Life Transitions | Trinity Christian Life Coaching

Transitional Friday: 9 Ways to Set Realistic Goals

Posted on August 22, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

We’ve been discussing the importance of our choices and overcoming failure. I thought it was important to discuss setting realistic goals.

So how do you set realistic goals?

Write your goals down—look at the big picture for each area of your life {ie…career, finances, weight, relationships, spiritual walk, etc}. Write down where you would ideally like to be in one year, five year, ten years, fifteen years, etc.
Break the goal down—now break that goal down into smaller portions that are easier to maintain. List the steps you need to take to reach this goal. This could be anything from go back to school, to paying off a bill, to exercising each day for weight loss.
Set Deadlines—set a deadline to reach the first part of your goal. Once you’ve reached that goal, look at the next step and set a deadline to reach that goal.
Schedule Time—schedule time for your goals. I struggle with my weight and getting healthy. I do much better when I schedule in time to exercise and what I will eat for the week than when I leave it up in the air “to get around to.”
Be Realistic—have you set goals that can be honestly reached? If you can’t carry a tune and want to be a pop singer, you may want to search for another dream. However, if you’re a great artists, with practice and lessons you may be able to move to the next level.
Set Goals you WANT to learn—don’t do something because you feel that you should or are pressured into it. Work toward your dreams and desires!
Develop a plan—there are often obstacles that creep up and derail our plans. For me, that struggle is again with my weight. I do best when I decide in advance how to deal with this obstacle. I then have more will power and am better prepared to overcome this obstacle and bounce back.
Use positive reinforcement—use positive reinforcement, instead of saying “I can’t do this,” tell yourself, “I can do this if I will dedicate one hour a day to this endeavor, etc.”
Don’t forget SMART goals—this may be the most important and the most actionable of all of the goals. Often you hear about SMART goals in business, job interviews, higher education learning, etc. So what are SMART Goals?

How do you set goals?

Next week: What are Smart Goals?

Transitional Friday: 9 Ways to Bounce Back from Failure

Posted on August 15, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

There are times when no matter how much we try, we continuously face failure. There have been several areas of my life, where nothing I’ve tried has succeeded. I continue to face one failure after another. Over time, this is enough to make anyone grow weary, frustrated, overwhelmed and even defeated.

So how do you continue to move forward when nothing is working?

Don’t Give Up—if you are pursuing a dream, never give up, no matter how much defeat and frustration you receive. I’ve heard some writers say that they received thousands of rejections before receiving a break through. I’ve heard artists say that they worked for twenty years before making it big. However, they never gave up.
Keep Bouncing Back—this is much like never giving up, work through the emotions and bounce back.
Evaluate—often I’ve had to go back and evaluate what worked, what didn’t work, and the why for each one. Then I figure out what I can do differently and how to move forward from there.
Be Realistic—often it’s easy to reach for our dreams without being realistic. You will not become a concert pianists, if you refuse to practice the piano.
Set Goals—often I feel like a fish at sea, but when I set goals and see where I’m going and what needs to be done to get there, I make much better progress.
Be Open to Change—sometimes we need to be open to change, whether this is going in a different direction, taking a different approach, learning a different technique, etc.
Never Stop Learning—continue to read, study and follow the experts in your field of interest. There is so much that we can learn from these experts, including not on the subject matter but also what to do and not do.
Be Open to Feedback—be open to accepting constructive criticism from others. Yes, there is the occasional person{s} that wants to pull you down, however most people want to help you. One critique method is the oreo method. This starts with a positive, then adds what needs to be changed and ends again with a positive.
Prayer—pray, seek God’s will and be willing to go in the direction in which He is leading.

Remember, you are not alone. There are numerous examples of people that have failed before success.

Walt Disney faced numerous hardships before reaching success

Henry Ford had 5 businesses go broke before Ford Motor Company became successful.
Walt Disney faced multiple occurrences of being fired, bankrupt and failed businesses before succeeding.
Thomas Edison had over 1,000 unsuccessful inventions before inventing the light bulb.
Winston Churchill lost almost every election before being voted Prime Minister at age 62.
Before making it big in I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball was considered a failed actress and B movie star.
Vincent Van Gogh is considered the greatest artists of his time, but only sold one painting in his life time.

How do you bounce back from failure? Who else has inspired you?

