Getting In Gear for the NEW YEAR!

We have roughly 45 more days until you never write 2013 on the documents you sign again...

Well...that is if your unlike me who keeps writing the previous year's numbers well into the next and have to end up scribbling it out.

As we get closer to another year, there is always two emotions that emerge; great joy for a new beginning and angst because of what was not accomplished in rapidly disappearing year

Whether you're feeling a little overwhelmed because your scale is still reading the same lbs as January 1 of this year, or Great excitement about the possibilities and new beginnings of a new year, I'd like to give you some things that you can do to prepare for a dynamic 2014.

1. Review

The saying, " hindsight is 20/20" is appropriate in this first stage because you will have to look back at where you've been this year, what you accomplished, what you didn't accomplish, what you wish you did, and what still remains undone in order to get ready to enter this new year.

This review gives you honest feedback on the things you may have procrastinated on, miscalculated, and things that you did right to give you a good framework of what is necessary on 2014 of you're going to reach your goals.

Looking back at my year, there are plenty of points that I miscalculated, misinterpreted, under delivered, and overserved. If I be honest with myself, there are some things that I went "autopilot" on and there were some things that I took on FULL FORCE. 

  

Like me, You must take the time to give yourself a honest review to avoid repeating the same bad habits to ensure that you build on the strengths and opportunities you have in 2014.

2. Prioritize

What is important? What is not important? An honest review should've given you the alot of the things that you know you need to do more of and what you need to lay to rest. 

Prioritizing time for God, Family, Health, Rest, and exploration of new opportunities in the new year will be paramount as you take on a new mindset to begin the new year strong.

Many of my mentors have told me "begin with the end in mind". Which is an indication that if I want to end strong, I must begin prioritizing my priorities so that I cross the finish line stronger than I started!

3. Focus on your Strengths not Weakness

"Whatever you FOCUS on EXPANDS"-David Imonitie

Many people make the horrible mistake of focusing more on their weaknesses and not their strengths. And like a virus in a petri dish, their weaknesses begin to expand and ultimately eat away at the possibility of building on their strengths.  

When you focus on your strengths and not yor weaknesses you are letting your opposition know that you will stay the course to reach your goal, rather than allowing shortcomings and failures to define a new year that isn't here yet!

4. Believe

"If you can BELIEVE, ALL THINGS are possible to him that BELIEVES"- Jesus

I cannot tell you how many times I have overcome the odds because I believed! This is going to be essential in your new year. 

You have to believe regardless of what's going on around you, regardless of your circumstances, regardless of your past mistakes, you must believe! 

Believe BIGGER THAN ANY FEAR in this new year!!

Teamwork makes THE DREAM work!!!!

My mom used to always say,"You're not an island to yourself, if you need help ask"

It took me some time to realize that I didn't have to do everything by myself. Needless to say, I didn't do well in group projects because I felt if I did it by myself, I would have more control over the outcome.

But this thinking was extremely off because no ONE person has ALL the answers. No matter how educated or experienced we are...we need others to help us in the accomplishment of our goal.

No one accomplished anything great without a team of individuals who brought their expertise, their perspective, and their wisdom to the table. 

I would encourage you to start building a team of trusted resources around you who can offer you such things. 

You'll  need a team that can critique you, correct you, and help you create this wonderful dream you have inside of you. 

Ask them if they were you, how would they do it? I guarantee you will get a broader and a deeper perspective.

This is necessary because, at times, what we envision has to be tweaked to serve the masses with excellence. 

I cannot tell you how many times I have ventured out on a certain way of doing things and I've come up with the formula that will work best, until I run into someone with greater insight, understanding, and expertise than I have and I end up tweaking so that I can have greater results.

This is what your team is for. They are there to help you, and get you in the right path toward your goal!!

So in your attainment of you goal in these next few weeks of 2013, determine you will gather those with more wisdom, experience, and wisdom than you and build your TEAM to make YOUR DREAM WORK!

