Ask. Think. Imagine.

Cars and Careers: Both Need Maintenance

2010-03-01T16:27:00.001-06:00

I don't know about you, but I dread taking my car for service. I don't know very much about how a car works, besides the basics like fuel makes it move. So, I feel open to being taken advantage of at the mechanic shop. However, experts tell us that if we want high engine performance, we must do preventive maintenance. It's the same for your career. Just as routine service is key to keeping your car in great running condition, continual maintenance is key to a rewarding career.

Careers must be maintained. Here are three tips on getting better mileage in your career.

Choose the right octane. How can you tell if you're using the right octane level? Listen to your engine. Do you feel productive and fulfilled in your work? Hmm. The knocking and rattling you hear coming from your engine may be the sound that your career doesn't fit anymore. If you're bored with what you've been doing, have no growth opportunities, or are on a sinking ship, perhaps it's time to take some small steps toward a new career. Honest self-evaluation is a good starting point. Next, begin exploring the possibilities. Finally, decide on a career path that is right for you and start taking action.
Keep tires inflated to proper levels. Under-inflated tires lower your gas mileage, and an outdated resume decreases your success in the job search market. Apply these up-to-date resume techniques to improve your career economy and efficiency:
- Eliminate the "References Available Upon Request" line. There is no need to state the obvious and you'll save valuable space.
- Delete the confining and general objective statement at the top of your resume and replace it with a qualifications summary that tells the reader at a glance who you are and what you have to offer.
- Don't list every job you ever held and give each equal importance. Instead, present the experience that is relevant to the job you're applying for. Highlight current skills and recent experience that relates to what you want next. Focus on accomplishments not responsibilities. Show the reader how you match the requirements of the job.
Change your air filter. Air is just as crucial as fuel when it comes to powering the engine. Replacing a clogged air filter improves acceleration time. Likewise, constantly updating your skill set is critical to how far you go and how quickly you get there. Never stop educating yourself. If you don't have the skills to move ahead, you'll get left behind. What new skills have you developed in the last six months? What have you done to expand the scope of your job duties. Stay on the cutting-edge of whatever you do so you don't lose your competitive advantage.

Career success requires regular maintenance, but don't rely on someone else to take care of your career. Take charge of it yourself. Maintaining your career ensures you stay challenged, current, and competitive.

Job Search is a Lonely Job

2009-09-06T11:29:00.008-05:00

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate rose to 9.7 percent in August, nearly 15 million people. Yet, so many feel like they are all alone in their joblessness. And, it is easy to become isolated in the process: sitting at a computer screen filling out application after application, facing the letdown of rejection, or (and equally devastating) never hearing a word back from your attempts.

It may be lonely at the top, but the loneliness of unemployment is real as well. Here are three suggestions for battling loneliness while looking for work.

Find a support group. Job search is something you should never tackle on your own. And, your working friends (although they mean well) can not understand your situation and are sometimes no help at all. So, join a supportive group that will keep you encouraged and hold you accountable. Not only will they pick you up when you're feeling low, but you will be available to do the same for someone else (hence, taking the focus off of you which is always helpful).
Get out of the house. Change your scenery and change your mood. Try job search in a different location: the library, a FREE hotspot, the park, even a friend's house. Changing your routine can renew your energy, creativity, and focus.
Don't spend all your time looking for work. Job seekers need a life too. Develop a job search schedule and make sure you plan regular breaks from your job search activities. Volunteer. Catch a movie. Do something fun. Laugh. Take a class. Take a walk. Dance. You've heard the saying: All work and no play makes Jack a boring, cranky, sad, discouraged, stressed, pessimistic, apathetic, cold, angry, exhausted, ... boy. Well, you get my point. Let's just say, Jack's attitude certainly isn't going to attract any good job prospects.

When you're trying to find a job, you need someone in your corner. Consider hiring a career coach to help you create and implement a successful job search strategy. If you could do it on our own, God wouldn't have created the rest of us.

In the Dallas, Texas area? Attend this powerful workshop: How to Stand Out in a Tight Job Market and Land Your Dream Job. You'll get help with your resume, job search, but most importantly, you'll connect with people who will partner with you to succeed.

Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?

2009-08-20T10:57:00.011-05:00

Our biggest obstacles are not always outside of us. Sometimes our biggest enemy is the person staring back at us in the mirror -- Y-O-U.