Transitional Friday: 10 Steps to Making a Decision

Posted on August 8, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

Last week we discussed how much our decisions matter.

Often when we’re in a transitional period, we don’t know which way to turn. We often wonder what is the best path and how to decide.

Here are a few tips, I’ve discovered the hard way:

Pray about the situation and seek God’s will
Pretend a friend came to you with this situation. How would you advise a friend?
Journal your thoughts and feelings about the situation.
Make a list of the Pros and Cons to the situation.
Listen to your gut and what your instincts or saying.
Imagine 20 years from now. Do you see regret? What would your future self tell you now?
Write out all of your concerns and seek the answers.
Role Play—if this involves another individual role play the situation {even if you do this with a different friend or spouse}. This often gives you the other individuals point of view.
Limit the information and don’t focus on too much information. You’ve heard the adage that the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. This is the same idea. I often worry about issues way down the line, instead of the present.
Pray—this is so important, it’s worth repeating. Pray, study the Bible and seek God’s will in the situation.

How do you make a decision?

Transitional Friday: 10 Questions to Ask if Our Choices Matter

Posted on August 1, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

When I reached adulthood, I made a lot of dumb choices. At the time I did not think about the long term affect these choices would have on my life. Some of these choices effected the direction of my life, made life a lot more difficult and cost me some of my dreams.

I didn’t stop to think or pray about what I was doing and I did not consider the long term cost these decisions would have on my life.

Some questions we can ask when looking at our choices and decisions are:

How does this affect me now?
How will this affect my future?
Is this a want or a need?
Does this have a life and death impact?
Can I wait or postpone for a better future?
Do I feel pressured to make this decision or change?
What does The Bible say about this situation?
What does my gut say?
Am I following my intuition, my heart, my dreams or my hormones?
What does God say about this?

Most importantly, take time to pray and ask God for guidance and direction.

What mistakes have you made that you wish you could change

Transitional Friday: When Change isn’t your Idea

Posted on August 1, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

Life throws us a curve ball at times and change is forced upon us. This can be through the loss of a job, loss of a loved one, abusive relationship, natural occurrence, decision of another person, tragic accident and number other causes.

So, how do you deal with change when it isn’t your idea?

Cry—sometimes we just need to cry and express our pain. There are times when there just aren’t words.
Mourn your loss—a loss is a loss, regardless of how large or small. Even if the change is one that we want, our life is changed and we need to mourn and say goodbye to that part of our lives. Sometimes this is a few hours or a day and other times it is months or years.
Pray and ask God for guidance and to help you move on—in all things we need to pray and ask God what He would have to do now.
Accept your new normal—we have a new normal, even if it is for an interim time. We have to accept this and learn how to live in this new reality.
Determine your ultimate destination—we need to decide what our goals are. What do we ultimately want in life? Sometimes it takes weeks or months to determine what we may truly want and what God’s will might be for our lives. We mustn’t forget to seek God’s will.
Make a list of steps to reach that goal—now that we know where we are going, we need to access where we are and the steps to get from one place to the next. Again, sometimes our goals are short term and other time they are long term.
Work hard towards those goals—we work hard to meet these goals, whether it is returning to school, searching for a job, selling a house, etc.
Continue to put one foot in front of another—there are days when life gets difficult and we don’t feel that we can keep going. We take a deep breath and continue to put one foot in front of the other.
Reach for your dreams—never give up—if this is truly what God has laid on your heart, never give up. Ask for His help and keep pushing through no matter how difficult life gets at times.

Sometimes life altering events, lead to positive change.

What other ways do you deal with change?

Tweetables:

When Change isn’t your Idea

Techniques to deal with change

Transitional Friday: Facing Your Fears

Posted on July 25, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

We all have fears! I don’t like heights!

I’ve also overcome some fears, such as flying.

So, how do we face and overcome our fears?

Make a list of your fears—make a list of all of your fears. Which one is the easiest to cross of your list?
Challenge your thoughts and the reason behind it—ask ourselves why this is a fear, what has caused this to be a fear and why you are fearful of this event.
Make a list of steps to overcome this fear—make a list of steps that need to be taken in order to overcome this fear.
Ask yourself what is the worst case scenario—then ask what the worst case scenario is. With my fear of heights, that would be falling and breaking bones.
Relax and visualize yourself going through the motions of what you are afraid of
Revisit past victories—what fears have you overcome in the past? How did you do this?
Ask your family and friends for encouragement—we all need encouragement to keep moving forward and reach our goals.
Take deep breaths—often deep breathing calms us and helps us to have perspective on the matter at hand.
Face your fear head on—you may want a friend with you to lend emotional support

How do you overcome your fears?

