When someone asks, “What do you do?” how do you respond? Many of us reply with roles or titles—our job, being a parent, a spouse, a friend, or a neighbor. While these titles are meaningful, they can also box us in, limiting how we see ourselves. But here’s the truth: we are far more than any title we claim. Our true identity is found in who God says we are. We are His children, beloved and uniquely created. That is the most powerful title we could ever hold.
This Week’s Challenge:
Think back to your childhood. What made your heart soar? What filled you with joy and excitement? What did you love doing without hesitation? Those moments often reflect the gifts and passions God has placed within us. They are clues to the abundant life He wants for us—a life filled with love, purpose, and joy.
As you explore these memories, ask yourself how they align with your life today. Are you nurturing those God-given passions, or have they been pushed aside by responsibilities and expectations? God created each of us with unique talents and desires, and by leaning into them, we not only honor Him but also rediscover the joy and fulfillment we were designed to experience.
Starting 2025 with weekly challenges again. This week’s challenge comes from the ‘How to win friends and influence people’ book.
Whether at work or home, we usually have someone that we need to have an uncomfortable discussion with. The uncomfortable discussion of something they did wrong or not following the rules. I don’t know about you,but I hate these discussions because usually it’s the persons blind spot where they don’t even realize they are doing something wrong. The worst thing you can do is let the behavior continue though.
Here comes your challenge. Before you engage in conversation with the person , think of a few things they are doing well or something you like about them. This is what you start the conversation out with. This needs to be from the heart and not fake. People can tell when you are being fake.
Begin with praise and appreciation. This will have the person you are talking with be more open minded to the real point you are trying to make. They let their guard down to allow you to build them up.
Who do you need to have conversation with this week?
What positive things can you talk about in the beginning?
How can you build them up instead of tearing them down?
We hear it all the time – Fake it until you make it. Well my challenge to you this week is to FACE IT until you make it.
Which of these do you feel when you fake it:
Dishonest with yourself
Inadequate
Goal is too far away that you will never get there
This list can go on, but I think you get the point. We can’t be our true self and grow into what God wants for our life when we are just faking it.
Facing the hard isn’t something you want to do, but it is something you NEED to do. You learn new skills as you try to figure it out. You are humble because you don’t know it.
Surround yourself with like minded people that are interested in the same things you are. Create a support system of 2-3 people that you can really trust and be honest with.
Don’t worry if people know you don’t have it all figured out because they don’t either. We are all going through life one day at the time.
Count your blessings.
Learn from your mistakes
Be yourself because there is no one else exactly like you
You are loved by a creator that will never stop loving you no matter what.
This week’s challenge – Take time to think about your ambitions and rank them in three sizes: easy, kind of hard, and seemingly impossible. Then rank them according to the magnitude they would have on your life and others.
Here are some great excerpts from Dream Big. I couldn’t say it better than Mr. Bob Goff.
“Finding your genuine, lasting ambitions is not an easy task. If it were, you’d have already accomplished it. It requires asking the questions What do you care about? What are you willing to risk everything for? and Why are you so afraid? All at the same time.
It’s going to take some digging and sorting and thinking and rethinking. But the effort is worth it, because when you figure out what lights you up and will outlast your other ambitions, this will inform most of your next steps. Trust me when I say the answer probably won’t come the way you want it to—all downloaded in a nice and clean package without any rough edges or hard chapters.
God often wraps His presents like a guy did it. (Guys, it’s okay—we know most of us are bad at this.) The ambitions worth pursuing usually come a little crumpled and Scotch-taped together at first. Don’t let this vetting process bum you out; let it spur you on and steel your resolve to do what it takes to get after your beautiful ambitions.
When you’re vetting your ambitions, you’ll likely end up with a number of possibilities in a range of sizes and difficulties. Let’s say your dreams come in three sizes: easy, kind of hard, and seemingly impossible. The size of your ambitions doesn’t necessary indicate the difficulty of achieving them. Think instead of the magnitude of the impact they’ll have on your life and the lives of the people around you. Small ambitions can be things we’re just curious about. These will stretch us personally, physically, intellectually, or relationally. They may not be laden with the kind of purpose that defines the arc of our lives. For now, they’re just something fun and worth the effort to accomplish.
Small Size
It’s helpful to have some ambitions on this smaller, easier scale because they’ll invigorate you and give you the momentum you’ll need to carry you toward the harder stuff. These things will also fan the flames of your other desires and make you spring out of bed in the morning. Small ambitions can sometimes lead to larger ones.
Don’t confuse small ambitions with tasks or tasks with small ambitions.
Medium Size
medium-sized, kind-of-difficult ambitions. These were things that were going to take some additional effort. You have to remind ourselves why we do it.
Large Size
Large and seemingly impossible ambitions are going to require equally large sacrifices. They’re not going to be achieved easily or quickly, so don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ll stumble upon them some day.