Don't let the SILENT GIANTS stop you!!!!!

Anytime you venture to do something great, every negative and evil force will rear its ugly head to challenge you in the attainment of your goal. 

Don't hate it...LOVE IT. 

"Why should I do that"...you ask....

Because never in the history of time has there been a person who has attained greatness, reached their goal, or obtained the promise without opposition.

Opposition is necessary. 

So you may feel a little resistance today. 

Whether that be inward resistance, outward resistance, or circumstantial resistance... embrace it because it is necessary to obtain the promise. 

Im reminded of the children of Israel who FINALLY reached the threshold of the promised land after years of circling around the desert.

12 Spies were sent out into the land and came back reporting it was filled with grapes the size of basketballs, plush land, space and opportunity for everyone....oh and 9- 10 foot giants who ruled the land.

2 reported "WE CAN DO IT" but the other 10 reported "We CAN'T do it...too risky"...

Isn't this scenario like this goal that you're going after?, It has the promise of great things, doors of opportunity for you to live better, look better, feel better, and do better. However, there are HUGE obstacles facing your decision to move forward and naysayers who don't see the vision you see?!

10 of the 12 of the spies reported that they "were like grasshoppers in the giants eyes".

((Umm excuse me Mr. Spy, when did you have time in the midst of your secret mission to secure you a mainstream prime time talk show and interview these giants?!  I'm assuming you didn't.))

Though the giants never spoke,I'm sure the fearful spies compared their own insecurities to the size of the giants and calculated all of that into their ability to move forward....

It's a shame huh...yea I know...

But before we scrutinize them too much...lets take a look at ourselves... Because we do it everyday. 

We come to a conclusion that the people we don't want to offend will be offended by us stepping out of the "norm" for our goal. We choose to stop short of our promise for the possible negative opinion of people of whom we don't know. And we take our own insecurities and turn up the gain so loud, that we feel everyone else in The room can hear how scared, unsure, and fretful we are! 

This is absurd! 

Trust me when I say this, most people are so focused on their own giant that they don't have time to worry about yours.

The silent giants in our lives stop is everyday, but you have to ask yourself In This moment..

"Will I let the silent giants, mountains, or opposition stop me from entering this promise I am on the threshold of entering?"

Or are you going to resist the opposition, take a risk, and enter into the promise with a sling shot of hope and a rock of faith and TAKE THE LAND!!!!!?

Be IN IT to WIN IT!

Randy Jackson of American Idol had this saying while he was on the show

"They're  IN IT TO WIN IT"

This saying would normally accompany a contestant who just SMASHED the competition with their dynamic vocal and performance skills.

Much like Randy, I'm telling you that you have to Be IN IT to WIN IT!

Whatever you are attempting to accomplish, realize that it will take dynamic focus and sacrifice to see your goal materialize.

One of my teachers would say, "if youre not going to be serious about it, why sacrifice"

This is imperative to understand because most people follow the crowd and not their goal and people sometimes sacrifice for a goal that they are not serious about sustaining for long periods of time.

Being "IN IT to WIN IT" requires that your mind, your heart, and your actions be congruent enough for the long haul. 

Whereas most people stop short of their goal and give great reasons(ahem...Excuses) why they didn't fulfill the vision. 

They play the blame game and use the economy, their parents, their boyfriend, their computer, or bank account for the reason they stopped short...

But that is not you...You are in this to WIN this!!!

There is not quitting, stopping, waiting, procrastinating , incubating, or stalling. 

You are on the track to REALIZING your goal. 

Your mind must be focused on the end result!

Your heart must agree with your head that you will finish, and your mouth must confirm what your heart and your head are saying.

Speaking your end result is necessary to reaching your goal because the truth is that

Words Create Worlds...

So sometime today, I want you to get a vivid picture of your end result, that dream, or goal and I want you to get in front of a mirror and I want you to say this out loud;

No matter what it looks like, I will not stop!!

