As many of you know, I recently completed my first book manuscript and sent it to the publisher. This was something that required a great deal of focus and dedication. Projects like this are not something that we can approach half-heartedly or for the wrong reasons. With that in mind, here are five tips for approaching your dream accomplishments in a way that will lead to success!

1️⃣ Seek God. First and foremost, make sure that your goal aligns with what God has called you to do. Don’t choose it just because you want to do it for yourself. It needs to have value for others as well. Also, make sure it leads you to where He has called you to be, and specifically where He’s called you to be in *this* season. Often He will plant a seed in our heart before the timeframe for its completion begins. That way, we are prepared for it when the timing is right. Even the right calling will be the wrong one if it is not pursued in the right season. Make sure you are being faithful with the other areas God has called you to before adding anything additional.

2️⃣ Focus. Don’t make the mistake of trying to do something major while you have a crazy schedule or other priority commitments that would be stolen from. When I did #75Hard, I did it in a season that allowed me to spend extra time on it. It became the anchor for what I was doing in refining my coaching and growing personally and spiritually. I used it to create the material I shared so that I wasn’t splitting my time in other ways. That’s just one example, but the whole point is that I used it to feed everything else in my life during that time. You can’t do #AllTheThings *and* a major project. Either do several small things, or one major one and keep the rest in maintenance mode.

3️⃣ Create a schedule. Having a schedule of blocked time is important so that it happens consistently. Having a deadline creates urgency. Even better, share it with people for accountability. Be specific in the measurable of time you intend to spend and the number of days per week/hours per day, etc. I like using a calendar to check off days I have completed the goal. The string of checks is motivating!

4️⃣ Clear distractions. #QuarantineLife kind of helped me to eliminate a lot of things for writing my first book quickly, but you can manufacture it even when real life resumes. I’m now back to my usual writing of 30 minutes daily, Monday-Friday for the book I want to have done by the end of the year and it has a priority spot in my day. Put your phone on do not disturb when you are in work mode. Don’t use social media during block time. No checking email. Do what you planned to as your goal before you allow yourself to move on to others tasks. If you don’t do it early in the day, it will get progressively harder to complete it. Exception being if there is a time later in the day that is less chaotic and less distracting.

5️⃣ Communicate your goal. I made sure to tell people what I was doing and what I needed in order to be faithful with it so that they knew what my schedule would look like. For my family time and time with my husband, communicating my needs and hearing their expectations of what we’re non-negotiable times they needed me to do certain things allowed me to make sure I wasn’t unfaithful with other obligations and priories. Telling others also offered support and accountability.

I’d love to know (so I can pray for you), what’s your big dream!👇🏼

Share this post with a friend you think this would help!