Chapter 7 Application:
Your Vision Plan
Hey Mama, Are you a planner? Do you carefully lay out your day, your week, your month or maybe even your year? Do you plan to a point where there is no room in the margin for life to get in the way? Do you plan in a way that brings your personal and professional goals into a single vision for your life?
There is a way to set your vision, make a plan for your whole life and still make room to embrace the interruptions
An Excerpt from Chapter 7:
" In Chapter 6 we broke the chains of the “Self-Care” movement to embrace soul care. Dismissing the idea that we deserve something and shifting our thinking to other’s above ourselves does not mean we live a life of complete servitude without ever satisfying our own desires for fun and enjoyment. I think some of the greatest gifts God gave us are the gifts of laughter and enjoyment. There is no better nourishment for our soul than a good laugh or delighting in one of the desires of our heart. You can live a life that is filled with faith, family, work and servitude and still enjoy a great vacation or trip to the mall. You can have hobbies and interests and be a mom with a thriving career. But, and here is the big but, you may not be able to have it all and fulfill all of the desires at the same time. So in this chapter we tackle what is really important to you and how to prioritize those things to make it to the top of the list while maybe having to let others go for at least a season. Refusing to acknowledge that truth can leave you in a pit of unfilled expectations, and I’ve never found joy in that pit."
Building a Vision for your life
Its time to look at your whole life, not just the little buckets that make up who you are. You broaden the lens to see the work, your family, your interests and your desires all in the same frame. You lay out a vision plan for what you want your life to look like, all of it. Then you surrender this plan to the Lord and allow Him to make interruptions where He knows best. Tackling your job day after day without knowing where you want it to evolve can have you end up 13 years in and wondering, "What on earth is all of this for?". Skipping the alignment of your professional with your personal goals can cause one of those areas to snowball out of control, overwhelming the other portion. Whether you can identify with the desire to be Director by 33 or CEO by 50 or you are content to punch the clock and check your work baggage at the door, my prayer for you is that you know who you are in Christ, who you want to be and understand the sacrifices it takes along the road to getting there.
Creating the Vision Plan:
if you’ve never done an vision plan, here are a couple of questions to get you started. Work through the exercise and then work this into your prayer life. Ask God to show you how this lines up with His plan for your life and to lighten the path to get you there.
And if your current situation requires you to embrace your fat pants, accept that sacrifice in pursuit of what really sets your soul on fire!
Let’s Make a Plan:
➢ What are your short-term career goals?
➢ Professionally, in 6 years I would like to be:
Title:
Salary:
Company:
➢ My top 3 professional strengths are…
1)
2)
3)
➢ My top 3 areas of greatest opportunity are…
1)
2)
3)
➢ Personally, in 6 years I would like to be (some examples):
o Married
o With children
o Serving in a ministry
o Writing a book, etc.
o Lose 10 pounds
o Start exercising
➢ In order to start the path toward accomplishing my professional goals, I will pick three practical things I can do to set me on that path. Some examples:
o Find a professional mentor
o Enroll in a certification program
o Go back to school
o Read a leadership book
o Follow an industry blog
➢ In order to start a path toward accomplishing my personal goals, I will pick three practical things I can do to set me on that path. Some examples:
o Join a church
o Write a blog
o Join a gym
o Join a weight loss program
o Read a parenting book
➢ In order to accomplish my professional and personal goals, I may have to be willing to give up, pause or put off the following:
When you put the plan into words, it gives it life. It helps you see if what you’re reading is what you really desire and gives you direction to pray specifically for the route it will take to get there. You may be surprised to see how far this plan can take you or how much you are willing to just be 10 lbs too many!
"I know the demands of our home life and the complexities of our work situations that are unique to us. Only you can assess and know yours and the best place to start is by mapping out what you hope it looks like. All the while understanding that God holds the pen that writes our story and there is a danger of us planning too much and getting in the way of His best. I have lived in seasons where I felt my plan was so completely in line with His and in others where I could feel I was pushing and pulling my way through what His best was. What I would encourage you with today is to map it out and then begin to pray over your map, where God can reveal to you areas where he has unexpected turns and tweaks. This prevents you from showing up to work each day uncertain where you go from here." This One's For the Working Mama, Chapter 7