Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - January 29th

You will never find time for anything.  If you want time, you must make it. – Charles Buxton, English philanthropist, writer and member of Parliament

Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. - Dallas Willard

Comfort is the enemy of progress. – Craig Groeschel

Now that the reader has contemplated a technology detox, it is a great time to start thinking about other ways to be more productive in 2019 to help accomplish goals and still allow time for “magic” in life.  Here are the first 3 productive ideas:

Scheduling

There are two ways to work with time.  Gary Keller (co-founder and Chairman of the Board for Keller Williams Realty) stated in his book The One Thing that people have craziness in life and often have many distractions that prohibit them from accomplishing projects.  Keller suggests that individuals schedule time in their day to accomplish “The One Thing” they NEED to accomplish that day.  He daily sets time to accomplish the one thing he HAS to do and does not allows interruptions to disrupt him from accomplishing his task/project.  When this task/project/activity is complete, he handles all of the other day-to-day tasks.

Another option is “Block Schedule” time throughout the day to accomplish tasks/activities.  In the YouTube video that discussed this idea (link provided in Resources), it referred back to block schedules that students had in high school.  The concept is to determine certain times to complete certain parts of a person’s life such as work tasks for project 9-11am, 12-1pm (which would be a lunch hour) personal errands and then complete activities that relate to that part of the person’s life during that time.

Environment

When working, what is the best environment for you to work in?  Some people can be in a coffee shop doing work while other individuals need complete silence to work.  Neither way is wrong because we are all created differently.  What is important is to know how you work best and then implement it to be the most productive!

Delegate

Listening and reading various books, articles, etc., it is evident that saying “no” to non-goal-oriented tasks can be one the best way for people to accomplish their goals and ultimately their life’s purpose. 

Many leadership podcasts talk about the art of delegation allowing the leader to place a task in the capable hands of someone else, while they work on another activity.  If a leader does not want to delegate the task, they have to decide if it is a task they HAVE to do or is it something that is not necessary in their life anymore. 

CHALLENGE: Which one of the productivity ideas do you think you can incorporate into your life this week?

Resources

The "Block Schedule" System - LIFE CHANGING productivity hack! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BKuSlstIBM&t=720s

5 Bad Habits Successful People Ditched Long Ago - https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-bad-habits-successful-people-ditched-long-ago

The World's Most Successful People Don't Actually Start Work at 4 a.m. They Wake and Work Whenever the (Heck) They Decide - https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-worlds-most-successful-people-dont-actually-start-work-at-4-am-they-wake-work-whenever-heck-they-decide.html

The Top 5 Regrets Of The Dying - https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/03/top-5-regrets-of-the-dying_n_3640593.html

15 ways to be more productive and manage your time better, according to career experts - https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/career/15-ways-to-be-more-productive-and-manage-your-time-better-according-to-career-experts/ss-BBQxtk1?ocid=spartanntp#image=1

10 Habits Of Unsuccessful People You Don’t Want To Copy - https://dariusforoux.com/10-habits-of-unsuccessful-people-you-dont-want-to-copy/

10 Bad Habits That Successful People Avoid - http://www.theelpodcast.com/10-bad-habits-that-successful-people-avoid/

5 steps to stop procrastinating once and for all  - https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/career/5-steps-to-stop-procrastinating-once-and-for-all/ss-BBPMchz?ocid=spartanntp

5 Morning Rituals to Boost Your Productivity - https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/5-morning-rituals-to-boost-your-productivity.html?cid=sf01001&sr_share=twitter

Craig Groeschel – It’s About Time – Part 1 - https://api-assets.life.church/uploads/message/378/podcast_show_notes/its-about-time-part-1.pdf

Craig Groeschel – It’s About Time – Part 2-  https://api-assets.life.church/uploads/message/379/podcast_show_notes/its-about-time-part-2.pdf

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - January 22nd

For any happiness, even in this world, quite a lot of restraint is going to be necessary... ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best. ― St. Jerome

Find Your Balance. ― Kayla Kotecki

In the last couple of months, I was thinking about various television shows I watch and when I started thinking about deleting one from my DVR, I was actually scared that I would miss out on something.  When this happened, I knew I had a problem! 