Here are three ways we sabotage our own efforts:

Incomplete-ism. Is your list of incompletes longer than your list of completes? If the answer is yes, "Houston, we've got a problem." Multitasking, perpetual brainstorming, and treating everything with the same importance can keep us from completing anything. Define the tasks that are most important for you to complete right now and work on each task, one at a time. It's when we try to accomplish three or four tasks at once that nothing gets completed.
Perfectionism. The Ready-Aim-Aim-Aim... and never Firing approach. Sometimes we spend too much time in planning, preparing, conceptualizing and then revising, tweaking, modifying -- simply trying to avoid failure. Fear of failure limits your level of success. Go ahead... Fail! It's in the doing (the Firing) that we learn how to be successful. Practice the Ready-Fire-Aim approach. Sometimes the best way to succeed is to jump in and do it. You can always make adjustments. And, you'll move closer to your goals and get more done.
Self-criticism. Do you understand the words that are coming out of your mouth? Negative self-talk holds us back from accomplishing more. Thoughts like, "I'm not worthy." "I'm not good at this." "I can't do it." Don't underestimate the excellence within you. The truth is: You are unique. You have special gifts, talents, abilities that enable you to accomplish great things. You are valuable. You provide comfort, laughter, wisdom, assurance, and help to many people. And, you can do it. You are the Little Engine That Could. Say it, "I know I can. I know I can."

Could you be the reason that you are not moving further ahead?

All of us need help accomplishing our goals. Getting help doesn't make us less successful, but it gives us the power to be more successful. Having a personal coach will help you identify and overcome the barriers holding you back. Schedule your FREE jump-start session today.

I See Increase All Around Me

2009-02-08T18:30:00.008-06:00

Vision is the capacity to see things as they could be. Hollywood writes about vision. The young boy, Cole, in the movie "The Sixth Sense" had the vision to see dead people. Whoopi Goldberg's character, Oda Mae Brown, had the vision to see Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) in "Ghost." The news media paints a bleak picture with very little news and increasingly more speculation and commentary. If you watch enough of it, you will develop the vision to see loss and despair for your future.

Vickie Yohe put the Prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:10) to song on her album, "He's Been Faithful." The song is called "Increase Me" and I love it! I've chosen the song as my anthem for 2009. I play it over and over. The lyrics encourage me to have a vision beyond my current circumstances. Instead of seeing joblessness and an economy in peril, I choose to see no limits, no boundaries, only increase all around me. (Listen to audio clip.)

What is your vision? What is it that you want in life? Without vision you will drift and stumble or go nowhere at all. Look inside to find your vision. Ask yourself these questions from Gary Collins book, Christian Coaching:

What really moves me?
What makes me cry?
What brings a glow of joy into my life?
What arouses my enthusiasm?
What do I hope my life will look like in five years?

Don't get so bogged down with the present that you ignore your future and don't let the media dictate how you see life. Develop a personal vision. While others are focused on an economic depression, you will see increase all around you.

Find Fulfillment in Your Current Job

2008-12-22T19:45:00.006-06:00

Maybe you're not ready to leave your present job or career, but you want to maximize your career within your organization. Here's some help from my reading list, "Make It Work: Navigate Your Career Without Leaving Your Organization." The authors explain that "trying to improve your career success by simply finding a new place to work is like trying to run faster by finding a new track to run on." That's because career fulfillment is within you -- found in your beliefs, behaviors, passion, and interests. This book is dedicated to helping you find passion and success without leaving your organization.

What are you waiting for? The authors have provided a free assessment called the Career Wealth Indicator to assess your current level of career success.

Coaching helps you reach goals that you have had a hard time accomplishing on your own. If you want a partner to push you to think, stretch yourself, and get done what you know you need to do, I invite you to schedule a complimentary session to get acquainted and discover how working with me can transform your career.

Happy New Beginnings!

2008-12-04T19:30:00.010-06:00

It never fails. As the year comes to an end, I become increasingly excited about the beginning of a new one. This year is no exception. I can feel the anticipation revving up on the inside. I've started to look back over the year and ask myself what happened, what went well, what can I do differently? I am also looking ahead and planning to seize more opportunities in the new year. My process may differ from yours, but I strongly encourage you to look back and look ahead, especially as it relates to your career. Review and celebrate your successes and begin to write your goals for the new year.

Here are some questions to help you evaluate your career.

What is the biggest challenge in your career right now?
What have you done about this challenge so far?
What will be your next move to overcome this challenge?
When will you begin?
What support do you need?

