DECIDE THE EBOOK
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THE EBOOK
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Welcome to the squad of virtuous women who are determined to prioritize their purpose and put their calling back on their to-do list this year. Inside this eBook we take a sober look at the three decisions successful women have already made to guarantee that they will finish strong in 2017. And we're reviewing the decisions first, because finishing is first a mindset before it's even a method. So many times, we get caught up in the resolutions and the dreams and the visions and the plans - and the pretty planners - which we think are essential to getting things done. But all of those are irrelevant if we haven't taken the time to make these three beliefs non-negotiable.
Because once your mind is made up, no matter what unexpected life events come hurling at you (as life always does) – you can press through them with the conviction, community, and calendar space that answering these questions will establish for you. So let’s commit to a strong finish and not just a strong start.
DECIDE CHAPTER 1
WHY DO I WANT THIS? One of the main reasons we compromise, is we overlook the things that are actually important to get us to the end. Which, I’m sure, is why you're here. Like myself, you’ve probably seen so many years pass where you began with good intentions, but ended with no implementation to show for all the inspiration you kicked off with. Especially as women, we often get caught up in the emotions of a fresh start, a fresh idea or the fresh smell of a brand new journal. Or we just feel good because it's a brand new year and the thought of a blank canvas inspires us to paint the new life we’ve always wanted to live. As a result, we attack every area of our life and try to remodel the entire house in one attempt.
WHY DO I WANT THIS? Yet, the truth is, we can't have it all – not without a long-term strategy. And we definitely can't have it all at the same time. So the first decision that I want you to look at is "Why is this important to me?" Why do I want this? Why does this matter? What regret am I most tired of and refuse to experience again at the end of this year? Why do I really want this?! Do you notice, I keep saying “this”? Meaning this one thing to focus on. Because even if you have a million passions and ideas that you're hoping to carry out this year, successful woman know that it all starts with one. Momentum is built when you focus all your energy and resources into executing one plan at a time, and becoming effortless at it. From there, it will take nothing to add on a new passion. And this new pursuit won’t drain or derail your established excellence in that previous success.
WHY DO I WANT THIS? That’s why completing the journey of a thousand miles happens by placing one step firmly at a time – not breaking your legs because you tried to jump one mile ahead in one action. Making a successful leap to one stepping stone will automatically advance you and make getting to the next stepping stone easier. So again, dominating your dreams will start by conquering just one at first. And this is how you start yourself off with a much better chance of finishing. Purpose-driven women must know how to zoom in to the most pressing action that will make the most difference right now. Because once they excel in that one area, it now cultivates confidence to move on to the next project aggressively. So switch your mindset to completing one important resolution, instead of starting 20 resolutions which all fade out with time.
WHY DO I WANT THIS? Pinpoint the one thing that you really want – the one change that's really going to help these other doors open up. So review the attached questions and figure out what you really want right now - not your mom, not your boss, not your friends. Because sometimes we only wish for something because of what society portrays or because of the money we think it will bring. But if you can’t decide why the fight will be worth it for you, there will not be enough motivation to pull you to the end. And that’s the key. You want to outline a reason so compelling that it pulls you to manifest the vision – instead of you pushing yourself to carry it out. Sounds good? Let’s dive in.
WHY DO I WANT THIS? 1. Why is this important to me?
2. Is this really what I want most?
3. Why does finishing this matter?
4. What relief will this bring me?
5. What pain will I remain in if I don't get this done now?
6. Is the end result worth the fight?
7. Is this a just a wish, or am I drawing a line in the sand on this? Is my mind really made up?
8. How will I change my speech going forward to show that this is pretty much a done deal?
9. How will achieving this goal benefit & affect: -
Me Personally?
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My Family?
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My Children & Grandchildren? (yep, it's that deep)
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My Friends?
DECIDE CHAPTER 2
WHAT WILL I GIVE UP TO GET THIS? The second decision we want to look at, is, “What will I give up to get this?” No seriously what, will you remove from your life to create clear and unhindered space for this new pursuit. This is so overlooked, and we often think this is an optional step. But people who actually complete the plans they have, know that this step is just as important as the “why do I want this” step. Because don't be fooled. Again, you cannot have it all and you definitely can't have it all at the same time. You just can't. God has intentionally given you limited resources, limited time, limited energy because he wants you focusing on a specific task for the specific season he has you in.
WHAT WILL I GIVE UP TO GET THIS? And He doesn't want you getting lost in all the options that will be thrown at you this year. So you're going to have to choose the best, and abandon the good If this is something you really want, then you also need to decide, “what am I ready to sacrifice and give up, to gain greater?� Since, as we know, if nothing changes then nothing changes. You cannot expect to have the same friendships, the same relationships, the same habits, the same excuses and think you're going to put out different results this year. The Bible even tells us, "You can't pour new wine into old wineskins". New outcomes require a new input, and a new vessel to carry it out
WHAT WILL I GIVE UP TO GET THIS? So really take an intentional look at your routine and figure out what actions are you putting energy into each day that aren’t moving you closer to your goal. Ask yourself which attitudes are keeping you around people that don’t inspire you to persevere and create more of what you want to see manifest. Again, successful women aren't doing anything magical, and there are too many books to call what they do a secret. They just set up their routine, their habits and their mindset intentionally - to be in arm’s reach of success each day. They position themselves around environments that are going to guarantee that they win. You will have to keep it real and admit that, "Okay if this is something I’m going after, I can't just add it on to my current lifestyle. How will I create mental and physical space to be sure that this seed will have room to grow?”
WHAT WILL I GIVE UP TO GET THIS? In one of my favorite interviews by Marie Forleo, Seth Godin made it clear that he DOES NOT start a new project until he can identify what he wants to give up to go after it successfully. And if there's nothing that he currently deems worthy of letting go, he will not pursue that project. That's how serious this decision is beloved. Review the below worksheets and let’s make up our minds to make room for success only. Because you can’t be great and mediocre at the same time. Amen.