According to the Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt in The coddling of the American mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure, they believe there is an increase in mental illness in our country due to the frequent use of smartphones and electronic devices.  They state that spending less than 2 hours on a device does not have a detrimental effect on an individual; however, individuals that spend several hours a day on electronic devices have been shown to have an increase in mental health issues.

I will be the first to admit that I need to work on my technology usage because it is so easy to turn on the television after a long day and watch mindless television or scroll through Facebook.  What makes it even worse is according to Paul Lewis in his article titled Our minds can be hijacked': the tech insiders who fear a smartphone dystopia, developers have learned how to use small psychological tricks that “trigger” or create a “craving” for individuals incentivizing them to continually return to their technology. 

As I have written in previous blogs, technology is very helpful and I am not suggesting getting rid of all of it.  However, now that a new year has started and new goals are set, it is a good time to digitally detox. 

Give yourself time to digitally detox from your constantly connected life, and keep your phone away from your bed. - Caroline Ghosn

CHALLENGE: Evaluate your technology usage (social media, television, etc.) and determine how you want to change your usage.  How do you plan on preventing the triggers and cravings that are incorporated into increasing usage?

Resources

Prior, Karen Swallow. (2018) On reading well: finding the good life through great books. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Brazos Press.

Lukianoff, Greg and Haidt, Jonathan. (2018) The coddling of the American mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure. New York; Penguin Press. 

Lewis, Paul. (2017). Our minds can be hijacked': the tech insiders who fear a smartphone dystopia. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia.

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - January 15th

The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda. - John C. Maxwell

People who use time wisely spend it on activities that advance their overall purpose in life. – John Maxwell

Whatever you are be a good one. – Abraham Lincoln

Last week, I talked about the statement that Meghan Markle posted on her website at the beginning of 2016 talking about allowing for “magic” in her life. The magic she received that year was meeting Prince Harry and having a royal wedding in 2018.  I was challenged by this statement because I want magic in 2019, but also want to keep striving for more knowledge.  

Contemplating this, I thought back to John Maxwell’s perspective of the 80/20 Rule, which is also known as the Pareto Principle.  The 80/20 Rule states that 80% of outcomes come from 20% of inputs.  John Maxwell knows that he is only good at a few things and does not want to waste his time on things that he cannot do.  He believes that an individual should focus on the things that they are good at and they will not waste time on the things that they are not good at.  This same principle should be used in goal setting.  Set goals that will help you grow and move you toward your dreams and purpose. 

Additionally, it is important to create steps of how to accomplish the goal.  Craig Groeschel calls this “Outcome vs. Income Goals”.  Outcome states what the end goal is and the input goal is the planned action steps to accomplish the goal.  By breaking down the goals into smaller steps, it helps keep focused on goals that you are good at and will move you closer to accomplishing your dreams and allowing time for “magic” to happen.  Additionally, by not having too many goals and focusing on the important things, you will be able to be present when you need to be.  Craig Groeschel said in his leadership podcast on October 5, 2016:

Wherever you are, be all there.

CHALLENGE:  Review the goals created last week.  Do they follow the 80/20 Rule by focusing on your strengths and helping move you closer to accomplishing your dreams?  Revise your goals if needed. 

Resources

http://churchonline.life.church/how-to-set-the-right-goal-for-you

https://yaro.blog/397/80-20-rule-pareto-principle/

The Complexity of Purpose, Part 1 & 2 – Andy Stanley - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/andy-stanley-leadership-podcast/id290055666#

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/how-an-assassination-attempt-changed-ronald-reagans-presidency-and-history

https://pastorrick.com/managing-stress-like-jesus-know-who-you-are/?roi=echo7-34534541216-53441147-7530331fd907d045830aef1e4f55a148

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - January 8th

Success is...knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others. ― John C. Maxwell

Now that everyone knows their purpose, it is time to start writing 2019 goals.  As I started contemplating what I wanted to accomplish this year, I started thinking about what I accomplished in 2018.  For me, my life allowed for a stretch goal that allowed me to increase my knowledge and read all of the books in my book pile that I had been wanting to read for years.  When I started writing my goals for 2019, I started thinking about how many books I wanted to read, how many podcasts I wanted to listen to and what other activities/tasks/adventures I wanted to experience. 

