As we prepare to put Winter back in the box and dust off Spring, there is a countdown that begins in our minds knowing that warmer weather and blossoming flowers are right around that corner. I could never understand why folks would pick winter over spring or summer, especially in the state I live in. In Maryland, winter means the possibility (meteorologist lingo for: they don’t know what’s going to happen) of snow, ice, 65-degree weather, lemon-drops, and gumdrops oh what a day that would be (lol). Don’t act like you didn’t reread that sentence and sing the song. You did, didn’t you?? It’s okay to laugh, it’s good for the soul.
As we go about our daily routines, we forget to laugh at our silly moments, remind ourselves that we aren’t perfect and celebrate our small victories. Often, we only celebrate the large milestones and forget to celebrate all of the little ones in-between. Spring can be considered a milestone for many for various reasons. At the beginning of the year, you might have made some declarations that you wanted to complete this year. Some quickly faded away, some are being held on by a thread and others you’re still pressing towards. What was the difference between the three you might ask? Simple answer. Two out of the three you didn’t want bad enough. See my favorite scripture is Philippians 3:14 and it starts with “I Press.” Now, most skip over the word “I” and only focus on the word “Press” but in order to fully understand this scripture, you have to first focus in on you. This is why I absolutely LOVE what I do. I have the opportunity to peel back the layers of self-doubt, fear, hurt and neglect in an individual to determine why they keep falling short of their desired outcome. Each layer that is peeled back causes a deeper understanding of oneself. Why am I explaining this? Because I needed you to understand the importance of dealing with the ‘stuff’ behind those doors that you choose to ignore. Those doors lead to one of the reasons why you keep starting and stopping the same things over and over again.
Now that you are caught up, let’s refocus our attention on celebrating the small victories. We have been mentally conditioned to celebrate once a goal has been successfully completed. Sometimes, this is can be a steep mountain to climb. What would happen if you made that climb a little more desirable by setting clear goals and celebrating every one hundred feet instead of at the end of the ten-mile hike? When was the last time you attended a celebration for the completion of a sophomore year in college? Not ever. Why is that? Because we only celebrated the completion of kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. Remember the excitement you felt when it was time to show-off your report cards each quarter? You knew your parents would be uber proud of you and sing your praises to everyone for doing an outstanding job. That was a small victory! Even those who run marathons are cheered on throughout the course. Imagine how you would feel if you had to wait a whole year before you knew what grade you were going to get. You’d be a ball of nerves. So why do we torture ourselves as adults? Below are five steps on how to develop a goal so that you can have victories to celebrate.
Step One: Get before God and allow him to download into you what He wants you to do. Often we make up things that seem right, but they aren’t what God is requiring of us at the moment.
Step Two: Obey the Instruction(s). PERIOD. Don’t get caught up on the who, what, why, when and where.
Step Three: Pray Diligently
Step Four: Keep your eyes fixated on your goal and DO THE WORK. Please ensure that the goal is attainable. For example: If you have a goal to save money, don’t say you’re going to save $5,000 each month when you have trouble saving $500. Be real with yourself.
Step Five: Enter the winner’s circle. You’ve already won before you began.
Now challenge yourself, go back and pick up the goals and dreams you’ve been putting off and develop milestones to achieve them. When you hit the milestone, CELEBRATE because you’re worth it!
P.S. Don’t forget to “PRESS”! Remember, the work starts with the REDESIGN OF U first.
“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” Phil 3:14 (KJV).
Keona Ellerbe is a wife, mother of four children and on a mission to seek and serve God’s people. She graduated from Virginia State University with a B.S. in Pre-Med Biology. Served as a nurse for several years before transitioning into the Government. After almost a decade, she realized that she was allergic to bosses and fired hers. After leaving her job, she started Redesign of U to become the solution to breaking through mental barriers, to redesign individual lives. She’s an Author, International Speaker and Redesign Coach™. Keona is truly thankful and grateful to have found her calling to serve God’s people by empowering them to get off the carousel and design the life they deserve to live.
For more insight on what I LOVE to do. Please visit www.redesignofu.com.
