2016, The Year to…GET IT DONE…

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achievement, career, destiny, Fulfillment, goals, mentorship, passion, Purpose, Purposeful living, spiritual

I’m claiming 2016 as The Year to… GET IT DONE…

I encourage you to make 2016 the year that you fulfill personal, career, and spiritual goals and begin walking in your unique purpose.  No more frustration with stagnant careers or relationships, while wishing for a meaningful and rewarding life.  It’s time to eliminate the obstacles holding you back. It’s time to begin mapping your journey towards purposeful living.

It’s time to GET IT DONE!

To begin, let’s look at what I call my 10 key Compass Principles. Why are they called Compass Principles?  These sequential steps are critical in helping you navigate your journey to a purpose-filled life while never losing sight of your destination.

• Set Your Spiritual Foundation. This is achieved through constant prayer, reading God’s word, and seeking inspirational guidance.
• Assess Where You Are. Ask yourself (and answer truthfully and candidly), “Am I living a purposeful life?”
• Determine Where You Should Be (in alignment with God’s plan). This is called the Visioning Process.  Think beyond your physical sight or what you know. Be open to God’s inspired vision for your life. The best place for you to prosper may not be apparent to you at your current stage in life.
• Identify Your Passions. Write down the things that fulfill you and give you joy, even if you are NOT paid to do them.
• Identify Your Gifts And Talents. God gives us so many clues as to what our gifts and talents are. Ask some of those closest and trusted people in your life what are your dominant strengths.  Always allow prayer to lead you to the path of our Heavenly Father, who is the giver of all gifts!
• Identify Your Opportunity Areas. Be aware of opportunities that present themselves where you move closer to your desired goals. For example, if you desire to be a public speaker, someone may host an event where you’re able to speak and share your gift, even if it’s a non-paid opportunity. Do not overlook small beginnings. They always lead to greater flourishes.
• Identify Destiny Blockers. Ask yourself what is blocking you from living a purposeful life. Is it time? Money? Lack of resources? Specific skills? Whatever it is, it shouldn’t matter. There will never be a perfect time to start a journey into a purposeful life. There will always be something you think is “missing”. But you can overcome and eliminate all excuses by simply taking action and trusting in God. Excuses are parasites that will hinder or even stop your progress. God will fill in the gaps, no matter what you feel is missing.
• Create An Action Plan. The old Benjamin Franklin quote still holds true: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Write down a plan to align your passions to goals (actions, timelines). This plan should include short, intermediate, and long term goals.
• Embrace Purposeful Mentorship. Identify a mentor and/or accountability partner to assist, encourage, and hold you to your commitments.
• Take The First Step. Be intentional about getting started. Move decisively towards living a purposeful life. Don’t worry if—or when—it becomes difficult or uncomfortable. As mentioned earlier, taking the first step is how you overcome the destiny blockers that hold you back. 

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

And for my own personal favorite quote:

“You’ll never know what you can achieve until you take steps toward what you believe.” ~ Jewel Brodie-Reid

To start the conversation on how you can develop a comprehensive strategy to live a fulfilling and purpose-filled life, email me at Jewel@TheGemInYou.com or visit www.TheGemInYou.com.

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The Sunday Blues

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dread, Feeling blue, goals, passion, positive change, Purpose, Toastmasters, transformation

Photo borrowed from Kaplan International

Sunday is often viewed as a day of worship, a day to enjoy activities, and a day of rest. However, many people fail to enjoy Sunday because it’s the last weekend day prior to the beginning of a work week.

Sunday nights are often spent dreading the upcoming work day or time spent with difficult co-workers and/or managers. Sunday can also bring on feelings of stress and anxiety associated with doing a job that you hate or have no drive or passion for.  As a result, what should be a peaceful, joyous and restful day turns quickly into an occurrence of “The Sunday Blues”.

If you find yourself experiencing a constant state of The Sunday Blues, then it’s time to make a positive change.

