Your Life’s Vision

Dear Ambitious Woman of Faith, your life is a gift for you to unfold. I know, at first, it’s hard to believe that you were given the freedom to create your life. We live in a society that has trained us to look outside ourselves to find life. But the truth be told, we need to look within ourselves to find the truth of our existence. Our existence is wrapped up in God. A God we humans have tried to put in a box for years, and still can’t, and never will. Humans want definite, end points, and conclusions, and that’s how God has confused the wise and made them look like fools. You can’t put a full stop on God, never, it will never happen. 

Knowing that we serve a limitless God and that we were created in his image, we have the wonderful opportunity to create the life of our dreams. Here are three key steps to getting started.

Step 1: Seek God’s Guidance 

As an Ambitious Woman of Faith, our foundation is God. The reason we exist is God, and the reason we have purpose is because of God, so why not go to him to help navigate this life that he has given us? He is our guide. Here is a list of ways to seek after God’s will:

• Pray. Prayer is your lifeline of communication to God. Don’t neglect it. Prayer can be done anywhere at any time, but setting aside time where it’s just you, seeking God’s presence, is necessary and so very precious. I’ve been in many coaching programs or watched videos about planning your day. The to-do list includes praying, but they put prayer in a box of 15 to 30 minutes. At one point in my life, I did the same, then out of nowhere, the thought flashed across my mind, “That’s it? God gets 15 to 30 minutes of precious alone time?” Can I tell you the conviction that filled me was so heavy I felt like a child who got caught doing something bad. I now remove all time limits on prayer. Sometimes my prayer time leads into a worship hour. Sometimes I have nothing to say but thank you. Prayer is having a special quiet time with God. Talk to God at any moment throughout the day; He’s with you always. 

• Study the scriptures. I once heard the phrase that the Bible was ‘Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth’ isn’t that cool. But to me, the Bible is not only instructions for living on earth, but getting to know the love, the grace, the mercy, the promises, the blessings of God, along with his judgment and punishments. The occurrences, or stories in the Bible, can be transformed into many people's lives today. The same sin they struggled with in the Old Testament is the same sin they struggled with in the New Testament, and it’s the same sin we are struggling with today. As well as the same God that parted the Red Sea, made manna fall from heaven, and raised Jesus from the grave, is the same God that allowed your heart to beat while you slept. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God does not change. His promises do not change. And the only way you will get to that level of understanding is by studying the scriptures. You will see what a patient and loving God was and still is. You will also see that God does not play when it comes to his children, but don’t underestimate his methods of discipline when we fall out of line. 

Step 2: Write Your Life’s Vision

We all have a sense of the kind of life we want to live. It gets confusing when we start looking around, trying to figure out where our life will fit—trying to copy someone else's life, rather than creating the life you truly want to live. Just because something has never been done before doesn't mean it can never be. Who would have thought we would be driving electric cars? Bring your vision and dreams to God; he will help you bring them to life. Here are steps to help along the way:

• Write your Life’s Vision Statement: When writing your Life’s Vision Statement, write it as thought it has already happened. Everything in God has already happened. God has already spoken it, and his word shall not return to his void. With that said, you have everything you already desire in life. You just have to cross the threshold of belief and accept what God promises. Start your sentences with “I am now…, or I am so happy that I am.” Don’t forget to include scriptures of God’s promises. Once completed, read it out loud three to six times a day. When you do this, you are feeding your subconscious, which will remind you of the hope you’re striving for. 

• Evaluate Your God-Given Gifts: You just don’t know how much God has given you. The list of gifts is never-ending. Society has fed us a lie —a lie they have told themselves —that each human being is limited to a certain number of gifts and talents. If we are made in the image of God, and if Jesus came that we might have an abundant life, tell me where is the limit? I don’t see any limits in God, especially as an Ambitious Woman of Faith. So evaluate what you have. To help you get started, take a few self and career assessment tests. These tests are not the final say of who you are; they help you understand yourself a little better.

• Goals Are Golden: Setting goals is so vital to anyone's success. It helps keep you focused and helps deter distractions. There are many ways of setting goals. Here are two goal strategies that I like and have used myself:

  • (1) SMART GOALS: This concept is most popular and does help you achieve your desired outcome

  • (2) PACT GOALS: This concept, which I really like, is a bit more aligned with purpose; it feels a bit more personal. PACT stands for Purposeful, Actional, Continuous, and Trackable. The words used in the concept bring a different feeling than SMART GOALS. SMART GOALS feels like a goal aligned with a career, and PACT GOAL feels more aligned with personal life. 

Step 3: Step Out On Faith: 

As Ambitious Women of Faith, we walk by faith and not by sight. Neither you nor I can see what will happen tomorrow. Many don’t realize that we are already living by faith, believing that tomorrow will come. A tomorrow we have no control over, but we know it will come. That same belief must be woven into every area of our lives. That faith knowing that what God has for us will manifest in the right time. As we know that tomorrow will come, we also know that tomorrow is not promised to anyone. We all have a moment where we will transition from time into eternity, or be raptured. With that said, implement the following tips into your daily life to help you navigate each day you experience:

• Take faithful action daily, even when everything seems like it’s not going in your direction, or has stalled.

• Take accountability for the things you know you did not do, but should have done. After acknowledging it, move on. 

• Trust the process of change. It is very uncomfortable, but it brings great rewards. 

• You’re not in a race with anyone, not even yourself. You’re not seeking perfection, you’re seeking to experience God’s will and purpose in and through your life. 

The life journey of an Ambitious Woman of Faith overflowing with God’s abundance. There is no end to what God can do, has done, and is waiting for you. Hold onto God through it all.

Your Sister in Faith

Coach Hawkins