Tweetables:

Facing Your Fears in Life Transitions

Transitional Friday: Thinking Positively Through the Transition

Posted on July 18, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

When life gets us down, it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The devil pounces on the darkness and insecurities to bring us down. In order to see the good and move forward, we need to see the positive.

This has often been a personal struggle for me, but each day I work to have a better attitude and move forward.

Write your goals
Write stepping stones towards your goals—what steps are necessary to reach the goals made.
Reward yourself—find a way to reward ourselves for each small accomplishment we’ve made. This could be a book or CD, massage, favorite restaurant, etc.
Write positive affirmations and repeat them—I find that writing and repeating positive affirmations helps me to begin to believe them in time. I heard one speaker {I wish I could remember who at the moment} state that they state these right before bedtime every night.
Reflect on your situation, what brought you here and how far you’ve already come—I find it difficult at times not to dwell on how far I still have to go, but I have to look at how far I’ve come.
Replace negative thoughts—don’t allow the dark places to crowd in and bring me down to where I’m useless. The positive affirmations really help.
Pray and ask for God’s guidance and peace
Listen to uplifting music and watch heartwarming movies—these lift the mind and help me to change perspective. I have to remind myself I deserve this also.
Find a peaceful place {ex. Lake, mountains, meadow, etc.} and remind yourself this too shall pass

What do you do to think positively?

Tweetables:

Thinking Positively Through the Transition

Transitional Friday: Finding Support in Life Transitions

Posted on July 11, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

There are times when we feel all alone or there is no one to talk with. I’ve struggled with this often. As a caregiver, I often find it difficult to have the opportunity to become involved with other groups or organizations due to my responsibilities. However, regardless of where we are in life, we all need a support system. Finding support in life transitions

Have a friend to talk to—everyone needs a friend to confide in and trust, as well as to just hang out with and have fun at times.
Find a support group—a group of likeminded people going through the same struggles often helps us to feel that we are not alone.
Get involved with an organization like Celebrate Recovery or Divorce Care {if you are dealing with addiction or divorce}.
Find programs for your need {ex. Several local churches have Employment Support Groups for those searching for jobs}
Don’t Be Afraid to Share Your Feelings—often we may be embarrassed to share our feelings, think no one cares or just be afraid to speak out. We can’t keep it all bottled up, because this isn’t healthy. We need to get it out and express ourselves.
Try Journaling—often it helps to write your feeling. If journaling doesn’t work, try expressing yourself through music or art.
Get involved with a local church—find a local church to get involved and join a group {this could be a Sunday School class, small discussion group, senior adult group, Women or Men’s group, etc.}

Who supports you?

Tweetables:

Finding Support in Life Transitions

Transitional Friday: Ecclesiastes 3: 18-22, The Purpose of Life

Posted on July 4, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

We are wrapping up our look at Ecclesiastes 3 and a season for all times.

I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals—God tests us to show us that we have the beastly quality of animals and will prey upon others.

Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals—man is frail

the same fate awaits them both—their existence is temporary

As one dies, so dies the other—all living, breathing animals {whether human or not} will died one day

All have the same breath—we all breath the same air

humans have no advantage over animals—we do not have long to live in righteousness and honor before God

Everything is meaningless—if we’re not living for God then it is all meaningless
All go to the same place—life is fleeting and we all go to the same place

all come from dust—we came from dust ; Abraham asked in Genesis 18:27, “who am I but ashes and dust”

and to dust all return—one day we will all return to dust; think about the burial ceremony, we say “ashes to ashes and dust to dust”
Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?—only God knows if the human spirit goes up and the animal spirit goes down. Some may say if the saved goes to heaven and the unsaved goes into the earth.

So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work—God wants us to enjoy our work and to work hard

because that is their lot—because that is why He made us. He has a purpose for ALL of our lives.
For who can bring them to see what will happen after them—only God knows the purpose for our lives, how we will touch others and what will happen in the afterlife. He also knows the rewards this life will bring into the afterlife.

