Week one of Seven Disciplines of Intentional Living. Topic of the first week is Occupation and Financial.
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(Transcript of video)
Hello everyone! My name is Jennifer Foxworthy and I am the Founder and CEO of Inspirationally Speaking, LLC. I am a retired Navy veteran, motivational speaker, author, blogger, and entrepreneur. To find out how I can be of service to you and your organization, visit my website: www.inspirationallyspeaking.com.
I want to thank you for being a part of this social media series, Seven Disciplines of Intentional Living. I believe 2021 offers great promise and it is all about perspective. Through these next seven weeks, I will discuss the importance of having balance and maturing in the seven areas of life: Occupational and Finances, Emotional, Spiritual, Intellectual, Physical, Cultural and Social, as well as Environmental. If one area is off balance, it may lead to other areas being off balance too. Think of riding in your car with a flat tire. Your car will not run smoothly, and the flat tire has the potential to cause more damage if not attended to immediately. By having balance in the seven disciplines, we can be more productive, effective, at peace, and happier. It’s my prayer to help you identify any internal and external barriers that keep you from living an intentional life. I want you to go beyond your current reality. The only way to do that is to develop a Get F.I.T. Mindset. This is my company brand and motto. F.I.T. is an acronym that stands for Focused, Intentional, and Thriving.
In order to have intentional living, there are some key characteristics you must possess or develop.
- Courage to dig in deep with self-reflection and self-awareness
- Commitment to stay the course
- Accountability to self and others
- Determination to leave excuses behind
- Passion to pursue your personal peace, purpose, and power
To start this week, I will discuss Occupational and Financial. So grab a pen and paper! We will do a personal SWOT Analysis. Often businesses will perform a SWOT Analysis to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. 2020 dealt many people to including me a devastating blow. People were left with the uncertainty of employment, working remotely from home, losing loved ones, or having to dip into saving to make ends meet. Now that we identified potential Threats, what are some opportunities? Maybe it’s the perfect time to start over or pivot in your career. What about implementing self-care such as taking your sick days, or do they just pile up? Are you able to be a team member and if not, have you voiced your concerns? Are you able to set boundaries leaving work at work? If your job makes you feel bitter and miserable, what are you willing to do to change your attitude? As a motivational speaker, I needed to adjust to doing virtual presentations. I looked for opportunities to go the extra step and stand out, so I became a certified virtual presenter through eSpeakers.
What are your strengths that you will rely on to get you through? I relied on my resilience and determination. In addition, I reached out to people who were thriving as a speaker to find out what they were doing.
What are your weaknesses or areas of improvement? Personally, I need to work on consistency in marketing myself.
Once you have identified your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, think about the steps you are willing to put into place to move your weaknesses and threats into strengths and opportunities. I personally hired a Marketing coach that could help me be consistent in obtaining more clients. I also attend Toastmasters International so that I can keep my speaking and leadership skills sharp. In addition, I belong to several networking groups that help encourage and motivate me. Remember, iron sharpens iron.
Now to discuss finances. Financial wellness means taking steps to live within your financial means, and living in, and planning for future financial health.
It takes discipline to save money. Challenge yourself to put in a strategy such as every time you receive $5.00 put it away in a small envelope, something like this. You could also create a budget and be a good consumer. Also, reach out to a financial advisor. They can help you establish a plan to meet your financial goals. Additionally, put the proper legal documents in place such as Power of Attorney, Medical Directives, the life insurance policies, and if you have children under the age 18 years old, identify and legally designate someone you trust to take care of them. We all know that we will die one day, however, the last thing you want to do is leave your loved ones wondering what your medical and burial wishes are. Even more so, when a person is grieving, the last thing they should have to worry about is a Go Fund Me to take care of any expenses. Finally, put your important papers in one area such as a lock box.
So now that I have went over Occupational and Financial disciplines, it’s time for you to do a SWOT Analysis in both areas. If you have any questions or need help developing a strategy, feel free to leave a comment or contact me privately. I will end with my quote:
“Make the internal investment today so that your legacy won’t be bankrupt tomorrow.”
Let’s Get FIT!!!