• Start by praying about your current situation. Ask God to give you wisdom, insight, and guidance on your future career path.
• Next, identify the cause of your Sunday Blues. This step may require you to take a moment of deep reflection, to consult with a trusted friend or to seek the guidance from a certified Life Purpose Coach.
• Establish short term and long term goals to transition from your current state. This step can include items such as updating your resume, joining professional organizations to build your network, and identifying training needs to develop and grow your current skill set.
• Lastly, stretch yourself by moving outside of your comfort zone. If you are passionate about speaking, but have never spoken in front of people, take a Toastmasters class. If you have always wanted to write a book, join a local writing group.

You have the power to turn a case of The Sunday Blues into a day of transformation that propels you into a more passionate and fulfilling life!

Moving Beyond Your Barriers

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barrier, destination, disability, disabled, goals, journey, life coach, obstacle, obstacles, Purpose

This weekend I got the opportunity to visit Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas. This park is one of my favorite recreational destinations because it has children’s parks, fun activities for adults such at fitness camps, unique food trucks and great restaurants. While I love this park, it’s always a bit of a challenge to find parking because of its proximity to downtown Dallas. As a result, I paid $10 to park in a lot that was approximately 5 minutes from the park.

While I was parking, I noticed an elderly disabled lady using what appeared to a walker to head towards the park. She was by herself and didn’t seem dismayed by the distance ahead of her. As she slowly approached the intersection and waited for the crosswalk green light, she didn’t seem to care about the length of time it was taking her to cross the road. Unfortunately, drivers seemed to become inpatient by her slow stride and one driver even had the audacity to blow his horn. I was rather irritated by the driver’s horn. I mean really. Have some compassion for the elderly.

Once the elderly lady reached the other side of the road, I noticed a small family gathered around her. The lady was actually pushing a small cart with a cooler attached to it. Unfortunately, the cooler had fallen off the cart and its contents had spilled on the ground. This small family had stopped to help the lady and eventually picked up the cooler and took it to her final park destination. I remembered thinking, “Wow, this elderly lady who was barely walking didn’t let a minor disability hinder her from enjoying a beautiful day at the park”. She didn’t care that is was 91 degrees. She didn’t care that she had to cross a busy street. She didn’t care that she was alone. She was focused on spending an enjoyable day the park, despite any obstacles.

Would you be this diligent in pursuing your goals? Would you be able to overcome unforeseen barriers to achieve your objectives? Is your final destination worth more than your physical journey?

Know Your Limits

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eating plan, goals, weight, weight loss

On last year, I was able to reach my weight loss goal through a 5 day work-out routine and a balanced eating plan. It was a goal that I had been trying to reach for years, but for many reasons, I had been unsuccessful. One of the reasons that I failed at weight loss was due to my overconsumption of sweets, carbohydrates and fatty foods. I had a pretty intense work-out regimen; however, my over-indulgence in high calorie foods proved to be counter-productive.

Now that I have reached my weight loss goal, my new challenge is maintaining. It’s unrealistic to think that I won’t gain a pound a two. However, I have placed a weight limit on myself in order to sustain weight loss. If I come close to exceeding my established weight boundaries, then I take immediate action. This process usually involves increasing my work-out routine and following stricter eating guidelines. This can be a grueling process at times, but it has proved to be quite effective.

I believe that many of us are struggling to maintain our goals. As a result, we find ourselves reverting to a former state which often results in disappointment and despair. Take a moment to establish limits or boundaries that assist you in maintaining your goals. Knowing your limits can be a critical component to sustaining success.

When Situations Sway Your Decisions…

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decisions, goals

Have you ever made a decision to do or not to do something, but found yourself changing your mind based on the influence of a situation or event? For instance, you started a new fitness program that meets 3 times a week. You said that you were committed to working out all 3 days. However workout day 2 turns out to be cold and rainy. Instead of completing your workout, you come home and take a nap. Once you wake up, you are disappointed at the fact that you did not keep your commitment to work out all 3 days. I mean it wasn’t like you were going to exercise outside. What prevented you from adhering to your original decision to work out all 3 days of the fitness program?

This is an all too familiar scenario. We make decisions to do or not do to something, but a situation, event or even an emotion causes us to respond differently. If we are not careful, this becomes a vicious cycle that prevents us from achieving our goals. Take a moment to evaluate the things that are influencing your original thought process. Then as these things arise, recognize the cause, but take steps to minimize the effect.