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Leadership

Use The Four I’s On Your Journey To Make Your Dreams Come True

When we “let life happen” we’re giving up our ability to choose and shape the direction of our lives. Using The Four I's will help you move with purpose.

Yesterday in our Lioness Mastermind Group we talked a lot about living with intention versus just letting life happen. When we “let life happen” we’re giving up our ability to choose and shape the direction of our lives. We’re leaving our dreams in the hands of happenstance. We’re rolling the dice and hoping they land on the path to our dreams. Do you know you have a say in how your life turns out? Do you know you can direct and shape your life? Do you know you can actively pursue the life you want? What’s holding you back?

When we look at the gap between where we want to be and where we are right now, it can be overwhelming and maybe even impossible. So, how do we bridge the gap? Intention and growth. You cannot make the journey to your ultimate goal as you are now. And you can’t make the journey by accident. You have to decide to go after your dream with intention – with commitment and with meaning .

How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? If you’ve fallen off, this is great time to reevaluate and get back on track. You can use what I call “The Four  I’s” to assess where you are and develop a plan to get where you want to go.

The Four I’s

Inspiration – One of the biggest mistakes we make when we’re striving for a goal is to cut out everything that’s not related to the goal and put our heads down until we make the goal happen. The only problem with that approach is that our life becomes all goal, all the time, which leads to mostly stress, all discomfort and no inspiration. Before we know it, we’re abandoning the goal. Even in the midst of grinding toward our goal, we have to make time for the things that rejuvenate us and inspire us. What gives you life? Take a moment to make a list of the things that bring you the most joy and passion. Then make a plan to incorporate these things into your life on a regular basis. For example, once a week I go to Hustle Fit R & B Soul Line Dancing. I dance my stresses away and recharge my batteries.

Information – As we create our personal growth plans, it’s important to identify our gaps. Assuming we know everything is one of the biggest mistakes we can make. When I wanted to lose weight, for years I assumed I knew what I needed to do. But it wasn’t until I went and got help from someone that knew more than me, that I was able to make progress on my goal. What information or knowledge are you missing? Make a list of your gaps and also list out the resources you need to fill the gap. For example: Your gap is that you’re not sure how to attract new customers. Maybe you need to read an article on attracting new customers or maybe you need more in depth coaching and guidance around that topic and decide to seek a mentor or marketing advisor .

Irrigation –  Years ago, I was a chemistry major in college. If we ever got exposed to a chemical, the instruction was to irrigate the wound, or flush the wound with either water or a neutralizing solution until the offensive chemical was purged. One thing that can be very difficult to do is to remove the negative influences from our lives. Jot down all of the people, places and things that have a negative influence on the pursuit of your dreams. This can include TV shows, friends, hangout spots, networking events and any other things you can think of. Once you have your list, create an irrigation plan for each item. For example if you have a friend who is not supportive of your goal, you may not need to end the friendship entirely. Maybe your plan is to limit discussion of your dream around this particular friend.

Implementation – It’s time for action!  Once you go through your inspirations, information and irrigation, it’s time to implement your new personal practices. Decide how and when you’re going to bring inspiration into your life. Set aside time to fill your gaps and get the help you need. And take action on the changes you’ve decided on to irrigate your life.

If you realize that you need a coach or accountability partner to walk alongside you and help hold you accountable, think about requesting  a free strategy session with Coach Dawn.  

About the author

Dawn Leaks

Dawn Leaks is CEO of Lioness and has been empowering women and entrepreneurs for as long as she can remember. A certified life coach, speaker and trainer, Dawn is passionate about helping women reach their God-given potential and live with passion, purpose and confidence. In the past Dawn has served as director of communications for a major nonprofit organization and as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Entrepreneurship at Hampshire College. She's a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and is an avid R&B soul line dancer.

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