Having challenges is normal. Once you identify what is standing in the way of reaching your goals, you can create a plan to move forward. Coaching can make a difference in your career success. If you are unhappy with your work, or want to get on track for a promotion, or need the direction, support, and courage to move into a new job or career, coaching will help you overcome challenges and focus on taking action toward your goals.

Finding Your "Right-Fit" Career

2008-11-03T11:00:00.012-06:00

Until recent years, I felt I was only working in the vicinity of what I was created to do. I worked hard and enjoyed many of the tasks I performed, but still felt there was something missing in my work. Today, I know I am in the very center of my power, passion, and purpose. I have found my "right fit" career -- my life work. I am more fulfilled and more productive and with far less toiling than any time before. Everyone has a "right fit" work, a work they are uniquely gifted to carry out, a calling. How do you discover your fit? Align your work with your potential, passion, and purpose.

POTENTIAL
When you work in your potential, you will experience greater productivity, confidence, and the courage to change. Without power, you will feel overwhelmed. Ask yourself:

What are you good at?
What have you done?
What can you do?

PASSION
Working in your passion is energizing. Without passion you will be bored. Uncover your passion by exploring your interests.

What do you enjoy?
What makes you happy?

PURPOSE
Your purpose is who you are becoming. It is what you were born to do. Without purpose, you will be distracted with busyness and feel victimized. Identifying your values and vision will help you navigate your career.

What is important to you?
Why do you exist?

My life's work is to help individuals discover their "right fit." It is something I will spend the rest of my life doing -- helping others experience greater productivity and fulfillment in their work and life.

Destination Success Workshop

2008-09-30T15:00:00.002-05:00

Where is your career headed? Answer the following questions:

Has your career reached a dead end?
Does it feel like you've taken a detour away from where you really want to be?
Has your alternate route (your Plan B) turned into a "wait and see" traffic jam?
Do you feel burned out and lack the energy to fuel your work?

If your answer is "yes" to any of these, then you'll benefit from my new workshop -- Destination Success.

This crash course helps you grab the steering wheel of your career. Whether you want to change directions or you long for more work satisfaction, you'll feel better prepared, more motivated, and ready to kick your career into high gear.

Who should attend? Job seekers, recent graduates, people unhappy with their jobs or planning to make a career move, or anyone wanting more fulfillment in their work.

Isn't it time to put "yourself" in driver's seat of your career?

Create your road map to success
Discover your career values, interests and strengths
Package your skills and accomplishments
Plan your "shortest route" to career success

Workshop Details:

DATE: Saturday, October 18
TIME: 10 am - 12 pm
LOCATION: Cedar Valley College Center at Cedar Hill [map]
FEE: Just $25 per person

Register by phone 972-860-7800 or add your name to be notified when this workshop comes to your area.

Hope to see you there!

Successful People Fail First

2008-08-16T19:00:00.008-05:00

All successful people have inevitably failed once (and what's much more likely, they've failed many times). Do you believe that? I do. Failure is the pathway to success. Failure is the hills we climb, the hurdles we jump, and the curbs we stump along our journey. Failure is not an awful experience to avoid. Instead, failure is a lesson to learn.

According to John Maxwell, in his book Failing Forward, the difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of failure. What is your perception of failure?

Each of us has our own definition of success and to achieve it we must redefine failure? How should we redefine it? One definition: failure is simply unrealized success. You step up to bat, watch the pitch, swing and miss the ball. Strike one! You failed to hit the ball. You did not realize success... the first time. However, you can now step back, adjust, and swing again -- better prepared to be successful the second time around.

Without failure, how would we know success? I mean, without light how would we know darkness? And, without winter how would we know summer? Failure is a part of success. As long as we seek to avoid it, our fears grow more powerful and block any progressive action. We become stagnant in our insecurity. We become stuck in what some refer to as our "comfort zone;" however, I have renamed it our "familiar zone." I call it familiar because most of the time it's not comfortable at all, only common. And, if we allow failure to cause us to retreat to what is familiar, we will settle for ordinary lives when we are wired to experience much more extraordinary lives. Failure avoidance causes us to live uncomfortably beneath our potential.

Taking risks exposes our vulnerabilities and vulnerability opens us up for potential failure, yet our failure is a stepping stone for success. Have you failed lately? If your answer is no, there are only three possibilities. Either you aren't taking any risks or you aren't challenging yourself beyond the ordinary or it's not your time to fail yet.