There are people counting on me to drop Fear and adopt Faith

God gave me this desire and Dream before I was Born.

I will, I can, I shall, I MUST reach my goal

I will finish for the greater good of everyone who is attached to my winning because I understand, when I win, they do too. 

(SHOUT THIS PART) 

I'm in This to win this!!!!

#HappyMonday

Moving from Fear to Faith!

I've heard many say that Fear is:

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

Which is true in essence...

However...FEAR IS VERY REAL...

Before you throw your rocks at me for affirming fear in a way let me explain...

The fear you feel when starting a project, a business, a movement, marrying someone you barely know (by the way I don't care HOW long you've dated a person, when you marry them there is a WHOLE OTHER side that you probably haven't seen..ok..back on schedule), or when you do something GREAT...FEAR will be a VERY LARGE, HAIRY, AUDACIOUS, component in the process.

But fear, no matter how "REAL" it may be...only gets it power source from Your Belief...or Lack thereof...

You MUST CHOOSE FAITH which is simply ACTING on what you BELIEVE!

It looks fear in its slimy face and says "I'm moving FORWARD REGARDLESS of what you say or what I see...so EXCUSE ME and WATCH ME WORK!"

 Fear will attempt to paralyze you  in the wake of the uncertain, but "Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen"- Hebrews 11:1

Faith sees the impossibilities, but chooses to act in rebellion to fear!

It says..."I see the circumstance but I DON'T CARE"

Faith is essential in your journey towards your goal because it lets your opponents and fear know that your not going to stop because you are uncertain, you're not going to stop because you are scared, and that you're not going to stop because you are unqualified. 

You will start regardless of what the circumstances, bank account, peers, subordinates, and superiors say. 

You were born to do something great, and the world is waiting for you to stop FEARING, and start FAITHING!!!!

Ps..yes..that is me Back in the day...This is what we look like when we FEAR...#HappySundayEveryone

STOP Complaining and START!!!

It happened...this morning...3:33 am...I began dreaming about writing.

I tossed.... I turned because I know that people are scrambling trying to get some things done before then end of the year, and I wanted to help in some way...

So I sat there, iPad open.... and dreaded to make the decision on what it is that I am to write...I don't want to just write something...it has to have PURPOSE.

I'm from the school of thought that you don't just SAY SOMETHING...have SOMETHING to SAY...

Truthfully, I felt so guilty that I procrastinated all year long. Being TOO BUSY to pour my heart out so you can hear it....I cannot believe that I waited so long to start and make a solid decision to START and keep going....

Fear, regret, anguish, and sadness hit me all at the same time..."what if I don't finish... What if I don't get the response that I deemed "worthy" to start blogging again...what if no one gets inspired or helped?"

It was then that I made a decision to STOP complaining about what I don't know and to START doing what I knew that I needed to do.

So I began writing at 4:06am....yes....4:06am...WHO DOES THAT?

I wrote whatever came to my head and my heart. No editing, just writing....

This is what you're going to have to do, just start where you are. You cannot control the circumstance, but you can control your actions...so START

Whether its a weightloss goal, a startup business, a ministry, or a movement...WHO CARES...just START where you are and each step and decision to keep going will take you closer to Your goal.

You can't change the past, but you can change the NOW to affect the FUTURE...JUST START!

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Are you COMMITTED!?

One of my #LifeVerses

"Commit your works to the Lord , And your thoughts will be established." -Proverbs 16:3

Many times we step out in our day and think that we can do it all on our own. We think that God has no interest in our work, business, school work,  etc. And doesn't have any involvement in our daily lives outside of "spiritual"  activities.

But Proverbs 16:3 makes it clear. ... if we'll COMMIT everything to Him. .. HE'LL cause for our thoughts to be come Agreeable to His Will and our plans to Succeed!

Give it a try Before you step out of your home today, or if you've already left for the day, say "God,  I commit "_______" to you. Give me your thoughts, your purposes,  and your attitude so that I can Succeed today".

#KeepRunning