Inspiration

Third week of the year 2024 it is! How is it going friends? Settling into the year well? In our previous post, we explored what could be some barriers preventing you from being successful in your crushing your goals. It would be unfair to speak about one side without the other, that is an imbalance. In this piece, we will unpack a few tools and tactics to help us. Let’s dig right in… Pray, no like for real pray: God is not a created being, He is the Creator. You and me, and everything else, created by God (Gen. 1 v26) or by man. Our status as created beings put us at a natural disadvantage of lacking all knowledge. We cannot, and will never, know more than the creator concerning the created being and things. I can never know more about a car than the engineer who designed and built it. Same logic applies with God; we know somethings, sometimes, but we will not know all things at all times. Imagine this, you purchase a vehicle, and the only way you drive the vehicle without worrying is that you pay for a monthly insurance. In that case, you know that should any wear, accidents or issues come up, you call up your insurance company and all is taken care of. And the thing with your car insurance is sometimes you got to hustle them and prove why you deserve the insurance claim. But the logic here that I want to highlight is that paying for insurance on your vehicle gives you a certain level of peace. Knowing that when it is needed, you will have it. Here is the thing about praying, it is our only fail-proof insurance in this walk of life. I could list endless Bible verses about why you need to pray because it is a commandment, or it is the only way to communicate with God. I could also tell you that Jesus Christ, in man form prayed consistently, and all of that would be the truth. Today, I want you to imagine your life without an insurance policy. Anything can and will happen to you. Your plans don’t have the surety of succeeding. You can’t be sure that the decision you made, in 20 years from today will be beneficial. And even with the wisdom and foresight of experience and growth, our decisions/plans/life are not all fail-proof, or at least that’s what I think. Knowing what decisions/plans to make, its connection to our blessings, benefit or consequences require a high-level security clearance and insurance that can only be in God. Only God knows it all, because He exists in and of Himself, and only in Him can we insure our decisions against loss. So when you pray concerning a goal, pray that it is insured and fail-proof in Christ Jesus! Measure your progress: “In God we trust; all others must bring data.” —W. Edwards Deming. Imagine you are at a game, let’s say a soccer game and after 90 minutes of game play, and maybe an extra 5 minutes of injury time, there are no scores. Not even a 0-0. The scoreboard just says game over. No scores or nothing. Can you tell how absurd that is?  Keeping scores in a game is not only about who won/lost, but it provides an accurate performance report. Unfortunately, most of us, myself included go through our lives as though we went to game that didn\’t keep scores.  We actively avoid measuring our progress for fear of confronting the bitter truth that we may not be doing as good as we are, or the fear that we are doing better than we imagined, therefore inviting us to do more. Scorekeeping serves as a practical reality check, offering insights and performance feedback. Efficient measurement eliminates emotional bias from the evaluation process, providing an accurate portrayal of your performance. The focus is solely on outcomes, disregarding effort or intentions. It\’s common to rationalize subpar results occasionally, but effective scorekeeping compels us to confront the reality of our situation, even when discomfort arises. Though this confrontation may be challenging, doing so promptly allows us to shift our actions toward achieving more favorable results. Effective measurement demands our attention, urging immediate responses and enhancing the likelihood of future success. Effective time management: Time is the one non-renewable resource we have, unfortunately it is the one resource we treat as if we can make more of. The next time you are tempted to procrastinate, remember that you cannot reproduce time. I say this not to cause panic, but to bring to your attention or remembrance, that if you do not control your time, you cannot control your results. Being available to everyone and for everything is an indication that external people and things impact your time more than you take charge. Truth is to hit those goals like a bullseye, time must be dedicated to them. It is a non-negotiable. You want to scale the business, you got to put time in. You want to lose the weight, put time in. You need to pass those exams, time. Show one thing you need to accomplish which doesn’t involve time….. I am waiting. Right none, I thought as much. One practical way to ensure you have a grasp of your time is the use of time blocks. Figure out your best working time. Are you an early bird or night owl? Block out about 2-3 hours of those peek performance hours and get your time in for your goals. This is in no way an exhaustive list, however I believe it is the best way to get going on those goals. It is my hope and prayer that a year from now, we would check those goals off our list, and be ready to dive into a fresh set of goals!!   Wishing you all the best of 2024!!! Love and hugs, Nelia Leave us a comment… we would love to know what