Feeling Stuck?

2008-07-25T18:15:00.006-05:00

While life coaching has been around for several years, the idea of working with a coach is still very new to many people. But just like sports coaches inspire athletes to do things better than they thought they could on their own and acting coaches help actors improve their skills, a life coach can help you find focus and direction for your life and career.

As your coach, I will help you expand your vision, build your confidence, unlock your potential, increase your skills, and take practical steps toward your goals. I'd love to partner with you and make great things happen!

Does your life need a coach? Check out this article on CNN.com.

A Client's Story of Success

2008-07-01T07:20:00.001-05:00

(Here's a letter from someone I've coached that I'm really excited to share!)

Dear Potential Coaching Client:

If you are thinking about coaching with Cassandra, you are in for an awakening experience and journey. When I started the process I had no idea that it would be so beneficial to my career or to my life. It has been a year of change and growth.

A business owner for 24 years, I thought that I had a good handle on what I was doing, where I was going and how I planned to get to the next level of growth. By participating in the coaching sessions, Cassandra not only confirmed my thoughts but has been assisting me in setting my sights even higher.

Coaching has challenged me to dig within and examine who I am and to stretch my mind to think outside the box.

To realize that I am more powerful than I can ever imagine
To embrace change and to at least try doing things a little differently one step at a time
To look at everyone as an asset and to realize that they are different and have something to contribute

In one sentence I will describe my coaching experience as challenging, enlightening and empowering.

As a satisfied coaching client, I encourage and challenge you to keep a positive attitude, be open-minded and to be flexible during your sessions. The sky is the limit to where God can and will take you in your career, relationships or life if you let Him.

Sit back and enjoy an exceeding journey!

Sincerely,
Diane I. Daniels
DID & Associates

Click here to schedule your FREE session and see if coaching is for you.

My Own Story

2008-06-22T19:02:00.016-05:00

Just wanted to share a little more about me and my journey -- my salvation story, family, work experience, and passion.

I became a Christian at a young age. I regularly attended Sunday school, vacation bible school, and an occasional BTU with my grandmother. The Baptist church I attended required baptism in order to sing in the youth choir. So... I was baptized. I accepted Jesus as my Savior and His free gift of salvation before this public proclamation and really didn't understand the significance of baptism at the time, but I heard someone say "pool" and I was in! As a grew older, teen years and beyond, my decisions began to move further away from my belief system, but I always believed. Unfortunately, the only time I clearly demonstrated my faith was during very tough times, when my problems exceeded my human capacity, then I would pick up my Bible and pray.

I was pretty much raised as an only child, although my father had children from other relationships. My mom spoiled me and loved me to pieces -- still does. I grew up in a family with the "normal" dysfunction -- alcohol, drugs, adultery, violence. (Though, I guess that really depends on your definition of "normal.") My parents divorced when I was in the 8th grade, which was probably my biggest transition as a child. My relationship with my dad was shamefully antagonistic. Fortunately, he and I were able to reconcile before his death.

Against Mom's better judgment, I followed my boyfriend to Ohio for college. Turns out, Mom was right. That relationship ended a few months after I moved. Not wanting to face the music and hear the perpetual "I told you so," I stuck it out to accomplish graduation from Ohio State University. (Go Buckeyes!) During my four years in Ohio, I met some earnest Christians and attended their small group Bible study. I explained to them that I was Baptist, but they insisted I pray the "sinner's prayer," so I did -- for their sake, you know. At the moment of my prayer my life was transformed and it has never been the same again. I began developing a "real" relationship with Jesus that I had not known before.

After graduation I moved back home and took a job with an electric utility company and later transferred to Dallas, Texas. My career took a fast track. I ended up working with a wonderful boss and mentor that saw my potential and invested in me. I've worked in training and development for 15 years, which included a merger and company closing. So I've had my feel of corporate America. I'm now the owner of Exceed Resources, a professional trainer, coach, and recently, a published author. I am absolutely loving my life right now! I am at the center of God's will for me. I am aligned in my giftedness, working to my natural bent, my fit, and experiencing more fulfillment and productivity with less toiling. My mission is to help others find their best fit -- reaching higher than the expectations they have of themselves and experiencing greater success.

One of my favorite passages from the Bible is Ephesians 3:20, "God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that you ask or think or imagine according the the power that works in you." I believe that power and potential works in you. I look forward to working with you to help you unleash your potential and experience greater success!