One day, I was scrolling through articles and I found one discussing Meghan Markle’s new years resolutions.  The article included the following statement that Markle included on her website at the beginning of 2016, which was the year she met Prince Harry:

For this new year, the only thing I aim to do is to approach life playfully. To laugh and enjoy, to keep my standards high but my level of self-acceptance higher.  My New Year’s resolution is to leave room for magic. To make my plans, and be okay if they sometimes break. To set my goals, but to be open to change.

This statement spoke to me because I want to set goals in 2019, learn as much as I possible can and be a better individual at the end of the year.  However, I also need to make sure that my life is not to structured allowing for the “magic” to happen.  Next week, I will talk about how I set my goals to focus on accomplishing my dreams and allowing for “cushion” so that magic can happen. 

CHALLENGE:  Write your 2019 goals.  Previous blog posts about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals can be found in the resources section below.

Resources

S.M.A.R.T. Goal Blog Post - http://tuesdaytipoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/12/terris-tuesday-tip-of-week-december-9th.html

https://oneboldmove.com/8020_rule/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/31-good-habits-you-should-start-on-new-years-day/ss-BBR4Jlx?ocid=spartanntp#image=1

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/the-psychology-behind-why-were-so-bad-at-keeping-new-years-resolutions/ar-BBRDsfN?ocid=spartanntp

https://pastorrick.com/godly-goals-give-you-hope-to-endure/

https://pastorrick.com/faith-helps-you-focus-your-goals/

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/new-year-new-hopes-what-ronald-reagan-taught-me-about-pursuing-your-dreams?fbclid=IwAR24PRtwqyamaP2V80WI1jpwQN_0VkdYb3LN3pIo0iDXk57IQI5j0s_W0GM

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/royals/meghan-markle-made-this-fated-new-year’s-resolution-just-months-before-she-met-prince-harry/ar-BBRDJwZ?ocid=spartanntp

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/doctors-agree-these-are-the-best-new-year’s-resolutions/ss-BBRhAq4?ocid=spartanntp#image=2

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/smart-living/50-ways-to-make-your-new-year’s-resolutions-stick-in-2019/ss-BBQvs9W?ocid=spartanntp#image=4

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - January 1st

Stress happens when you try to be something you’re not. We all start off as originals, but too often we end up as carbon copies of somebody else—because we don’t know who we are. – Rick Warren (November 7, 2018)

Your life has purpose.  Your story is important.  Your dreams count.  Your voice matters.  You were born to make an impact. – Unknown (On Wings of Hope)

Balance isn’t fitting everything in.  It’s starting with what’s important and letting the rest fall as it will.  – Erica Layne

Why are you on earth?

On March 30, 1981 at 2:25pm, Ronald Wilson Reagan was leaving the Washington Hilton and John Hinckley shot him under his left arm.  After recovering from surgery and discovering how close the bullet came to hitting his heart, President Reagan told many people including Pope John Paul II that he believed he was spared for a “purpose”.  Reagan soon took actions including passing his tax plan, appointing the first woman to the United States Supreme Court (Sandra Day O’Connor) and had three meetings with Mikhail Gorbachev, president of the Soviet Union, which lead to the Berlin Wall falling and victory in the Cold War. 

When I heard this story about President Reagan, it made me think about my own life purpose statement.  Many years ago, I heard Lynette Lewis (lynettelewis.com) talk about how she had created her own life purpose statement and I took the time to create my own.  My statement is six words and talks about what my overall purpose in life is.  It does not talk about any aspect of my profession or personal life, but talks about how I want to treat people.  Cheryl Bachelder highlighted this in her book Dare to Serve by saying that the point of purpose is to determine how you will serve others.

When I go through trials in life when absolutely nothing seems to be going right and frustration, disappointment and confusion set in, I take time to refer back to my life purpose statement to remind myself why I am on this earth.  

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. – Mark Twain

Success is … knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others. – John Maxwell

CHALLENGE:  As we embark on 2019, this is a great time to write a life purpose statement or review your life purpose statement and set your 2019 goals based on it.   To learn how to write your own life purpose statement, review Terri’s Tuesday Tip of the Week from December 8, 2015: https://tuesdaytipoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/12/terris-tuesday-tip-of-week-december-8th.html.

