3 Steps To Achieving Your Goals – Part 2

Walt_Disney_World_Grand_Opening

On Friday, October 1st, 1971, Mrs Disney and Journalist Walter Cronkite was sitting watching 10,000 people converge onto the Walt Disney World Resort for it’s “Grand Opening”. Walt Disney had passed away several years before the opening and was unable to be there and Mr. Cronkite wanted to say the right thing when meeting with Mrs Disney. At one point during the conversation he leaned over to Mrs Disney and said, “Wouldn’t it be great if Walt were here to see this today?” Mrs Disney thoughtfully answered, “If Walt had not seen this first, you would not be seeing it today.”

Step 2 – Picture It!

I have heard it said that we are not limited by our abilities or our by our current circumstances but yet by the vision of what can be. We have all heard the line “We are what we eat” but let’s tweak that and say “We are what we see ourselves being”. Your life and future are only limited by your vision.

When I made the decision on January 11th to lose 80 pounds this year I literally had to see it. I went into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror until I could see me at my ideal weight. That picture is still in my head and has been one of the greatest motivators in my journey. Today I can say that because of that vision I am already down 40 pounds and believe that I will reach my goal within the next three months. Why? Because I can already see the goal that I am working towards and know that I can do it.

We are not limited by our abilities or circumstances. We are only limited by our vision of what can be. A vision is not just a picture of what could be; but it is an appeal to our best selves, a call to become something more.

Think about it this way, when someone makes the decision to build a house, the first question the builder is going to ask is “What do you see?”. The builder needs to see what you are picturing in order to create the masterpiece that you are wanting in a home. Unfortunately, we tend to think and talk about our dreams more than we picture our dreams which is the very thing that keeps us from moving forward.

We have to start living our lives with the end result in our eyes. We have to start believing that through God NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. NOTHING!!!

Whatever your goal is it’s important to picture it. If you can’t picture it you will never see it.

In the coming days, I will be sharing with you the 3rd and final important step to achieving your goals, so make sure you stop back or sign up to receive future posts via email or via RSS.

Posted on May 18, 2013 — Leave a comment
Under: Leadership, Motivation, Personal Growth
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3 Steps To Achieving Your Goals – Part 1

It’s kind of fun to
do the impossible.
 ~ Walt DisneyHard to believe that it’s May already. Spring is here and summer is around the corner. For many, summer can be rather depressing, especially if you made a resolution to lose weight before the summer months hit but haven’t fully committed to making that happen.

Setting goals is easy. It’s everything that follows after the setting of the goal that trips us all up. Over the next three days I want to share with you a couple of ways to not only set a goal but to also accomplish your goals.

Step 1 – Break It!

When you are setting your goals, you truly need to unleash your imagination and ambition, put your reservations to the side and DREAM BIG. I personally believe that NOTHING is impossible especially if God is in the center of it however, BIG GOALS can feel impossible if you don’t break them into smaller milestones. It’s easier to stick to something when the goal is easier to achieve. With that in mind, set a goal for the year and break it down into quarters.

What looks easier to achieve?

Lose 20 pounds each quarter      or      Lose 80 pounds this year

I personally break all my yearly goals down into quarters and then I make a list of how I am going to reach those quarterly goals.

Example:

  • Lose 20 pounds by the end of second quarter
  • Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
  • Walk 45 minutes 3x a week. (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday)
  • Limit eating out to twice a week.
  • Limit soda to 2 a week.

This works with every goal possible. DREAM BIG and then design the steps to reach that dream.

What goals do you have for your life, or for your ministry? Do you feel they are impossible? Not feasible? Have you broken them down into smaller milestones?

I want to encourage you today to think about a BIG GOAL of yours. A goal that to you seems impossible. Write that down, and then under it break that goal down into three steps or milestones. Now, for this quarter’s goal, write down what you are going to implement TODAY that will allow you to reach that first milestone by the end of June.

I personally would love to hear about your goals and your milestones. Feel free to comment below or contact me by clicking here!

In the coming days, I will be sharing with you another important step to achieving your goals, so make sure you stop back or sign up to receive future posts via email or via RSS.

Excited because I truly believe that the BEST IS YET TO COME!

Posted on May 12, 2013 — Leave a comment
Under: Leadership, Motivation, Personal Growth
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The greatest thing you do as a leader

“The greatest thing you do as a leader may not be what you do but who watches what you do. Your children and grandchildren will be watching. Not only do actions speak louder than words, but sometimes they echo into the next generation.”

Posted on April 25, 2013 — Leave a comment
Under: Leadership, Quotes
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Do you have Klout?

Many of you know I have a slight addiction to technology especially when it involves Google or Twitter but recently my eyes have been focusing on something that’s been around for some time and is now starting to pick up some popularity. It’s called Klout.

Klout is basically a web service that calculates how many people you may or may not influence. It’s your influential credit score, and based off that “credit score” you can receive special perks such as hotel room upgrades, free laptops, free coffee, or many other special discounts and rewards.

I have been monitoring my Klout score for the past few months and have seen it increased considerably. My Klout score in July was around 20 but today it’s 53 which oddly enough is considered better than average. According to Klout, the average score is around 40 and is determined over a large period of time. It has nothing to do with the number of friends or followers you have. It’s doesn’t even have to do with your activity on Klout. It’s all about your influence.