Your big ambitions may exact a high price as well. Don’t expect your biggest ambitions to walk into the room like a puppy and lie down by the fire. These ambitions are the fire.
Do you have the right ambition for you?
Is your ambition meaningful? Stated differently, Is it worthwhile and lasting? Don’t busy yourself with things that merely occupy your time. “Try on” your ambition as you decide whether it’s worth the time and sacrifice required to make it happen.
Ask yourself if your ambition lines up with something God said He valued for our lives. Remember, your ambition will only have value to you if you give it space in your life. If you’re not willing to try it on first, maybe it’s not worth pursuing.
Will it last? The ambitions worth pursuing are those with the longest shelf life.
Will it matter in a year? Ten years? How about in one hundred years?
Is it all about you or will it help others?
Your greatest sense of fulfillment will come in the service of others, not yourself.
What do you want to be remembered for? Think about what kind of legacy you want to leave behind.
Is it possible? Don’t discard an ambition because it seems too hard or is seemingly impossible. There’s a difference between “my ambition isn’t realistic” and “I’m afraid to try” or “this will be really hard.” Don’t let the scale of your ambitions head-fake you into abandoning them.
Do your ambitions live up to your abilities, attributes, desires, and willingness to act?
Your abilities are unique to you; they’re a mixture of how God made you and the life experiences you’ve had up to this point. Does your ambition at least feel adjacent to things you already know or have experienced or can learn?”
We can’t become new versions of ourselves if we don’t let the old version go. The old version is probably comfortable and trying something new is well…scary. Here’s the thing though – It’s a good kind of scary. It’s the kinda scary that makes your ambitions come to life.
I love this t-shirt I have – “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” That’s exactly what this is about. Challenging you to become who you want to be.
Bob Goff puts it best in his book, “God endowed each of us with something unique. The trick is to figure out what your thing is and how you’re going to get it in play. Some people make careers out of these things, and a lot of people spend their whole lives trying to figure out what they are. We’re moving targets. You are not who you used to be, and thankfully I’m not either. Our desires and interests can and should change and be revised along the way.”
Learning from our past is what helps us make better decisions now. It’s those capabilities that we learned that we can put to use towards our ambition.
Here is the challenge that Bob gives us:
One of the hardest things to believe about God is that He loves you completely and unconditionally. Do you have trouble with this? Is there anything lurking in your heart that says you have to change, be better, or do something different to earn God’s love? How would a complete and enduring belief in God’s love change your life and fuel your dream? What we do with our days will eventually become how we’re known and remembered. If you looked at everything on an average Tuesday, what would it say about your faith? Fear is a part of all our lives.
Even the most fearless among us have to stare it down and decide to act anyway. On a scale of one to ten—with one being “very little” and ten being “all the time”—how much does fear have a hold of your life?
Knowing your talents is a great starting point for thinking about your dream. Write down ten things about yourself that feel like your innate talents. Maybe you’re naturally friendly or optimistic. Maybe you are great at geometry or have a heart for homeless people. Things like this may not seem like “talents” as our culture defines them. They’re so innate to who you are that they just feel like second nature. But they are your talents. Make a list and give yourself a high five. Oh, and if you’re having trouble coming up with ten things, just ask a few people in your life what they think your talents are to give you some hints. My bet is that you’ll have a list a lot longer than ten things. Some people think their talents are the only thing making up their identity. They lean heavily on them for success or approval. Do you think you’ve given your talents and gifts too much weight in your sense of self-worth? How could overreliance on your talents give you a “false positive” that you’re moving in the direction of your dream?
I decided to let this earlier ambition serve my next ambition. You can do the same.
We can’t be the new version of us if we’re stuck being an old version, and we’re going to need to change some things that have worked in our past in order to make way for our future. Cut those past capabilities and ambitions loose or put them in service to the new ambitions you’re chasing.
This week’s challenge idea comes from an idea in the 1st chapter of the “Dream Big” by Bob Goff – Don’t Go Alone.
Last week I challenged you to start dreaming big with your ambitions. Those big scary butterfly in your belly dreams is what keeps us floating toward the future like a balloon. The problem with helium balloons is that they will fly away if you don’t have them tied with a string. The string is the person in your life that holds you accountable and keeps you grounded. Who is your person?
Find Your Person
You may be able to easily identify that person in your life. Maybe it’s your best friend, spouse, or parent. If you don’t have someone, your challenge is to find someone. Finding your someone can be hard! It’s being vulnerable and opening up the deepest wants in your heart. It’s also rewarding as you have someone to share this with. We were meant for this connection.
Flip the Switch
Once you make the decision to go for it your mind flips a switch from thinking about it to actually doing something about it. This is when you absolutely talk to your person about what it is, why you want it, and what you are going to do. This helps you get clarity of what you want, but also has that sense of accountability because you said it out loud. Saying it out loud makes it real. Writing it down makes it real.
