dream — Encouraging Women Today

I made a quick Facebook post yesterday asking what people were planning for their goals for 2017. It was a post generated from my personal assessments and plans that I'm putting into place for this next year. I always spend most of December thinking through the last year and anticipating what things I can jump into for the new year. Here's what I posted -

What goals are you setting for 2017? I'd love to hear them. Share away!!

I'm not sure what kind of response I would receive but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the longer the post has been on my page, the more responses I receive.

One of the things I have learned through adulthood is the value of accountability. I'm mostly a lone ranger at heart - only child, very driven and ambitious, and not much of a team player. I've always been able to do more on my own. But as I get older, I can see the value of accountability in relationships.

Perhaps it's the blunting edge of age on my life, or motherhood and finding sisterhood in that journey that's helped me see that journeying WITH others is better than lone ranger. While I'm still in charge of my own destiny, knowing that others are aware of what I'm trying to accomplish and that they are cheering me on or giving me a swift kick when I'm down, accountability has been such a good thing for me to seek out.

Accountability to others helped me accomplish my goal to memorize the book of James this summer. Knowing that I would receive a text asking how my scripture memory was going, or an email or even an encouraging message on Facebook about what it meant to them to hear those verses recited out loud. I felt the extra push some weeks that someone would regret not hearing me share if I didn't reach the memory goal for the week.

Sometimes I think we don't actually share our big dreams, or goals because we are worried about failure. I wrote about failure not too long ago over on my other blog - you can read more here if you'd like. The reality is most of us are afraid to fail. We'd rather not step out of our comfort zone if it means we risk failure. The beauty of success though is looking back and realize that failure might have happened along the way but it was not a stopping point, it was the catalyst to the success that came later!

Anyway - I found that several people were willing to share their goals with me - and I was given the unique opportunity to cheer them on. Some I know very well, some not so much - but we were each bound with the anticipation and inspiration of looking ahead and saying out loud what we want to accomplish. So.very.powerful.

So I ask you the same question - I don't care how young or old you are. I don't care how busy you are or how difficult is right now. The moment you stop dreaming you stop living. I speak from experience. Sometime in the middle of motherhood, I found myself just doing what needed to be done each day without really allowing myself to dream about the future. With dreaming about the future, planning ahead is so important, and for so long I didn't do it. I was afraid to fail, and afraid to want something that I couldn't have. Totally faulty mindset there. Don't fall in the trap! Be inspired! Be encouraged! Think about those things you've always said you'd do. One day. When the kids are grown. Maybe that's not what you are waiting for, waiting for any next step to happen before you dream about the future is stifling and limiting.

So share with me! What are your goals for 2017? I'd love to hear them and cheer you on!

I know. You read that blog title and thought..how in the world is this going to encourage me today? I know. I get it..and it was a strange direction for me to take, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that it seemed to actually make sense. Bear with me for a minute, because I do believe I can pull this into an encouraging post!

I have worked for years to develop a practical workable schedule that makes sense and helps me to get the most out of day. On any given day, I am combining multiple work loads. For instance, I homeschool a 7th and 10th grader, I currently write for 3 blogs, am editing my first novel, am finalizing proposals for 2 nonfiction books, writing devotionals for a work for hire project, growing my social media platforms with intentional posts, teaching piano lessons, shipping coffee orders, and writing book reviews. I'm busy.

Sometimes the actual typing out of that list, makes me itchy and feeling stressed. I juggle many hats and I do enjoy it, but I needed a systematic process to be sure I'm getting things done.

I enjoyed the following read today - take a moment to read it if you will! Just click here

I also checked this article out - you can read it here

So what do you think?

I've always been a Stephen Covey - 15 minute segments for the day girl. But I have found that my creative pursuits - Music, Writing, blogging etc. require a broader brush and limited distractions, i.e. Facebook, email, etc.

Perhaps there's a hybrid? I believe this is what works best for me - housework, email, bills, homeschool, business needs all work within a 15 minute framework. I accomplish a whole lot more around the house, if I'll schedule it in 15 minute blocks. I can grade homeschool papers, tests and projects more quickly if I know it doesn't have to drag out all day - 15 minutes is an easy mental task. But the creative work - writing, editing, all of these need a chunk of time. I need to think and not shift my mind off course checking emails, twitter and Facebook updates. Also texting and phone calls can veer my brain out of "creative" mode.

So how in the world does this fall under an "encouragement" umbrella? Here's how..when we fail to plan, we plan to fail. No not my original words, but such truth friends. We all have good intentions, and have dreams inside. Can I encourage you to plan it into your schedule? What are your dreams, desires and goals? what could you do with 2 hours at night after work, or when the kids are in bed to accomplish your dreams?

What could you do if you organized housework into a few 15 minute blocks per day? would that not reduce your stress? Personally, any amount of stress reduction I can add into my day, adds quality to my life and encouragement that I need.

What works for you? I'd love to have some feedback and I do hope that this does encourage you.

Here's my favorite verse that encourages my productivity

Ecc 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

https://medium.com/the-mission/why-deep-work-helps-you-get-more-done-in-less-time-39de3f5e9ae6#.31y9x51b6