How does Klout determine your influence? That’s easy, Klout determines your influence from several social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Foursquare and Wikipedia. The company recently shared that they are currently working on implementing several other networks including Instagram which is really exciting!

I suppose you are wondering why you need a Klout score? The answer is simple. Your Klout score may very well be used by your future employer. If you search the internet you will find this to be a growing trend amongst employers. In April, Wired wrote about one specific incident.

Last spring Sam Fiorella was recruited for a VP position at a large Toronto marketing agency. With 15 years of experience consulting for major brands like AOL, Ford, and Kraft, Fiorella felt confident in his qualifications. But midway through the interview, he was caught off guard when his interviewer asked him for his Klout score. Fiorella hesitated awkwardly before confessing that he had no idea what a Klout score was.

The interviewer pulled up the web page for Klout.com—a service that purports to measure users’ online influence on a scale from 1 to 100—and angled the monitor so that Fiorella could see the humbling result for himself: His score was 34. “He cut the interview short pretty soon after that,” Fiorella says. Later he learned that he’d been eliminated as a candidate specifically because his Klout score was too low. “They hired a guy whose score was 67.”

Partly intrigued, partly scared, Fiorella spent the next six months working feverishly to boost his Klout score, eventually hitting 72. As his score rose, so did the number of job offers and speaking invitations he received. “Fifteen years of accomplishments weren’t as important as that score,” he says.

Now, that’s not the only reason that you want a high Klout score. A high Klout score brings BIG PERKS. Klout Perks are exclusive products or experiences that you are rewarded with based on your score (or your influence). If you are someone with a high score (a high influence) you will most likely see more perks as companies see you as someone who may influence those around you to use their products. When offered a perk you can choose to accept it or decline it. You are welcomed to tell those around you what you think of the product or say nothing at all. There is no “catch”. It’s just a PERK! A Los Angeles-based graphic designer with a Klout score of 74 recently received a free Windows phone and an invitation to a VH1 awards show as a perk. So the perks are pretty good. With that in mind, don’t expect a free phone or laptop right away. The best perk I have received so far was a free 8×8 hardcover custom photo album from Shutterfly.

So back to the BIG QUESTION … Do you have Klout? Chances are that you do. If you have a public Twitter account and have not specifically opted out of Klout’s program … you have Klout … you just don’t know it.

I encourage you all to visit Klout.com and find out what your Klout score is and then spend some time building it up and enjoying the perks that follow, from rewards to incredible opportunities that may just take you to your next “platform”.

Posted on April 25, 2013 — Leave a comment
Under: Facebook, Instagram, Leadership, Social Media, Twitter
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5 Core Tips For KidMin Small Group Leaders

We are social beings. God created us to respond and relate to others. Even in the mothers womb one could argue that we are social aware and needing interaction with the outside world. For this reason, I personally believe that it is imperative that every church has a small group opportunity for kids.

As a leader at one of the largest churches in Northeast Wisconsin I see more and more every day the importance behind our small group programming. Hundreds of kids attend our services each weekend, and our leaders do a great job at connecting with as many as possible but there is a greater need for a personal relationship. For this reason we not only provide small groups for kids on Wednesdays from birth through sixth grade but we also take time in each of our weekend services to gather together in small groups and develop those relationships.

Leading a small group can be a struggle. Especially if you have never lead one before. With this in mind I would like to share with you what I believe to be the 5 Core Tips For KidMin Small Group Leaders.

1. Round Them Up - I always recommend our small group leaders to gather the kids around in a circle. Nobody, including kids, enjoy looking around or over someone when they are trying to listen to a leader. A circle will provide the kids with a direct visual and allows them to feel like an important part of the group.

2. Everyone Participates – Sometimes sharing in a small group can be awkward but you can nip that in the butt right away by going around the group and getting everyone to answer one simple question. I always encourage the age old question “How was your week? Did you do anything super exciting this week?”. Kids always seem to open up with that question. Asking an open ended question will always get the kids involved and sharing. Even if they respond with “Nothing exciting happened this week” you have broke the ice for that child to speak openly to the group.

3. Be Prepared To Lead Not Read – There is nothing more boring that watching someone read something off a piece of paper. This tip can be applied to almost any ministry but I guarantee you this much, when you come prepared, your small group time will be awesome because things just flow. Kids will discuss more and be more open with you if you are actually having a discussion with them instead of a book or piece of paper.

4. Bring it - Bring something to your small group that you can pass around the circle. I tend to pass the prop around the circle. When the child has the prop in their hand they get the opportunity to share. This will add massive structure to your group and will keep kids listening and only speaking at the appropriate time. The prop can be anything from a stuffed animal to a small ball. As long as the kids can hold it in their hands I think it’s a win. It’s even a bigger win if the prop is related to what your discussing.

5. Create Structure - I have heard many small group leaders over the years comment on how disobedient their group is and how hard it is to keep the kids on topic. I then would ask about their structure and in just about every instance they really had no structure. Kids thrive on structure. Put together a set structure for your small group that the kids can see every week. This will keep them on tract and will help you stay on track as well. We can’t ask the kids to be orderly if there is no order.

There are obviously many other tips out there that would help in the leading of a successful small group however I personally feel that these 5 tips should be at the core of every small group.

Do you lead a small group? Do you have any tips that you would like to share?

Posted on April 24, 2013 — Leave a comment
Under: Children's Ministry, Leadership, Small Groups
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