Resources

The Complexity of Purpose, Part 1 & 2 – Andy Stanley - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/andy-stanley-leadership-podcast/id290055666#

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/how-an-assassination-attempt-changed-ronald-reagans-presidency-and-history

https://pastorrick.com/managing-stress-like-jesus-know-who-you-are/?roi=echo7-34534541216-53441147-7530331fd907d045830aef1e4f55a148

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158160921449778&id=726339777&set=gm.1891867864244382&source=48

https://m.facebook.com/TheLifeOnPurposeMovement/photos/a.390670524329877/2059266007470312/?type=3&source=48

Lynette Lewis - How to Know Your Purpose and Live Your Dreams - Thrive Church - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thrive-church-audio-podcast/id605809974?mt=2&i=1000411699868

https://pastorrick.com/got-a-dream-now-make-a-decision/

https://maxlucado.com/listen/saying-yes-to-gods-purpose/

https://pastorrick.com/the-connection-between-purpose-and-prayer/?roi=echo7-34321297971-53367531-bf8861bf5a1b37ee59a3a2c138ac0e4e

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - December 18th

“It certainly is a puzzle.” He turned back to the broken road. “But sometimes to find the answer, you have to take a leap of faith.” ― Dianna Hardy, Summer's End

God's will is like a jigsaw puzzle until you put all the pieces together, you won't be able to see the whole picture. ― Danny L. Deaubé

Dare to ask questions and seek answers to the puzzles of life. ― Lailah Gifty Akita

As I was watching all of the coverage of President George H.W. Bush (41) a couple weeks ago, I heard one commentator say that President George W. Bush (43) did not believe that he would have been president if Ronald Reagan had not selected his father to be his Vice President.  Additionally, in Jon Meacham’s book Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, Bush (41) did not want to accept the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1976 when President Ford asked him to serve because he thought his presidential aspirations would be forever doomed by holding that cabinet post.  However, the puzzle pieces of life fit together, and he did become the 41^st President of the United States. 

Throughout my life, I have encountered various life events good and bad that I did not understand why I had to go through them.  Not until after the life event occurred and I thought about it did I understand how that “puzzle pieces” all fit together to prepare me for the future.  

Lesson Learned: Embrace the Puzzle Pieces of Life! 

CHALLENGE: Think back over your life to find the activities/events/jobs/experiences that have been the “puzzle pieces” for your life and reminisce about how they all fit together now. 

Resources

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol-60-no-2/destiny-and-power.html

Meacham, Jon. 2015. Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush. New York City, New York: Random House.

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - December 11th

Switch your mentality from “I’m broken and helpless” to “I’m growing and healing” and watch how your life changes for the better.  – amazingmemovement.com 

She’s been through more Hell then you’ll ever know.  But, that’s what giver her beauty an edge…You can’t touch a woman who can wear pain like the grandest of diamonds around her neck. - Alfa

A woman who can take her pain and create something to be used for God's purpose and glory...She's brilliant and she knows how to shine. - A Modern Day Ruth

We all go through trials and tribulations in life.  Those trials and tribulations often cause hurt, pain and bad memories in our lives.  Often times, those memories stay engrained on our minds and continue to affect our lives.  When I met my Marine, a lot of past pain was brought to my remembrance.  To have a good relationship with him, I learned I was going to have to take time to work through those issues.  None of the issues I am dealing with are his fault and I want a healthy relationship with him. 

For any of us to have healthy, successful lives, overcoming our past is important.  It is vital to take the time to overcome the past. 

Lesson Learned: Get Healed from the Past! 

CHALLENGE: Determine the pain from your past and contemplate how you will overcome it.  

Resources

https://www.facebook.com/strongwomen2012/photos/a.314876281900637/1942707559117493/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/ModernDayRuth/photos/a.745490762144394/2426890530671067/?type=3&theater

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - December 4th

Sometimes you have to let go of the picture of what you thought life would be like and learn to find joy in the story you are actually living. - Rachel Marie Martin, Findingjoy.net, The brave Art of Motherhood

Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach. - Tony Robbins

I don't understand why things happen the way they do, but I do know that God is in control and has a perfect plan for every situation. - Unknown

It's never luck or fate, it's God's perfect plan. - Stephen Samuel

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. - Proverbs 16:9

As a dreamer and very goal-oriented person, I create a plan to accomplish the dream/vision and then I implement the plan to accomplish it.  However, that is not life and I learned that this year.  I was absolutely determined that I had met the man of my dreams in 2017.  He met all of the qualifications that I had prayed for and there were things that he did to show his interest.  However, he never made a serious move.  This went on for over a year.  The ups and downs were not good for my emotions.  In mid-June, there was a tall, blonde-haired man that showed up at my church.  I noticed him, but thought he was younger than me.  I asked one of my friends to do “recon” on him for me.  Come to find out, yes, he is younger than me and he is also a Marine with blue eyes.  We officially met on July 15^th and by mid-August he made a move and we have been dating ever since.  As of the writing of this blog post, that is about 3.5 months.

