Don't "should" on this
Aug 30, 2020
Don't "should" on this
We moved our college-aged daughter back into the dorms last week. After 5 months of being at home (due to finishing the spring semester completely online due to the COVID19 pandemic), the students were thrilled to be back together. Everywhere you looked, they were running up and greeting friends, hopping out of their cars and hugging, high-fiving, and fist-pumping each other. The laughter and exclamations of joy were contagious!
Did you know that God wants us to be thrilled like that when we’re in his presence and spending time with him? The psalmist said: “I long to dwell in your tent forever” (Psalm 61). And Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24). If our asking and receiving makes our joy complete, that means we need to be able to come to God and ask so He can give so we can receive. That process makes our joy complete.
Plus we know that God cares about everything….even the little things (Psalm 139:1-4).
All too often, my time with God has been a hurried, check-the-box time, with little joy or enthusiasm. I typically brought an attitude of “should” rather than one of “privileged to get to” with my time with God.
Recently though I’ve had a big shift in my thinking and attitude. I’ve become more and more aware of the joy and gratitude I have that I can come to God:
- Directly - there’s no intermediary needed
- As a daughter - God invited us into relationship with him as his sons and daughters; not as outsiders, but as part of his family
- Expectation - I come now with a level of expectation that I WILL hear a word from God. My time isn’t spent just “doing” the things but I come with an expectation that I will hear from God….whether it’s an idea for a blog post (like this one!), an email, a client I need to reach out to, or something personal. Almost daily I come away with an action item from the time I spend with God.
- Time - I prefer spending time in God’s word and writing first thing in the morning. I feel it sets up my day for success and it’s easier for me to be “in the zone” when I do it right after I get up. But during this season (both the literal and figurative one), what functions best is for me to wait a bit and have my “quiet” time with God after my kids that are at home start their school day of distance learning. That way I get the dogs walked while it’s still cool, I can make sure everyone is set up for the day, and, when I sit down at the kitchen table, there’s a good chance I won’t be interrupted.
Business Application:
Just as God wants to spend time with us, we should want to spend time with our clients. Our dream clients should be people that we want to hang out with. Our authentic showing up should attract those who resonate with us. If you find that you’re attracting people into your business that aren’t your dream clients, look at how you are showing up. Is your message calling your dream clients to you? Are you putting YOU out there or are you using generic images, copy, and messaging? Have you narrowed your niche to speak directly to your dream clients? Are you addressing their specific pain points and then pointing them to the possibility of a different life? Are you communicating the transformation you help provide?
Don’t worry about the numbers - focus on the quality.
I was talking to a friend the other day about how easy it is to discount the number of email subscribers on your list. It’s super easy to look at well-known industry leaders who have tens of thousands of email subscribers and think that your small list isn’t “enough.” But, if you had every one of your subscribers come over to your house, how would that feel? Pretty crowded, right?
And, if not, if you’re just starting out, and you have a handful of people who are interested in what you’re saying, that’s fantastic! That means you can have a conversation with them in a way that you won’t be able to when you’re an industry leader with tens of thousands of subscribers. Take advantage of what you have right now to engage with your dream clients.
And if you’re looking at your list and thinking that they aren’t really your dream clients, take a second look at what you’re sharing and who you’re speaking to. Make the shifts you need to show up as you truly are and call your dream clients into your world.
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