What is your purpose in life?

Tweetables:

The Purpose of Life

Transitional Friday: Ecclesiastes 3: 15-17, History will Repeat Itself

Posted on June 27, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

We are going through Ecclesiastes 3, looking at the promise God made about the different seasons and decisions in life.

Whatever is has already been—God brings back what has already passed away

and what will be has been before—the old adage “history repeats itself” is true. Even God tells us that here.

and God will call the past to account—God keeps bringing the same lessons in our lives until we have grasped it. I’ve witnessed this in my own life at times and I have discovered that it is usually more painful each time it returns.

And I saw something else under the sun—there are things that are visible in this realm that we see, but in the realm of God that we cannot see. There are boundaries of life and these are bookended by birth and death.

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there—we find wickedness even in places where we should not, such as in courts, church and government offices

in the place of justice—wickedness was there—often evil seems to triumph over good, and we don’t understand why at times.

I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment—God can change our situation; He will bring judgment to all both the righteous and the wicked—His judgment will extend to both the good and the bad for there will be a time for every activity—there is a time and a place for everything a time to judge every deed.—God will judge all of our deeds and activities one day.”

Where have you seen history repeat itself?

Tweetables:

History will Repeat Itself

Transitional Friday: Ecclesiastes 3: 11-14, The Fear of the Lord

Posted on June 20, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

For the past two weeks we have been discussing God’s time and that there is a season for everything.

He has made everything beautiful in its time—think about how flowers are planted and in their own time become beautiful. The same can be said for circumstances in our lives.

He has also set eternity in the human heart—God wired us to long for eternity and to want the blessings only eternity can bring. God made us for himself and we are emotionally wired to long for him.

yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end—we cannot begin to imagine the greatness of God and all that He has done and All that He will do. He tells us that “my ways are not your ways.” We will never understand this until we are with Him and He reveals it to us.
I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy—God wants us to be happy. when life is difficult this can be hard, but even in the most difficult times He wants us to be happy.

and to do good while they live—God wants us to do good while we are on this earth, this includes helping others.
That each of them may eat and drink—we should eat and drink, but not in excess. This is often a challenge.

and find satisfaction in all their toil—God wants us to find satisfaction in our hearts and our journey, even when we’re not at a place where we want to be. Personally, this is something I’ve struggled with and have to continually pray about.

this is the gift of God—everything, even our hardships, are a gift from God
I know that everything God does will endure forever—what God gives us and the lessons He teaches us through the good times, as well as through the hardships {more often through the hardships} will last forever.

nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it—God set the plan of life and no matter how hard we try, we cannot change or alter that plan.

God does it so that people will fear him—God wants us to fear Him. We are told that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” {Psalm 111:10}. Once we begin to trust God’s wisdom, then we can begin to fear Him.

Do you fear the Lord?

Tweetables:

The Fear of the Lord

Transitional Friday: Ecclesiastes 3: 6-10, God has a time and purpose for everything

Posted on June 13, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

Last week we began talking about the various seasons of life mentioned in the book of Ecclesiastes. This week let’s take a look at the deep commitments and inner decisions that relate to the spirit and soul. The two examples for each are opposites of one another.

a time to search—there is a time when we need to search for what’s next in our life, whether it is a spouse, job, house, friendships, etc.

a time to give up—and there is also a time when these have served a purpose in our lives and we need to give these up.

a time to keep—there are some things we never need to give up, such as our morals and values

a time to throw away—sometimes there are things in our lives we need to throw away. This can be our habits, resentments and attitudes, or physical items such as old clothing, out of date electronics or clearing out a room, attic or garage.

a time to tear—there is a time to cry or tear up, also to pull apart

a time to mend—there is a time to heal and bring back to gather

a time to be silent—we’ve all heard the adage that “silence is golden”; there are times when it is better to say nothing and to be silent

a time to speak—there are other times when we need to speak up and share, especially if there is something bringing harm to another person

a time to love—God is all about love and wants us to love others the way He would love them

a time to hate—we can often hate the actions of an individual or group, such as when John Newton {author of Amazing Grace} realized his lifestyle of selling slaves was wrong. He changes his heart, hated the actions and fought to change the laws.

a time for war—there is a time when war is necessary

a time for peace—there is a time when war is not needed and we should embrace peace.

