Social Media Networks are wonderful tools to build and maintain relationships.
Yet, there are so many.
For many years people have asked me some variation of the question Should I be on X?
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Enough Hope
These two words are very important to you. You might not realize it today, but at the core everything you do is something to do with enough & hope.
Enough
All motivation that leads to action is due to a combination of a desire you have & your belief that the action will cause your world to be closer to what you desire.
Repeating an action is where “enough†comes to play.
You do something, you see the results. You judge – did this give me enough results?
If yes, continue, if no – do something else, even if just slightly different.
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Every 21 Days
Years ago I heard Dave Ramsey teach on Entreleadership, years before the book, when he was just teaching his employees. This one thing on vision casting really stuck with me:
You must cast your vision every 21 days.
It seems repetitive and short term, but I really tested that idea out in the last year. I was at a point where I really understood my envisioned future and set it up where I would receive this email every 21 days:
Reflect, Thank; Dream, Plan – our process to success
My family has this process that we started the fall after my wife and I were first married. It stems from my frustration of Thanksgiving being overlooked & disdain for New Years Resolutions. Currently I am calling it Reflect, Thank; Dream, Plan.
Reflect
The first step is to look back on the past year, or longer, and see where you have come from. What all has happened?
Having twin one year olds this Thanksgiving, I can say that the year went by fast. We both have much to be thankful for, especially the growth in our babies and each other — both as individuals, as a couple, and family.
Thank
This part is simple, but important – be thankful & speak to people what you are thankful for. As a general practice I am trying to be encouraging more in the day to day, but there are still some specific people who have had an impact that I try to go out of my way to thank.
Dream
This moves from the past & present side to the future. Dreaming what the next year or longer should be. Currently I am thinking about a model based on relationships for viewing your world, so:
– Yourself – physical, mental, spiritual, capabilities
– Family – the special relationships around you
– Business – if you are an employee – you are a business hiring out your services to your employer. If you own or desire to one one, then you have a slightly different relationship
– Society – other people who are not in your business, or family.
So, what are the dreams for those four big areas? What about the subparts? Can you paint a picture that you are aiming for?
Plan
The practical steps you intend to take to make your dreams reality. Before you fully make plans you need to make goals. Goals are important because they are the measuring stick of how well your plans do, but doing the important work to write out the steps you are going to take to make the dream a reality is also vital.
My family is in the middle. We talked about reflecting and thanks recently. This week my wife and I will talk about our dreams for the next year – thinking in those four big fields. If you can have one dream for each & work on just four things over the course of a year – it will be amazing, as long as you take the steps of really making a good goal and then a plan.
Unplaned Wilderness Break – Jeff Manion
Jeff Manion
The Land Between
The land between is a period of wandering in the wilderness; a time without a clear end point – or – seemingly lack of progress.
“For now”
A common phrase is when asked about your live, you have a “for now” as a part of your explanation.
While in The Land Between – look for:
– a new, better & bigger vision
– a lesson to learn
– a skill to grow
– a habit to break
– an error to correct
– transformational growth within yourself
Many times our journey in the land between is needed because we are not ready for the new land of plenty.
– a better understanding of the world beyond yourself
this is not automatic
It takes work & at times, being intentional about it
Fight against complaining (remember counting your blessings – in a spreadsheet – Jim Collins)
The land between is a difficult time, but a natural time & a time where you have major choices, especially in the attitude you choose.
The land between is a good time to explore your faith, how you see the world, the relationships you choose & priorities.
There is more to life than just go … go … go.