.  Are you going to let “words” steal your dream?

4. What action will you take next?

Did you know we kill our dreams with inaction?  When you don’t make any steps, even baby ones, towards the dream, you have sentenced it to death.  The best way to revive your dream is to take some action.  Never stop believing your dream is possible,.  As long as you are taking steps towards it, it is!  Don’t put a time frame on it.  Just continue to step towards it and things will start to happen. Start with one small step, then another. Even baby steps, when taken consistently, will get you to the finish line.

I challenge you to dust off your old dream and give it new life.  Whether you use the questions above or vision cast – let yourself dream again.  My dream is to promote to Senior Director with Thirty One and be a member of the Gives Council.  TWO BIG dreams which are really scary but I’m not letting go of them this time.

Share your BIG scary dream with us!  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Bouncing Back

A new month.  A new start.  The summer may have thrown you a curve ball.  Maybe you were Vacation Veronica and took the summer off.  Maybe you just aren’t happy with the results of your business (or weight loss journey).  Are you ready to bounce back?  Yes, it is possible!

 

Here is some excerpts from a blog by the wonderful JulieAnn Jones.  As yourself this question, FIRST:

“What do I need the most right now?”

What are you major needs? Could it be: fill your calendar, get your office organized, re-do the budget, focus/clarity, recruit more team members, connect to your why again – whatever it is, identity them.  Don’t get crazy – keep it to no more than 5, less is better.  You don’t want that overwhelming feeling to continue to plague your days.

 

The next thing that you need to do is to take those needs and develop a simple strategy of a three-step plan.  These three things PLAN, ACTION, and RESULTS are a guarantee to get things moving again.  By creating a plan along with action  steps, you will produce the results.  It is the best way to divide and conquer the feeling of overwhelm when looking at your needs.  Here is an example  from JulieAnn’s blog:

Each plan is specific to an individual’s needs, but here is an example of how my client approached his need to know the status of his team.

The Question: “What do you need when you think of your team?”

The Need: “I want to hear how their doing, what they need and to identify how to best communicate with me so I can stay focused this week as I return back to work and have two weeks’ worth of tasks to accomplish.”

The Plan: Create a clear, concise team email.

The content of the email was still in question, so to clarify my client broke down the need even further by identifying these things:

• What is the PURPOSE for the email
• What is the GOAL set by sending out this email?
• What ACTIONS are needed (including a strong call to action, i.e.; please respond back to me with your input/update by Friday at 5pm.)
• What are the ideal RESULTS produced by sending out this email?

By the end of our call my client had a new plan and a new outlook on his journey. He stated, “Most of the overwhelmed and exhausted feelings I was having was really me just overthinking all that I had to do. Once we chunked it down and set up simple actions to take I was in immediate go mode and could clearly see how I was going to get everything done by 5pm Friday.”

Feeling overwhelmed?  Ask yourself this: “what do you need to get done with the time that you have?”.  Then  create healthy boundaries that break down into reasonable timeframes that get results.  Sounds pretty easy, right?  I know it isn’t.  If you are like me, I can easily write my needs but breaking them down into reasonable timeframes can be a problem.  And this coming from a former grant writer who won lots of grants.

Time frames are helpful when taking on large projects and allow for smaller goals to act as milestones on the journey to the big goal. By creating an A | B | C system, you are able to see a quick snapshot of what needs to happen first. For example, if you say ‘by Thursday noon I will have completed X level of paperwork,’ by looking at your timeline you can identify that your “A” priority paperwork needs to be completed first. Allowing the visual aid of marking down the completion of each smaller goal in comparison to the big goal creates an end-in-mind approach that is helpful.

So, here is your challenge this week –  to identify where you are stuck.  If you are feeling overwhelmed, put pen to paper and working through it with some strategy and a 3 part plan.  You can bounce back from any set-back, it takes determination and dedication.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!