What do workers gain from their toil?—what do we gain from our efforts and hard work? Is it worth it?
I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race—the choice God gives us in choosing the actions to take is a heavy one. Often the lines may seem blurred and the best guidance is to seek God.

God has a time and purpose for everything. We need to remember to seek Him through prayer and Bible study through these life altering decisions.

Which of these decisions has been a struggle for you?

Tweetables:

God has a time and purpose for everything

Transitional Friday: For Everything There Is A Season

Posted on June 6, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

In Ecclesiastes 3, we are told that for everything there is a season. There are seasons of life that we love and seasons that we can’t wait to get finished with. While we wait for the next transition, the waiting is often the most difficult aspect of our situation. In our humanness we wonder what God is doing, why it’s taking so long and when He’ll be finished and life will be better. At least, that’s what I wonder.

So what does God say about this.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven {v.1}: everything has a purpose under heaven. God has ordained a season for each part of our life.

A time to be born: at some point we were all born from our mother’s womb.

A time to die: one day we will all die. You’ve heard the old saying the only two certainties in life are death and taxes.

A time to plant: in all of the waiting, we may be planting and sewing seeds.

A time to pluck up that which is planted {v.2}—eventually we will reap what we have planted.

A time to kill—we could take this literally, but it also can mean to end the things that aren’t good for us. This could be a relationship, friendship, job situation or even selling a house. Are there things in your life that are bringing you down or need to be left behind?

A time to heal—sometimes we just need to heal and work through the process of what we’ve dealt with. This can be anything from a divorce, to losing a job, to damaged friendship or a sickness.

A time to break down—I’ve discovered the hard way that sometimes God needs to break us or situations in our lives to get us to the point we need to be so that he can build us back up.

A time to build up {v.3}—once we’ve been broken, God wants to build us back up. He wants to set us on the path He has in stores for us.

A time to weep—weeping is good for the soul, it releases the pent up emotions we keep buried. I often cry easily, while I have family members that seldom cry. I’m not saying one is right or wrong, I just know that I feel cleansed after a good cry.

A time to laugh—laughter is good for the body. After her heart attack, a friend had her doctor prescribe for her to laugh each day. We all need to laugh more {at least I know I do}.

A time to mourn—we will all mourn at some point, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a friendship, a job, a relationship, our dream house, our independence or the pain over decisions our children are making there will be a point at which we mourn.

A time to dance {v.4}—God wants us to be joyful and to express our joy. King David danced before God in the Old Testament. Would you be willing to dance before God?

A time to cast stones—no one wants to have stones cast at them. Sometimes we watch the media and are so thankful that we are not the one that has made a major mistake broadcast around the nation or world. Also, this could go back to the passage that says, “we reap what we sew.” We could be casting out stones for a new job, to build a house, buy a car, etc.

A time to gather stones—often we want to call people out on something they’ve done wrong. Just as we do not want to have stones cast on us, we need to tread carefully when we are gathering stones. We need to check our facts, search our hearts and pray before accusing or confronting another individual. Gathering stones also relates to showing passion or affection for people and events in our lives.

A time to embrace—there are moments when life gets difficult and we just need a hug and the reassurance that everything will be alright. As stated above, at times we need to just accept that we are going through and that it cannot be changed at the moment.

A time to refrain from embracing {v. 5}—there are other situations when it is best to refrain from embracing someone, no matter how much comfort you long to provide.

What season of life are you in right now? What seasons have you struggled with?

Next week: Ecclesiastes 3: 6-10

Tweetables:

For Everything There Is a Season

Probing the Seasons of Life mentioned in Ecclesiastes 3

Transitional Friday: When You’re Stuck and Can’t Break Free

Posted on May 30, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

Have you ever been stuck? Do you feel that you’ll never be able to break free no matter how hard you try? Do you try and try to change things, but nothing never seems to work?

If you are, congratulations, you’re not alone. I’ve felt this way for years now. No matter how hard I try I feel that I can’t move forward. This frustrates and discourages me to no end.

I wish I could say that I never grow frustrated and discouraged, but continue to plunge full steam ahead. Unfortunately there are days when life gets the better of me.

