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Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts

Wednesday

Building Your Personal Vision and Mission Statement for Success




Establishing your personal vision is key to gaining a clear perspective of where you intend to identify an area for success in your life. General visions are a good starting point, but often lead to unclear or unnecessary task and tendencies that lead back to square one. Specification allows us to hone in on a particular and specific intent that will lead to  success. In writing your personal vision, you want to stay away from writing in generalizations. An example of a "general" personal vision statement is exemplified below.
"My vision is to be a successful entrepreneur so that I will be able to produce a sustainable and productive lifestyle for my family."
Now this vision statement is short and immediately focuses on the point of what the subject wants to accomplish, but it also rather vague. Though the vision statement does speak to a goal, it is unspecified. Some questions to ask here that would really give our subject a better understanding of where they intend to go in their vision are listed as followed:



  1. How does our subject define success in there world?
  2. Does the subject intend to pursue multiple or a single source for entrepreneurship?
  3. What are the sources of entrepreneurship will the subject take on?
  4. how does the subject identify a sustainable and productive lifestyle?
Once these questions have been processed through, our subject can create a more elaborate and concise vision statement that will provide a clear visual of what they want for themselves. The revised vision statement is exemplified below.

"My vision is to own a craft store where I will have customers that will expand their creativity through different programs I offer. I will also incorporate artwork and jewelry for sale that will bring in repeat customers and referrals. This will allow me to meet all of my families wants and needs, while advancing our economic climate." 

What the subject has done here was specified all the generalities listed in their first mission statement. They have identified what type of entrepreneurship they want to take on, have envisioned what success in that arena would be for them, have identified what a sustainable and productive lifestyle is for them, and identified how they intend to incorporate different income streams. With this vision statement, the subject has a clear visual and can always come back to reference this statement to say, my vision, my goal, my dream is manifesting because this is what I envisioned. 

Now that your visions statement has become clarified, what you want to do is create your clear personal mission statement. In creating your mission statement, you create your structure or road map to figure out how you will manifest that vision you stated in your vision statement. Your mission statement should be no more than a paragraph-four sentences max. You also want to keep it short and concise just as your vision statement. Using our modified vision statement here is a perfect example of a mission statement for the craft store entrepreneur. 
"My mission is to advance my skill set through partaking in creative classes that will stimulate ideas for workshops and classes. I will also provide a platform for various community artist to create and sell there work. I will attain a mentor to for guidance through my first year of initiation for accountability in customer service and financial guidance. "
Our subject has produced a comparable mission statement that details how they intend to accomplish their vision. This is the goal!! To create your road map and solidify what you want your outcome to be. With this, our subject can zone in on what needs to be done without wasting unnecessary time and resources. Building your your vision and mission statement should be the first steps you want to indulge in when you want to take on a big goal. Clarity and precision produce success.

    Carla Marcelle, is a Transformation Purpose Coach and founder of she's 31 Ministries which is dedicated to the advancement of the Kingdom of God through the edification, enlightenment, education of the principles to maintain a successful lifestyle based on the foundation of God .{Join the She's31 group on Facebook for all your purposed inspiration}

5 Signs You're Settling For Less Than You Deserve

by: Iyanla Vanzant


Some years ago, I was shopping and came upon a beautiful red dress. The color, style and length were perfect. But the store didn't have it in my size. It did, however, have the same dress in navy, which I wasn't crazy about. Then I noticed a pair of blue shoes nearby that complemented that blue dress. (I didn't love those, either.) So what did I do? I bought both. I was afraid I wouldn't find anything else, so I settled. (It won't surprise you to learn that I've never worn the dress or the shoes.)

You've probably heard the saying "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't." Here's a question: Why put up with any devil? Why not give ourselves only good things? When we believe we cannot have what we desire—when we lack faith in ourselves and in the goodness of life—we settle for less. We decide that whatever is in front of us is better than nothing. But believe me when I tell you that better than nothing isn't good enough.