WHAT WILL I GIVE UP TO GET THIS? 1. A new year does NOT automatically equal a new me, so what will I do differently this time?
2. How does the woman I want to become think? Do I believe those thoughts now?
3. What lifestyle changes must I give up to make time for this to happen?
4. Who will I start hanging around to guarantee that I level up my mood & mindset for success?
5. Are there any time-wasting habits or relationships that I need to cut from now?
6. What doubtful thoughts will I give up so I can finally give myself to this 100%?
7. Since there is no "failure", only lessons learned what fears can I stop worrying about to free up mental space for this commitment?
What excuses do I usually make to not do this?
How will I begin responding differently today?
DECIDE CHAPTER 3
WHEN WILL I DO THIS? The final decision required to guarantee finish the year further ahead than you started it is asking, “When will I do this?” What specific dates and times I have set aside for the steps that are going to be essential to getting this done? Why is this question so crucial, and why does it have to be done now you may wonder? Well, if you can't schedule it and then you can't secure it. Because someday never comes, right?! You can’t just throw these goals out in the air for “sometime this year” to come and capture it. Someday is never going to come, but you know what will come? December 31st. December 31st will come quickly as a matter of fact.
WHEN WILL I DO THIS? However, someday does not exist. It is only a figment of your imagination and you have to stop talking to imaginary friends. You’re an adult now. So when you wait for someday to show up and work on your dreams, that doorbell never rings. Then sadly, that’s how December 31st comes around, knocks on your door – forcing you to wake up startled and frustrated. And just like that! You find yourself at the end of another year with nothing done. You may have had a few false starts but you haven't finished anything. Because you didn't clearly plan out every step to the finish point on your calendar. And if you can't assign specific dates, then you cannot guarantee specific action, which is needed to produce specific results. Therefore, I hope you won’t be one of those that say time flew by and December 31st snuck up on you this year. No, don’t lie to yourself. December comes around at the same time every year.
WHEN WILL I DO THIS? Even more, December has given you a calendar so you can sit down and calculate exactly how many days you have until he arrives. So instead of focusing on the fact that time flies, shift your mindset to the good news where you get to pilot the plane. Which means you get to use time as a vehicle that takes you to the place YOU want to end up. You get to choose. How do you break down your specific goals into measurable action steps? Well, if your project will take a year, then it’s a great start to divide the outcome up into four quarters – or 90 days. Once you’ve done that, be sure to write out the monthly milestones that you need to achieve, in order to arrive at your specific quarterly transformation. Then take it all the way and further break down the monthly milestones to some weekly checkpoints. If you get that far, you’re almost to the end zone.
WHEN WILL I DO THIS? Secure the goal package by pinpointing the daily tasks that you can enter into your calendar for each week in that 90 day period. (Yes, you’ll need a personal calendar!) And voila! That’s how you create a clear roadmap that makes time your Uber driver, and sets it on a sure course of what to do and where to go FOR YOU. This is how you make time your friend, and not your enemy. But there's no way around it lionheart. The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Don't be overwhelmed by how big the project is, and don't let it intimidate you. Everything is figure-outable, and is only a series of steps to tackle one at a time. But spending the time upfront to clarify every single checkpoint ensures you can work on autopilot going forward – and you can just focus on what your calendar says to get done that day.
WHEN WILL I DO THIS? Three other things also happen: 1) It becomes much easier to wake up excited and driven each morning, because you now know the difference that each day will make towards building the bigger vision. 2) It also prevents you from getting overwhelmed and falling into procrastination and perfectionism – because you are free to focus on today’s adventure only, and not worry about tomorrow’s duties. 3) You can confidently reference your calendar when new opportunities pop up, because your purpose is already plugged in and prioritized. So you won’t keep giving others permission to hijack your time and push you back on your goals, since you already counted the cost and realize how much time you will need. Yet, not establishing your bite-sized plans will just keep the burden of the big picture on your shoulders, and find you too drained to make the daily steps necessary. Because success is a daily habit, not a one-time event.
WHEN WILL I DO THIS? However, without a daily breakdown, all you can focus on is everything that needs to get done, instead of celebrating today’s small victory. And overthinking will always lead to under-performing. So plan out your work from now. That way you can simply work your plan this year beloved. Take a look at the worksheets and verses attached, so you can be empowered by the wonder and weight of the things God has given you to steward in this season. Yes, it will take time. Thankfully, you’ve also been given that time to do everything you’re called to do. However, the decision lies in your hands to use it faithfully. Let’s finish strong. If you could use some additional support and resources to crush your goals this year, be sure to check out my full devotional and mastermind program here: **
WomenWhoFinish.com
WHEN WILL I DO THIS? 1. Someday never comes, so when will I start working on this specifically? Why?
2. What deadline will I give myself to get this completed? What are some amazing things that will happen when I meet this deadline?
3. How many days do I have between the start date and the deadline exactly? (Yep, count them all up every day counts)
4. How many weeks do I have to work with?
5. How many months do I get to break this up into chunks?
Specific actions tied to specific dates is what yields specific results. So grab a calendar. 6. How can you divide your goal up into the clear benchmarks that you must hit each week?
ie. if your goal is to lose 40 pounds in 4 months - then you need to lose 10 pounds each month. And since there are about 4 weeks in every month, your weekly benchmark is to lose 3 pounds per week. (
7. What specific tasks will you do on the specific days of each week to hit that weekly milestone?
Schedule them into your calendar so they are non-negotiable, and you can easily turn down conflicting requests that come up. (ie. schedule in grocery shopping dates, meal planning times, etc.)