So what do I do:

Pray and seek God’s will—the first thing I do is to pray, tell God how I feel, ask for his guidance and direction and read my Bible. There are days when I feel such great peace, but I’ll be honest there are other days when I wonder if God hears me.
Continue to put one foot in front of the other—each day I continue to put one foot in front of the other. Some days this is easier than other days. At times I feel that I’m doing things by rote and just going through the motions, but then I remind myself that this is better than the alternative of just giving up.
Share my feelings—I don’t have a lot of close friends, but I do have one or two people that I can be honest and share my feelings with. Sometimes they just listen and that’s all I need. Other times they will pray for me or we will brainstorm what to do.
Not give up—there are times when I do feel like giving up, but I eventually snap out of it. I continue to move forward with my dreams and plans and I continue to believe that I’ll eventually turn the corner and have a break through.
Seek Encouragement—my friends are great to encourage me and lift me up. Sometimes they will send me encouraging words, quotes, sayings and scriptures. Other times they will pray for me and that always touches my soul. I struggle terribly with depression at times and I can’t tell you how lifting such encouragement is to my mood, soul and attitude.
Creatively Express my feelings—there are many times when I cannot find the words to express my thoughts and feelings. However, I’ve discovered two outlets that allow me to do just this and I feel that I’m worshiping God at the same time. For me that is to write or journal my feelings. Sometimes I may even write God a letter. The second is through music. Whether playing the piano or singing, I unburden my heart to God and he knows the words even when I cannot find them. I also had a friend that introduced me to art journaling, and although I’m not an artist, I found this to be most therapeutic. Experiment with various techniques and interest to find one that works for you. You may discover that you enjoy dancing or another creative outlet.
Pray—I know I began with this, but I do a lot of praying. Sometimes I have to check my attitude to make sure that I’m seeking God’s will and not telling Him what to do. I have a habit of that and will even tell Him when I’m angry at Him. He wants us to be honest with Him, but He also wants us to humble ourselves before Him to seek His will. Ouch! That’s a tough one!

Tweetables

When You’re Stuck and Can’t Break Free

Breaking Out of the Hold Pattern

Waiting Through the Storm

Transitional Friday: Finding Balance as a Small Business Owner

Posted on May 23, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

Being a small business owner can be stressful and all time consuming. The important thing is to find a balance between life and being a business owner.

What are some ways to do this?

Set specific hours to work on your business. Let your friends and family know that you are working during this time.

Set aside specific time for your family. Family is very important and these are relationships that you do not want to lose.

Set aside at least one hour a week for your hobby. Whether you enjoy golfing, watching a movie or another hobby, set aside time each week to enjoy yourself and to do something you love where you don’t have to think about work.

Set aside at least one hour a week to pamper yourself. Set aside time each week just for you. Whether you just enjoy the peace and quiet or go for a massage or mani/pedi do something special for yourself.

Start each day with God. I always feel better when I start my day by spending time with God. This doesn’t have to be long, but even fifteen minutes each morning make a difference. I like to read the word and spend time in prayer.

Set aside time for exercise each day. I feel better when I exercise and think clearer. I love to walk and usually spend this time in prayer. I promise the time will be worth it and well spent. In order to give my all to business, I have to start by taking care of myself. If you’ve read my weight loss journey you know this isn’t easy but I’m working on making the necessary changes.

Set aside time each week to give to others. Even if it’s just an hour a week, I always feel better when I do something for others. I also believe that your benevolence will come back to you.

How do you balance life and being a small business owner?

Tweetables:

Finding Balance as a Small Business Owner

Life Balance between running a business and living a rewarding life

Transitional Friday: Questions to Ask Before Becoming a Small Business Owner

Posted on May 16, 2014August 24, 2016 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

Last week we discussed taking the plunge into being a small business owner. We looked briefly at a few questions to ask yourself.

Let’s look at these questions in greater detail this week:

Are you ready for the responsibility? –are you ready for all of the work and responsibility to rest on your shoulders?, are you able to make the decisions that need to be made?, can you lead others underneath you?, is your family prepared for this change in income?, have you thought about insurance and how that will be covered?

Are you ready to do the work?—are you ready to do to the work necessary to build your business?, do you have a marketing plan?, are you prepared to network?, can you explain in 30 seconds or less what you do?, is this already a proven part time business that you are taking fulltime?