I often see people settle for less than they deserve in personal relationships: accepting bad behavior, excusing broken promises, accommodating people who take more than they give. Why? Because doing things we've grown accustomed to is familiar, comfortable.



Which is why sometimes it can be tough to gauge whether we're settling: When we tell ourselves that things are fine, we soon forget that they could be better. Here's how to know whether you're putting up with less than you deserve:

  • When you have to work yourself into a state of excitement rather than naturally experiencing joy and passion, you're probably settling.
  • When you bargain with yourself about what you can do without rather than feeling gratitude for what you already have, you're probably settling.
  • When your focus is on the time and energy you've invested in an endeavor rather than the love, joy and gratification you've gained, you're probably settling.
  • When you're making excuses about why you should stay put rather than going for what you truly want, you're probably settling.
  • When you spend more time complaining about what you have than appreciating it, you're definitely settling.

But there is a lesson to be learned in everything. When we realize we've been settling, we discover what we actually believe. We learn that we perhaps think ourselves undeserving of happiness and find how susceptible we are to outside influences—because often we settle when others convince us it's the right thing to do. Most important, we learn that we are not standing fully in our truth. Armed with this information, we can make new choices that support our desires—by beginning to believe that we can have what we really want.


Iyanla Vanzant is the host of OWN's Iyanla: Fix My Life and the author of  Peace from Broken Pieces.

This post was originally published on Oprah.com

Tuesday

The Power of a Mentor: Following the Pattern Set Before Us.

By: Paul Horne


As a student preparing for ministry I am coming to a greater realization that having a mentor who is in ministry is vitally important. The set of verses that constantly come to mind are the words Paul wrote to Timothy in his second letter, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:1-2, ESV) Listen to how Paul speaks to Timothy; he calls him my child, showing such a deep loving relationship. We know from human standards that a father is to teach his children how to live in all aspects of life. We need mentors the same way we need to have fathers in our lives to set the patterns for us to follow. Without them we have the tendency to go astray. 

The relationship of mentoring is not a one-way street; it is one that branches off to others. We should be learning from our disciple maker while at the same time taking what we are being taught and teaching it to other men (and women) in the faith.  In order to be in a disciple making relationship it requires work to be put in, along with time. Jesus invested his time in twelve men whom he would send out into the world to teach others. He not only sent out twelve but at one point he sent out seventy-two men two by two (Luke 10:1). The best way for us to be sent is by a man we are learning from so we can implement what is being taught.  
  


What does a mentor look like? A mentor is going to look different for each person; you may not have just one mentor in you life or at one point of time. There will be areas in life that you need to have the footsteps of someone else to follow whether it be in a hobby, in your profession, or in general guidance for your life. This person should be some type of authority on the subject; not necessarily having to have credentials but having done a what ever it is you are seeking them for a period of time with a good track record. You do not want to start following after someone or seeking their help when they have no idea how to handle the struggles you are facing because they have just started the activity themselves. 

Do you have an idea on how this association should look? It is imperative that when you enter into a formal mentoring relationship that some standards be set. The type of standards I am referring to are like how often will there be contact made, what forms of contact are best for this relationship. What kind of accountability is going to be set in place if any at all? Are you both going to keep this association merely about the mentoring/disciple making or is this going to become more of an intimate friendship where lives overlap? 



I would recommend depending on the type of commitment being made, that lives become intertwined with an at least weekly (if not several times a week) contact. It does not matter where the contact comes from be it a phone call, text message, social media interaction. And no less than once a month interaction face to face in a setting that is not sterile, but inviting conversation and allows the relationship to feel more organic and real. 

It is my hope that this work will inspire you to strengthen those relationships that are in place and to possibly form new ones. I leave you with this: who is investing in you and who has the Lord placed on you heart to invest into?



Paul Horne is a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband, a father and expositor of Scripture. You can find more of Paul's writing at preachdatruth.blogspot.com

Wednesday

This Is Your Time!