I learned that I saw what I thought was the right “opportunity” for me but learned that there was another “opportunity” that exceeded anything I could have prayed for.  I don’t know how this will end up, but I do know that I learned that I have to be open to other options and flexible with how I will accomplish my dreams.  

Lesson Learned: Be Open to Other Options!

CHALLENGE: What have you been determined is the “right opportunity” for you?  Is there a change that you need to make in 2019 to provide the opportunity for new options?

Resource

https://www.facebook.com/strongwomen2012/photos/a.314876281900637/1942706575784258/?type=3&theater

http://www.letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/commentaries/16_09.php

https://youtu.be/iaO1_wmvi0Q

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - November 27th

ndividuals and teams have a sense of ownership, and are focused, disciplined and collaborative, while holding each other accountable for outcomes. - Di Worrall, Accountability Leadership

My experience is that accountability is an extremely powerful tool to align an organization toward its objectives. - Susan Gomez

Good men prefer to be accountable. - Michael Edwardes

Simple organizational structure and clear accountability are necessary conditions for the exercise of effective leadership. - John Adair

A friend can inspire enthusiasm as well as accountability, and that serves to challenge you. - Deanna Cosso; Romuald Andrade, Success Cloning

On January 30th, I blogged that I was going to have an accountability partner for 2018 because someone asked me if I was interested in the opportunity.  I am a pretty disciplined individual, but I thought it might be beneficial to see how the process would work and if it would help me grow.  For this year, my accountability partner and I met in-person the first time and then all other communication have been via email.  We both have busy lives and trying to find time to meet would be to hard, but emails worked great!

Wikipedia defines an accountability partner as “a person who coaches another person in terms of helping the other person keep a commitment”.  For me, having an accountability partner pushed me even harder.  I knew that I would have someone asking how I was progressing on my goals, which challenged me to work more intently on accomplishing them.  Additionally, my accountability partner was very encouraging.  As I went through different parts of the year, I would email my accountability partner and give her updates.  She would be encouraging if I seemed down or if I was not making as much progress with a goal as I had hoped.

Lesson Learned: Accountability is important for SUCCESS!

CHALLENGE: If you found having an accountability partner helpful in 2018, start thinking about who you want to be your accountability partner in 2019.

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - November 20th

Always appreciate what you have.  There are people who pray for the things we take for granted.  - Messages for the Soul

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. - Meister Eckhart

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action. - W.J. Cameron

Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day. - Robert Caspar Lintner

As I was thinking about the second lesson I learned this year and Thanksgiving this week, I thought back to the Pilgrims coming to the “New World”.  In September 1620, 102 people left Plymouth, England with dreams of the opportunity to freely practice their faith, prosperity and land ownership.  After 66 days of perilous and hazardous conditions, they dropped anchor near Cape Cod.  During their first winter, the Pilgrims suffered scurvy and contagious diseases. 

When we hear about Thanksgiving, we often hear about how the Pilgrims made it to the New World and nothing else.  However, it is important to remember that they suffered and struggled for their dreams to come true.  They did not give up because they hoped for a better life but were facing regular trials. Regularly, they were thankful for this new opportunity in the New World with religious freedom and for the relationships they established with the Indians that helped them establish their lives in the New World.

When times were difficult this year, I made myself find things to be thankful for such as finding a great parking spot, completion of all the tasks on my to-do list, encouragement from someone and my friends.  Like the pilgrims, it was a choice to be thankful even during the hard times.

Lesson Learned: Find Something to be Thankful for in Every Situation!

CHALLENGE: Make a list of the things you are thankful for in 2018.

Resource

https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving

https://pastorrick.com/an-attitude-of-gratitude-will-lower-your-stress/?roi=echo7-34624216462-53481466-e4f6affcbf1a37e732f5e6afac7187fd