Are you satisfied with your life?

2008-06-12T17:42:00.000-05:00

It's easy to live day to day and never stop to reflect on whether you even like what you are doing. You may have a sense that your life isn't going the way you want it to, but you can't put your finger on where things have gone awry.

Take this simple self-evaluation (adapted from Tony Stoltzfus' Leadership Coaching) and reflect on how satisfied you are with 10 different areas of life. Rank your satisfaction in each area on a scale of 1 to 10. If you give an item a 1, you are completely dissatisfied with this part of your life. A number 10 means you couldn't be happier and more satisfied with this area of life.

Physical Health
Self-Care
Career/Work
Financial Stability
Married/Single Life
Home Life
Friends/Social Life
Fun & Recreation
Spiritual Life
Personal Development

Now, go for a quick win. Identify the area where you could see the biggest gain with the least effort. Then, set a goal to make a change or pursue a dream. When you have a clear, compelling goal and some practical steps, you'll be more satisfied and enthusiastic.

Do you need help selecting a growth goal?

Schedule your FREE 30-minute telecoaching session today. There is no risk, no obligation. You will simply experience the power of coaching for yourself.

As your coach, I will help you think more clearly, push you to go deeper and reach higher, and provide the structure you need to stay focused on the goal you've chosen. Even if you decide you don't want to continue with coaching, you can use the session to start putting together an action plan for how to get where you really want to be.

Enjoy the Journey!

2008-05-10T19:10:00.000-05:00

(This is a reprint from my July/August 2007 eNewsletter. I thought it was a good lesson to share a second time.)

For my birthday, I traveled to Puerto Rico with a couple of friends. It was incredible -- white sandy beaches, warm tropical temperatures, and a lesson in diversity and culture. Probably the best part of the trip was our excursion to El Yunque Rain Forest. From elevations some 3000 feet, we took in breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea meeting the Atlantic Ocean.

The most memorable moment was our hike along Big Tree trail in search of La Mina falls. The trail was rated moderate in difficulty and steep in some places, so we kept our heads down and our eyes on each wet and slippery step. We rushed down the rugged trail, but about two-thirds of the way down and quite winded, I had an ah-ha moment. I yelled to my friends to stop. It had dawned on me; we were so focused on reaching the waterfall that we weren't taking in the beauty of the journey. We slowed our pace, paused here and there to take pictures, and began to see the beautiful ferns and wild flowers and feel the moist fresh air and hear the soothing serenade of the wildlife and the rushing stream.

Here's the lesson: Sometimes in life we need to change our focal point. Instead of focusing so intently on our destination, we need to enjoy the wonders of the journey. For instance, some people are so focused on retirement that they don’t stop to celebrate the milestones along the way. Others eagerly wait for payday and don’t profit from those valuable lessons between paychecks. Tell me, what has your focus? Is it a better job or a promotion, five o’clock quitting time or the weekend, month end, or are you simply waiting in traffic for the green light? Life is a journey marked with the highest mountaintops and lowest valleys, winding roads, steep hills and slippery slopes. It’s certainly okay to have goals, ambitions, and a destination in mind -- in fact, it’s encouraged; however, it is equally important not to lose sight of the good things offered on the journey.

Click here to view pictures from the journey.

Here are five ways to make the most of your journey to where you really want to be.

Work on your skills. Learning is fundamental to your ability to grow and reach your destination. And it is during the journey that you learn the most critical lessons.
Get to know yourself. The journey offers valuable lessons in getting to know you. Examine your own thoughts and feelings, beliefs and values. Reassess who you are and what you want to be. The more you know yourself the better you can understand others and the better decisions you make. Knowing yourself will help you create your future.
Connect with the people around you. We hurry conversations by completing the other person’s sentences. Interruptions irritate us. We’re slow to respond to phone calls and emails. We try to multitask instead of giving people our full attention. No matter how smart you are, unless you know how to connect with people, you will not go very far.
Live happily ever now. Don’t wait until you reach your destination to live happily ever after-- live happily ever now. You’ll never reach your destination by living in the guilt of your past or anxiety about your future. Strive to enjoy your “right now” journey. Sure, have goals, ambitions, but make today as good as you can make it.
Get help when you're stuck. To support them, most top athletes have a coach who encourages them to improve, change, and develop so that they can become better athletes. You deserve a coach to help you improve, change, and develop aspects of your life too (only without the shouting, running, and push-ups!). If you are at a crossroads in your journey or you feel stuck and confused about what you want or how to get there, hire a coach. A coach can help you set far better, more motivating goals, accomplish your goals more quickly, and move up to the next level in your personal and professional life. Sign up for a FREE tele-coaching session and experience the power of coaching for yourself.

