Jen’s Gem: Your life purpose has been inside you since birth. Partner with God to help you deliver on it.
Logic. Reason. Order. These are all characteristics of someone who predominantly uses the left side of their brain. Me to a “T”. Right-brainers are led by creativity and the arts. Me to a lesser “T”. I do best when there’s a plan in place for a specific project. I clearly outline to-do lists in order to accomplish the goal du jour. Project plans put me in my happy place. Linear lists of dependent tasks with a big fat goal at the end elicit a feeling of peace; all is well with the world.
However those same lists and plans constrict me and make me feel trapped at times. Too many responsibilities and commitments sometimes make me want to run for the hills. Seems counterintuitive doesn’t it? If you’re a left-brainer, aren’t you always a left-brainer? I’m beginning to wonder.
My professional career in the corporate world began with an IT focus – left brain. The balance of this time focused on marketing – more right brain stuff. This mixture was quite valued as I was able to bridge two unrelated sides of the business to deliver solutions that were operationally sound but creative. (yeesh – that sounds like a bullet point on a resume, doesn’t it?!)
It Takes Two!
I use my ambidextrous brain when I communicate. I’m known for taking complex concepts and making them easier to understand. When my son was in elementary school, teachers called this “chunking” – breaking things down into smaller, more digestible parts in order to understand them better. This approach helps to reduce overwhelm and anxiety especially when approaching new or difficult tasks.
This past week I had to use this ‘chunk it down’ approach. For a while I’ve been struggling with putting together a plan for my next chapter. If you read my blog from last week, you saw that I was assigning this job to God – like He could magically pop into my laptop and type out a nice clean project plan with appropriate to-do assignments. Not quite.
If you have any experience with project plans, you know that you have to be extremely clear on the end goal. What is that thing you are trying to accomplish? A new product launch? A system conversion? No matter what it is, if you don’t know what you’re working towards, your tasks will be nothing short of a hot mess. No one will know what they’re doing and it’s likely the only thing you’re going to accomplish is a team of frustrated employees and a missed deadline.
Vision. Goals. Objectives. Tasks.
This very linear approach is how project plans are created. You take a big thing and chunk it down into smaller bite-sized pieces. However, if you’re unclear on the vision, those bite-sized pieces go awry.
As I sat at the desk in my bedroom – the one I’ve had since my childhood – and mapped out my own vision, it flowed easily from both sides of my brain. Taking things that have lived in my head for what seems like eons and putting them down on a piece of paper made them come alive.
Now it’s time to take inspired action to deliver on this plan. While much of it will be done by me, there are others that I’ll need to call upon others for help. Those “others” include first and foremost, God. I’ve learned that plans created without Him assigned as the project manager are doomed to fail. No desire for that anymore.
What’s the vision for your next chapter? Is it locked up in your head, tucked away or is it making its way onto a piece of paper? Have you claimed your purpose and are you living it? What are the obstacles you face? If you’re like me, it might be time to call the moving company to get that plan out of your head and while you’re at it, do a bit of spring cleaning and kick all the notions of failure out too.
Who’s Your Project Manager?
You’ve been anointed with a gift – maybe multiple – and your purpose is to share those gifts with others in need. How you do this is the joint project plan you can develop with God. Let Him inspire each task so that it is completed effortlessly. When you’re stuck, take a break. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you. That’s his job in the project plan.
Gather up your project team but don’t forget the most important player. God. His goal is simple. Happiness and peace in your heart when you are living your purpose and sharing love with others.
We’re living in a time where many are discovering – or rediscovering – their life purpose. I’d love to hear from you about what you’re working on. Drop me a note anytime!