Having this kind of clarity is rare & beautiful and unstoppable. Aim for this in your life and you will find great joy. – Bob Goff
Be Both Balloon & String
You and Your Person are like the balloon & string. If you want to achieve those scary goals, you can’t be all balloon with no string. We need to be anchored by God and tied to one another. Anchored to God because our purpose is not found in another person’s validation or approval. Your person will disappoint you because we are all human.
Going to leave you with one final quote from Bob for this week’s challenge:
Someone wiser than me once asked, “If God answered every one of your prayers, would it change anybody’s life except your own?”
Ambition: a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.
I just finished reading “Dream Big” by Bob Goff. The book is all about dreaming big, discovering your ambition, and going for it. That’s what these next few blog posts are going to be about: Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You’re Going to Do About It
The challenge this week is to follow along with this series and do the work. This is not going to be easy, but it will be fulfilling and fun. It will get those butterflies of excitement and fear going again in your life.
The next version of you is the one who will pursue the ambitions all the previous versions were unable to accomplish. – Bob Goff
First Challenge: Grab a friend to do this challenge with you or support you, but it would be more fun with you.
If you are a goal getter, you probably have some lofty goals that take time to achieve. The problem that we sometimes run into is that we start out full steam ahead, but over time our motivation starts to dwindle a little bit. That’s where this week’s challenge comes in!
The challenge is to reflect upon the progress you have made so far and acknowledge what you have done so far each week. Yes…you read that right. EACH WEEK!! If a goal is important to you, you should be making it a priority in your life. That’s where setting too many goals becomes an issue. You lose focus and get overwhelmed. Narrowing your focus keeps you moving forward and making progress.
At the beginning of the week, plan out what you are going to do this week to progress your goal. What will you do? What day / time will you do it? The more specific in your planning the better. Make it like an appointment you have to keep. Yes, life will get in the way some weeks so adjust and still do it. At the end of the week, celebrate your success that you did what you said you would do.
Good intentions are just that….intentions. You must act on those intentions to move that goal forward.
Now to be a little vulnerable here…. At the beginning of the year I set some pretty lofty work goals and personal goals. The problem is that I focused mostly on my work goals and let my personal goals become “good intentions.” Yes I made small progress with them, but not enough to be on track.
Now I could have just reduce down the goal or even quit, but that’s not me. What I did was reflect on why? What do I need to do to meet the goal now within the next 6 months? If you know me, I am a tracking fiend! Reflecting back, I didn’t have a tracker or really a written down plan. That’s where I failed. What do you do when you fail… YOU FAIL FORWARD!! I spent the time to make trackers to make sure I stayed on track. I committed to expedited timeline to still meet my goals and what is needed to do that.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
What do you want to achieve by the end of the year?
Why does it need to be by the end of the year?
What do you need to commit to doing to make it happen? Weekly / Monthly
Now make your specific plan for this week and this month.
This week’s challenge is about how we are living our day to day lives. So many of us are focused on crossing off all the items on our to do list that we forget sometimes why we are even doing it.
I know I am guilty of this. I make my plan for the day and just get it done. I sometimes get annoyed that I have to small talk with a co-worker or even when the kids get home and I’m still getting stuff crossed off the list and that is when they want to talk. It’s those times that you have to take a step back and reflect on why we put so much importance on getting it done. Now I am not saying that you shouldn’t be productive and kick butt, but it’s finding the balance.
That’s where this challenge comes in. I want you to think about how you want to be or how you want to show up in life. When people think of you what do they think? Are you too busy for them? Are you grumpy and they want to avoid you? Do you bring energy into a room or suck the energy out of it? Do you show genuine interest in the person or just doing enough small talk to cross it off the list? Do people smile when they see you and do you smile back?
Life isn’t about how much stuff you get done. No one is going to remember what you did. People will remember how you made them feel. They will remember that you were intentional with your time with them. They will remember the memories you made with them.
Did you know the Grand Canyon didn’t start out like the huge massive structure it is today? It started out as a brook and just kept pushing and digging until it became what it is today. That’s the challenge I have for you this week.
I want you to think about your ambitions. Dream Big! What do you want to accomplish in this life? What will outlast you?
Dreaming big can be scary! It makes you feel like you have butterflies in your stomach. That’s what makes it good. It also makes us want to play ding dong ditch when we hit the doorbell (aka go for it)….
We need to go for it and wait for who or what is at the door. It’s those small movements forward that get us to where we want to be.
So what is your secret ambition?
What will light a fire inside your heart?
Think of going for it like making a paper airplane. Usually the more complicated you make it, the shorter distance it will fly. Simple creases or steps get you moving faster. The best thing about a paper airplane is that you know that it is going to fail sometime and hit the ground. You will fail too. It’s what you do after that. Do you pick it up and study what went wrong and what to do differently or do you wad it up and throw it away (aka stop). See the potential in the creases.