Are you ready for the challenge?—are you ready for the ups and downs that come with business?, do you have a financial cushion for slower months?, are you ready to work 50-60+ hours a week to build your business?

Do you have the emotional support necessary?—do you have family and friends that support this endeavor?, do they encourage you?, do you have a life coach that will guide, encourage and hold you accountable?, do you have a prayer team to pray for you?

Do you have the financial support necessary?—does your spouse have a steady income?, do you have a financial cushion?, do you have at least a 3 month {preferably a year} of savings built up the way Dave Ramsey and Suzy Orman suggest?, is your spouse prepared to support the family while you build a business?, have you been profitable doing this on a part time basis?

Do you have an area designated just for work?—do you have an office or area designated for work?, will you be working at home?, do you have set hours?, have you taken in distractions that might get in your way?, are you treating this as a job or a hobby?

Do you have a business plan and a game plan?—do you have a business plan?, do you know the steps you need to take?, do you know where you want to go?, do you know how you’re going to get to where you want to go?, do you have a business mentor?

Do you know what your focus is?—do you know what your focus is?, do you have one focus or many?, do you need to narrow down your focus?, do you know who your ideal client is?, can you explain your ideal client in 30 seconds or less?, can you explain your platform or product in 30 minutes or less?

What other questions did you ask yourself before becoming a small business owner?

Tweetables:

Questions to ask yourself before becoming a small business owner

Are you ready to be a small business owner?

12 Ways Not to Lose Hope

Posted on March 15, 2014 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

Are you going through a transition? Does life seem uncertain? Are you unsure of what the future holds?

Whether you are battling a disease, working through a divorce, searching for a new job or dealing with other life struggles in this chapter of your life, don’t give up hope.

Here are 12 ways to keep hope alive:

Read your Bible—this is the best place to start. There are plenty examples of individuals that have struggled and been blessed by God.
Keep a hope journal—write in your journal every day, sharing your heart and feelings. This is a journal just between you and God.
List of gratitude’s—make a list of things to be thankful for each morning. I like to list at least three things, but you can list any number you want.
Art journaling—this is simply drawing your feelings and heart.
Uplifting Music—listen to music that lifts your spirit. While you listen you can sing along or even dance to it.
Inspirational Movies—find an inspirational movie that relates to your circumstances or just lifts your spirit and makes you feel good.
Place your name in the Bible Verse—when you read a verse put your name in that verse. For example: “cast not your burdens upon the Lord.” I would say, “Leagh, cast not your burdens upon the Lord.”
Cast Your Cares Away—write your burden out and then burn it. As the ashes burn, lift that burden and prayer up to God and allow Him to lift it from your shoulders.
Say Goodbye to the past—if your house burned down go back to that site and say goodbye. If you hurt someone, meet with them and apologize. If it is impossible to meet in person then write that person a letter. Even if you never send it, you’ve released those feelings and said goodbye.
Speak with someone else that has overcome that situation—find someone else that has overcome the same situation and share your stories with one another. Just knowing that someone else has been there and understand helps.
Help the less fortunate—often doing something for someone else is the best medicine. You get your mind off of yourself and onto others. Doing this provides you with a new perspective of how much worse your own situation could be.
Life Coaching—this is a great tool that will allow you to set goals and keep you accountable as you move forward.

How do you keep hope alive? What struggles have you overcome?

Discovering My Life Purpose

Posted on March 15, 2014March 15, 2014 by trinitychristianlifecoaching

Have you ever wondered what your life purpose is? Did you know that God made each of us for a purpose? We were made in God’s own image and with a purpose.

Only recently have I begun to question and seek what my purpose is. Seeking these answers has made me wonder how my life would be different, if I’d known this years ago.

Did you know that God has a purpose for each and every life? Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

So how do you determine God’s purpose for your life?

Let’s begin by defining life purpose. Your life purpose is a declaration of your passions, gifts, and talents that intentionally provide life direction and is driven by the Holy Spirit.

When determining your life purpose, ask yourself these five questions:

Does it honor God?
Does it reflect my passions, talents, skills and spiritual gifts?
Does it apply to all seasons of my life, not just my current chapter?
Does it give me a specific direction for life, but remain flexible to allow God to lead?
Can it be easily reduced to one short phrase?

When determining your life purpose, seek God’s wisdom and guidance through His prayer and Bible Study.

What is your life purpose?