By Ruthann Mckenzie


I love the story of Esther in the Bible. There is so much to be gained from this book of the Bible.  My favorite verse comes from Esther 4:14.  The part that stands out to me the most is, “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

The phrase “for such a time as this” could be applied differently for each individual.  God wants to use you and the time of your calling may be different than the person next to you.  You may look at yourself as inadequate to be used by God.  You may feel like your past situations have disqualified you from God using you. However, when the time comes, when we are thrust into greatness like Esther, we can take courage that God can use us where we are.  We do not have to be higher educated, better dressed, or more qualified. When God wants to use you, He will use you so that all glory will be given to Him.

Esther, like so many of us, had her own baggage that she felt disqualified her to become queen.  She was an orphan, she was captive in a foreign country, she did not know if the king would actually choose her to be queen, and I doubt she truly wanted to be queen. Despite her circumstances, God still wanted to use Esther. But why? He could have picked anyone more willing, anyone more qualified, He could have chosen anyone else.  However, would it have made the same impact? The gifts and purpose God placed on Esther’s life was designed for that moment, which would impact the future. Trust that God created each of us with our different gifts and  purpose to be used to impact the future.

Esther’s natural response when being told by Mordecai that God placed her in the palace for such a time as this was to make excuses out of fear. It is natural to have that response and God knows this, but Esther surrendered her will to the Lord’s to be used. The fact that Esther surrendered and put her confidence in God that His will be done instead of her own is the best part of this story.  She was thrown into the situation, but she did not let that stop her from being used.

Perhaps you are here for such a time as this and you too have been thrown into a situation, whatever it may be.  That does not mean you cannot be used by the Lord. God wants to use you…yes, YOU!  Surrender fully to His will.  Allow His love to flood your life and you will see that through our weakness His strength can be made perfect. Be used by God, for this is the time.

Monday

Dream Bigger: See Your Dreams Fulfilled!

By: Ruthann Mckenzie


As I have started to live out my dreams and what I truly want for my life, I have began realizing there are many expenses attached to my dream I did not once realize.  Living out my personhood, my dream, my vision... it is costly, yet I continue to do it daily.  

I am here to inform you that your dream will be costly, too. This is not a negative thing, but it will require you to give more than a hundred percent daily. It will consume much of your waking hours. There will be sleepless nights creating goals and meeting deadlines.  Once you begin to pursue your dream it will be all you think about continuously, almost 24/7.  I have heard that I am border line obsessed with my purpose.  You know what that is okay with me!  The reason why I rather put in the handwork to pursue the dream is how much it will cost if I don't. 

The most costly part of having a dream is if you leave that dream unfulfilled. Unfulfilled dreams will come back to haunt you, because that longing -- that desire placed deep within you -- is not coincidental. The dream deep within your heart is not there to let it slip away.  Your dream will be costly, but the cost to be great far exceeds mediocre



So stick with the sleepless nights and people telling you how saggy your eyes look some days. The goal is not to impress or show off, especially not in the short term. Do not worry about the investment you will have to make and the failures you will endure. Endure the failures and learn lessons from them.  Be creative enough to find more solutions after failures rather than excuses to remain the same. Keep pushing to develop into who God designed you to be. Know that fear is temporary.  We perceive fear to be permanent because we sit there so long, never realizing we can push past it. Failure is not a permanent condition, and neither is fear. 

The greatest injustice we do to ourselves is to talk ourselves out of our dreams because of what it will cost us short term. In all reality, we do not stop and think of how our hard work may pay off. Think to yourself, "what will it look like if I accomplish my dream?"  Your dream may be to lose weight, it may be to open a business, it may be to play an instrument...whatever it is, your dream is valid for you, never discount it.  Pay into your future investments and make the dream a reality. Do what it takes today so you will not pay for your excuses of putting off your dreams tomorrow. 

It Is worth it!