What Got You Here?

2008-04-22T18:50:00.035-05:00

Flying back from a training event last week, I spent a good portion of the flight casually flipping through the pages of Sky Mall magazine. (I know... what an adventure, right.) One page immediately caught my attention though. It was an ad that claimed it could help me read twice as many business books in half the time. I thought, this might be just what I need, because there sure are a lot of books I'd like to read. Anyway, as a perused the titles, one popped off the page at me. It read,"What Got You Here Won't Get You There." In fact, that title inspired this post.

Now, I haven't read this book, but the title alone was motivating for me. It really got me thinking. If all that I credit for my present success won't get me where I really want to be, then I need to do something more. Put another way, the ladder of success that enabled me to climb this far, is not the ladder that is going to allow me reach my full potential. So, I guess I gotta get a taller ladder!

Answer this question: To what do you credit your present success?

Well, I conducted a little, informal survey of my own and received a number of responses, many of which were the same: faith, persistence, hard work, education, upbringing, experience, supportive people, etc.

However... you can't move ahead by relying only on the thing(s) that brought you this far -- by doing the same old thing, the same old way. You will either have to do more, apply greater intensity, delve deeper, or relinquish all together and start a new. Whatever it is, what got you here is not what will get you further down the road. Recall the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. The servants who multiplied their talents were rewarded, but the one that buried his talent was punished. The wicked servant did not increase his lot or draw any advantage. This passage tells me that Christ expects growth, movement, not idleness. Because, in the end, it's not about us. We're called to help the next person. What are you doing with your talents?

We can't afford to be complacent and self-satisfied with our present accomplishments. It's important to continue growing, learning, and building new relationships -- pushing the walls of our comfort zones and stretching beyond what has gotten us to this point. Every new challenge, new goal, new dream, requires us to accelerate in one area or another and capitalize on the things that brought us to this place.

So if you credit education for your present success, then continue learning new things and stretch your mental capacity.
Let's say your experience brought you this far, then seek out new experiences and challenge yourself to take more risks.
If what got you here is your faith, then develop a deeper relationship with God. Paul says this in Philippians 3:12-14, "I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal... but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead... I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize."
And if it is your passion that propels you, then combine the things you are passionate about into a brand new mission.
Some credit good parenting for their well-being, and I would challenge them to find a mentor, someone that has already achieved the success they strive to reach.
If just being in the right place at the right time has paid off, then don't allow fear to keep you from seizing new opportunities that come your way.
And finally, if the people you associate with have put you in privileged circles, then what are you waiting for? Start building some new networks. You've heard the saying, birds of a feather flock together. If you want to try out some new flight patterns, then you need to fly with different birds.

Do you need a partner, someone that will encourage, challenge, and keep you moving ahead? Yes? Then, as your coach, I can help you chart a new course and reach the next level of your success. Click here to sign up for a FREE tele-coaching session.

Are You Making Real Progress?

2008-04-12T09:14:00.010-05:00

(This is a reprint from my May 2007 eNewsletter.)

Consider this challenge from Howard Hendricks' book Teaching to Change Lives: "Write down the answer to this question: How have you changed... lately? In the last week, let's say? Or in the last month? The last year?" Not all change is progress, but without change there is no progress.

So, what does it take to make real progress in life?

Progress takes prayer.
Prayer is the source of vision, power, creativity, and blessing. Jesus told the disciples in the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18 that man should always pray. If you want to experience more success... pray.

Progress takes persistence.
To push forward in life, you must be persistent. It takes persistence to stand up when confronted with the challenges of life. And, the only way to overcome those challenges is to try harder. As the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Some people don't make progress because they give up too soon. Never give up.

Progress takes practice.
You've heard the expression practice makes perfect. But, can we really achieve perfection? I'd rather say practice makes progress. Doing something over and over makes you better at it, not perfect. To experience progress in life, you must practice.

Practice new thoughts. Your thoughts affect everything and everyone around you. To move forward you must have a positive attitude.
Practice new skills. Make learning your passion. And don't be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are just opportunities to learn something new.
Practice new actions. Nothing happens until you take action, until you do something different.

Progress begins with taking a first step. What step will you take?