Hey there, friend! First of all, congratulations on making it into 2024! Regardless of whether you sprinted, strolled, or even dragged yourself into the new year, the fact that you\’re here is an achievement in itself. Take a moment to appreciate that. With the start of a new year, many of us embrace the idea of a fresh beginning, a chance to improve ourselves or revive dormant dreams. The concept most commonly associated with this pursuit is the \”New Year\’s Resolution.\” While some argue its ineffectiveness without a commitment to daily actions, it\’s essential not to dismiss the value of setting new goals on January 1st. For many, the new year signifies more than a mere change in the calendar; it\’s an awakening. Rather than discarding the idea of resolutions, what might truly benefit us is providing tools and resources to support those who find solace and purpose in setting new goals each year. This shift in mindset could lead to a daily commitment to living our best lives, aligning our present actions with the future we envision. Before you decide to abandon your New Year\’s Resolutions or Goals, consider these common barriers that might be hindering your success: Lack of Emotional/Spiritual Connection to the Resolution: A resolution should stem from a deep conviction to change, grounded in emotional or spiritual fulfillment. Ask yourself: What emotional or spiritual connection do I have to this goal? Connect your resolutions to a compelling vision for your life, bridging the gap between your present and your envisioned future. For example, let\’s say I resolve to revive my blog and post more. This resolution is not merely a fleeting desire; it arises from a profound understanding that writing is an integral part of who I am. The act of putting words on paper brings me a level of emotional and spiritual fulfillment that nothing else can match. To truly embark on the journey of writing more frequently and sharing my gift with the world – my ultimate goal – I recognize the need to establish a deep emotional and spiritual connection between the act of writing and the larger vision I have for my life. Consider this: What is your vision for your life? Picture yourself at the ripe age of 90, reflecting on the long and blessed life that God has granted you. What legacy do you want to leave behind? What level of fulfillment do you hope to experience? Now, bring your thoughts back to the present moment. The gap between your current reality and your envisioned self at 90 encompasses more than just time; it involves the compelling vision you hold. This compelling vision should serve as the guiding force for your present-day goals. By aligning your goals with the emotional and spiritual connection to your overarching life vision, you provide wings to your commitment. These wings will allow you to glide seamlessly towards your objectives, driven not only by the desire for change but by a deeper understanding of how these actions contribute to the fulfillment of your life\’s purpose. Victim Mindset: Life has its ups and downs, but blaming external factors for our challenges perpetuates a victim mindset. Take ownership of your actions and outcomes, recognizing that waiting for someone else to fix things won\’t lead to a fulfilling life. Life is inherently unpredictable, with some days being fantastic, others average, and some challenging. This imbalance is what maintains life\’s equilibrium. However, adopting a victim mindset, blaming others or systems for difficult days, hinders personal growth. A victim mindset seeks external redemption instead of taking ownership of life\’s challenges. Individuals in this mindset limit their success by attributing it to external factors. To truly enjoy life, it\’s crucial to reject the victim mindset, as waiting for external solutions hampers personal responsibility. As Candace Owens puts it, \”Life is tough; get a helmet.\” Embrace challenges, but don\’t rely on others to provide the solutions – choose not to live in a victim mindset. Shedding Accountability: In \”The 12 Week Year\” book, the authors emphasize that accountability goes beyond mere consequences; it involves taking ownership of one\’s actions and results. It\’s a character trait and a life stance, requiring a willingness to be responsible regardless of the circumstances. While accountability often implies someone else ensuring corrective measures, the authors argue that true accountability is an individual commitment. Relying on others for accountability is not an honest system; instead, having an accountability partner means having someone witness your ownership of actions or inactions. For example, if I commit to writing and publishing a blog weekly, it\’s crucial to take ownership of that commitment. Sharing it with a friend is beneficial, but it doesn\’t transfer responsibility; the friend becomes a witness to my accountability. Ultimately, expecting others to consistently play the role of holding you accountable is unrealistic, as everyone is busy navigating their own lives, except for those who brought you into this world i.e. parents or are paid to teach you. Conflicting Intentions: Conflicting intentions arise when our stated goals clash with certain aspects of our desires, making it difficult to achieve milestones. For instance, aspiring to lose 10kg while indulging in any made of flour, eggs, sugar, and butter reveals conflicting intentions. The challenge lies in these hidden intentions that we may be unaware of or avoid confronting. Many times, our written goals don\’t align with our true selves, hindering achievement. To bridge this gap, it\’s essential to acknowledge and confront these hidden intentions. For example, desiring weight loss while still enjoying food or lacking motivation to exercise indicates a misalignment. Reconciling written goals with these hidden truths is crucial for successful goal attainment. Until this reconciliation occurs, achieving New Year\’s resolutions remains elusive. Over – ambitiousness: Over-ambitiousness in setting goals can be counterproductive. While the notion of dreaming big is often encouraged, it can also be a reason why goals remain unachieved. The optimism that accompanies new year resolutions might wane when the reality of the effort required