Get GREAT Results & Still Be Relaxed

Every year takes on a vibe of its own, including what it takes to get results. Some years are about growth, letting go, or abundant blessings. Other years are about sweet events like the birth of a child, a marriage, or travel adventures.

2020 took us all by surprise! What a massive interruption, not just for me, but the entire planet! A year laced with hunting for toilet paper and paper towels, learning to juggle working at home while simultaneously teaching your children, and learning to connect with people while wearing masks or standing six feet away!

I don’t know about you, but I long for a life that includes hugs again!

Perhaps even more challenging to adjust to have been job loss or simply being unable to do what you love to do.

Hands down, loosing someone you loved in this season to the virus, hurts the most!

The Blessing

I love that when I face challenges like never before, God, in His mercy, still showers me with valuable opportunities to learn and experience blessings! This year I’ve…

• Discovered how resilient I really am
• Enjoyed more time with my hubby who normally travels extensively
• Gotten more creative and innovative
• Realized what’s most important
• Had to depend more on God
• Watched my family grow as we welcomed two new grandsons

How about you – what have you discovered over the course of a crazy year?

Looking Forward

There’s something about successfully navigating challenges that boosts my confidence. That’s why I’m actually excited about a brand-new year. Don’t worry, I have no illusions. The obstacles that were here in 2020 will linger on. New challenges will arrive on the scene. And while I don’t want to face more hardship, it’s possible that 2021 will be even more difficult that 2020.

The good news is that God has not changed! He remains trustworthy and abundantly capable! And with His help, my increased confidence, and hope, I’m excited about what’s ahead. I’m eager to pursue the work God’s give me to do. I trust you are too!

As I enter the new year, there are some practices that I will continue – tried and true ways of doing life that are important to me. And there are a few changes I’ll be making too! I know getting results is not about striving. It’s about putting maximum effort into the right activities, balanced with life giving and energizing activities that enable me to work at my very best.

The Tried & True For Getting Results

1. A Daily Rhythm

If you’ve been with me for any length of time, you know much I love my routines. The beauty of having routines is that you naturally incorporate activities you want to be doing without much thought! And it’s simple to expand or condense those activities to fit the time you have on any given day.

So, what’s included in my current morning routine? Meditating, reading my Bible and a devotional, journaling, planning my day, making my bed (every day!) and working out.

My work routine consists of specific tasks assigned to specific days. I periodically adjust those tasks, but having designated days for specific tasks – that doesn’t change.

I always take a lunch break. It enables me to concentrate better when I get back to work.

Having an evening routine, that helps too. You can learn more about how I wrap up the day here.

2. One Word

One of the practices that’s enabled me to grow and bring focus to each year has been adopting a “One Word”. If you’ve never tried this, I urge you to give it a go. It really is an adventure! You can learn more about the One Word concept here.

Curious about how my One Word’s have impacted my life? Check it out here and here!

3. Write My Goals Down

Having goals in your head – that’s the first step. For me, the next step is to write them down and make them SMARTER!

What I’ve discovered is that it’s not enough to simply write them down! If I really want to successfully reach my goals, I have to keep them in front of me. I do that in two ways: I have them under a clear plastic desk cover so they are literally right in front of. And I review my progress at the end of each month.

Here’s the kicker. Even with all that, my goals can get lost in all that I’m doing. Stay tuned!

4. Schedule Time to Pause, Pray, Ponder, & Plan

One of the many reasons that New Year’s resolutions fail is because they lack systematic follow up. To ensure that I’m making progress towards my goals, I set aside time to evaluate my progress on the first day of each month. I take a careful look at…

• What’s working?
• What’s not working?
• What changes would increase my effectiveness?
• What’s God showing me?

Maybe you prefer a weekly or quarterly time to evaluate. The point is to get it on the calendar at the beginning of the year so that you can pause to make course corrections before the end of the year.

5. Work With A Coach

I’m a very internally motivated, intentional, and fast paced gal. Getting things done is fun to me. So why would I enlist the help of a coach?

Well, it forces me to slow down and work through challenges and mindsets with someone who urges me to think about things differently. It also allows me to flesh out plans in detail that have been unorganized and floating in my head. Working with my coach makes my plans better than they would be if I did it without an outside perspective.

The added bonus: The discoveries I make through coaching moments are often quite surprising and invaluable to me and enable me to do what I do in a superior way.

You might be surprised to discover that some of the most successful leaders, business owners, and professionals enlist the help of a coach!

6. The “♥ Thing” Habit

For the past several years, it’s been my habit to do something every day that I love doing. I call that my “♥ thing” habit. Some of those activities for me are reading, getting massage, working on a creative project, time with a someone I treasure – something that makes my heart happy and energizes me.

It’s so important to me to make doing what I love a priority, that I actually track how many of these kinds of activities I engage daily on my to do list and tally them at the end of every month.

The best part? Even 15-30 minutes of engaging in a beloved activity is energizing. It also keeps me from becoming resentful when my to do list looms large.

New Additions to Get Even Better Results

It never hurts to refine how I go about work and life. As I enter 2021, I’ve got a few tweaks I’m eager to experiment with.

1. Quarterly & Monthly Goals

In the past I’ve made yearly goals, and that won’t change. What will change? Breaking those yearly goals down into quarterly and monthly goals. My hope is that with smaller goals in mind, I will be more likely to stay on target.

And rather than placing my yearly goals under my plastic desk cover, my monthly goals will be in front of me there.

2. Mapping Things Out…Even More!

Even though I am an avid planner, I want to tighten up my planning even more! One of the tasks I will be tackling sooner, than later, will be creating a master plan for the year for blogs, videos, webinars, challenges, etc. My hope is to be even more intentional in 2021.

My goal is to operate in a way that allows me to get results AND have a relaxed, joy-filled life!

What’s worked for you when it comes to getting results?

What new ways of doing life and work will you embrace in 2021?

Watch the replay for “MAKE THE MOST OF 2021”  HERE. While recorded in 2021, the principles still apply!