How do you become the Whole, Holy and Authentic Woman God calls you to be? How do you move forward in your life doing the things that are important?
How do you stay connected to God first and fill up on Him so that all the other activities and relationships in your life work correctly?
The simple answer is the 8-8-8 Strategy.
I want to explore this strategy with you because I know you are still struggling to fit God into your everyday; you are still wondering how to ‘get it all’ done each day; AND, you want to have more of an impact by focusing on what God is calling you to do. This Strategy will work for you, I promise.
The 8-8-8 Strategy
Here’s how it works:
First, you must write down your goals, there are eight areas. Then you must create eight specific activities to act on each day. AND, you must plan out for eight weeks at a time.
This is the complete 8-8-8 Strategy. You can find the complete program on my website. You can do more for God and have a bigger impact with this Strategy.
The Goals’ Checklist
For today, I want to start with just the eight goal areas. To become an integrated Woman of God you need to be working in all areas of your life. I want to stress, before we talk about goals, that I am a believer in starting small. Very small.
Zechariah 4:10 says not to ‘despise these small beginnings’.
By working backward from your BIG God-sized dream you can break it down into initial steps that bring about success and grow your confidence.
How do you decide what your goal is in any given area?
Here is a checklist:
- Your most important goals must be yours (personal)
- Your goals must be meaningful (your why)
- Your goals must be specific and measurable (keep it simple)
- Your goals must be flexible (wiggle room)
- Your goals must be challenging and exciting (must motivate)
- Your goals must be in alignment with your values (filter them)
- Your goals must be well balanced (include all parts of your life)
- Your goals must be realistic (within reach)
- Your goals must include contribution (giving back)
- Your goals need to be supported (by resources)
Once you understand how to look at creating your goals then it is time to plug them into all the areas of your life.
The EIGHT Goals
So, I said there were eight areas. Here they are: Faith, Business, Financial, Relationship, Fun, Personal, Health, and Contribution. By writing a goal in each area you can plan out your next eight weeks, so you complete each goal. See why I said it is important to have a small and specific goal?
For example, my Faith goal for the next 8 weeks is to complete my Bible Study homework on time. It needs to be completed by Friday morning. I need to think through how that will happen.
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First, it takes me about an hour per day for 5 days to complete it. I like to do my study first thing in the morning when I am my best. I know there are days when I do not have that amount of time to set aside in the morning. Knowing that, I plan to spend more time on Saturday and Sunday so that during the week I can finish the study in 30-45 minutes per day. I am also slowly changing my wake-up time each day to give myself more time.
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Goals are sometimes decided and then left alone. In the area of my Contribution goal I have a steady routine, so it is not something I regularly change. The goal is to volunteer every Tuesday and Thursday for one hour in a tutoring program. And, with the same students, I meet with the older ones once a month for a time of fun and faith.
Do you see how having a specific and small goal makes a difference? I know I can do these goals. Yet, they are challenging to me as I continue to work at completing the activities each week. They fit into my bigger plans and move me forward toward the vision God has given me for my life.
Your Goals
What is your God-sized dream? What Vision has God given you that you are to accomplish? How will you break it down into the different goal areas and then into actionable steps, so you succeed?
First, take time to pray and invite God to be part of your goal decisions. What does He want your goals to look like in each area? I want to remind you that even if it looks like a SMART goal, it could be too big. (We can work on that together.)
Next, take time to plan your steps. This is the 8-week portion of the Strategy. Forty is a number God uses a lot. Imagine, you have 40 working days in the next 8 weeks to complete this goal. Break down the benchmarks (specific criteria) for each goal that need to be accomplished by a certain point within the 8 weeks so the goal is met by the end.
What can be done in 40 days? Well, Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days to prepare for His 3-year ministry. It rained for 40 days to cleanse the earth. Jonah warned Nineveh for 40 days so they could be saved from destruction. Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days to receive the Law. And, Jesus appeared to many during the 40 days after his resurrection. Whew! Seems like you can accomplish a lot in 40-days.
Work the Strategy
Do you need a resource? I encourage you to check out the online version of the 8-8-8 Strategy.
Do you need support and accountability? Schedule your Clarity Conversation with me and see how we can work together to complete your goals.
There is still time to work through these last two quarters of 2019 and be successful. I want to move you into becoming the Whole, Holy, and Authentic Woman God is calling you to be.
Be filled to overflowing,
Deneen
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