Joel Osteen New Book a Dreamers Companion Guide

Joel Osteen, has definitely got his critics, but who doesn’t?  My seminary professors ripped him for being light, not digging within the Biblical context and of being a motivational speaker rather than a preacher. So, it is surprising that I would even think to grab a free review copy from Net Galley and walk away with lessons from his new book, You Can You Will: 8 Undeniable Qualities of a Winner [affiliate link].

But, I have challenged myself to relax my intellect and let my intuition get some time to play in the sun. That’s why I looked pass Osteen’s glowing smile, perfectly packaged mantras and read his newest book. And oh honey child am I glad I did.

Have you ever encountered words that leaped from the page to your heart because it painted a picture that reflected your life’s canvas?

That’s what happened as I read. I ate it up quickly flowing from page to page, which is important because fitting in reading time in the middle of to-do lists usually doesn’t happen. Thankfully, it’s a quick read!

Top 10 Things I Learned in Pursuing My Dream in 2014

Happy New Year WGL readers! It’s 2015 and I’m hyped and  like many of you reinvigorated and recommitting to my goals.

Dream pursuits—be it completing a degree, starting a business, losing weight or some other goal, has a way of encountering the rest of your life and getting derailed. You know how it goes day 1 you declare, “self we’re going to do this, we won’t let anything stop us, it’s our turn!” You say it, you mean it, you commit to it on your vision board, you tell everyone and then day 45 (probably sooner) life happens and you’re so busy outing a fire that you forget about that goal.

As much as I hated doing year end reviews as a manager, they really served a purpose. I had to consider what I did right and what the people under me did right, but more importantly what didn’t we do right. Rather than looking at them as failures it was an “area of growth.” It meant understanding why something didn’t work and adjusting to ensure changes were made to improve underperformance.

So, why not apply the same concept of performance reviews to your goals? 

How to Pick the Best 2015 Day Planner to Further Your Goals

I'm not just waving goodbye to 2014. I'm putting on steel toe boots and kicking it goodbye. It was the best of times and the worst of times, but I learned a lot along the way.

Seriously clichés aside, dream walking ain’t easy. It's a journey to find you. It’s like looking at yourself in a mirror naked. There’s no more hiding behind illusions. Instead, you see all your weaknesses and strengths. The expedition inward helps you to find what works for you. 

Achieving the dream is not as scientific, which drives my type A personality with a strong dash of perfectionism! My journey has not been about reading case studies, how to books for dummies, blog posts and applying them. The tools, while helpful, have to be filtered through the way you work to create your personal blueprint for success. 

One of the greatest lessons I’m learning in pursuing my dream is that deadlines are a must.

Otherwise, I push things back and let other people’s dates override my "to do lists" because there are no hard deadlines associated with them. So, in saying goodbye to 2014 and getting ready to jump into 2015, I am committing to creating deadlines for the steps I need to further my goals. 

First step, get a new day planner.

Although I use my phone and to do lists, there is something about writing down dates and looking at month views that are essential. Yet, all planners are not created alike. I love cute patterns, colors and pictures, but there are also other things that can set a planner apart from the humdrum of your day to day task planning. 

Shonda Rhimes’ Practical Advice Women Dreamers Can Use

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Shonda Rhimes’ Scandal rules my life. Everyone knows—no calls, no texts, no meetings and no business. Curled up on my couch, my Twitter sees the most action it gets all week, as I tweet #Scandal’s most shocking moments. I am drawn in not only by the shockers, but by Kerry Washington’s "go getter" character, Olivia Pope. Her war cry ignites her team, the Gladiators, to find a solution to messy scandals. 

As the woman behind the Shondaland brand, delivered the commencement address at her alma mater. She channeled her inner Olivia Pope by galvanizing the Dartmouth graduates with a "no task too hard" Gladiator speech. In listening, I thought all my fellow dreamers could use some of Shonda's wisdom. 

5 Steps To Making Your Dreams Your Reality

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Women can spend so much time in nurturing mode that we hit pause on our own dreams. We’re running kids to practice, volunteering when no one else will, cooking for the family, supporting friends through breakups…you name it we’re doing it. All except building the world we really want for ourselves. We have dreams that persistently haunt us, but our schedules don’t give us space to pursue them. Instead, we write stickies, add items to to-do lists, send emails to ourselves or if you’re like me you jot a note down in your Evernote, but they get stuck in the “some day” plans.

The universe will eventually begin to wake up our dreams. Our inner voice will start to point out people who connect with our dreams. It can be a forced period of rest through an illness. Or maybe like me you find yourself crying in the parking lot unable to drag yourself into your office for a paycheck that has nothing to do with your passion. Whatever your dream this post is meant to be the alarm clock that will let you know it's time to wake up and MAKE IT HAPPEN!

The first step to dream building is recognizing that “perfect” timing is an elusive myth. You just have to decide I’m ready to sacrifice my comfort and the comfort of others to ensure I reach my dream. Start on your dream building path by following these simple strategies: