[Platform Online Book Study] Dreaming big is easy. Holding onto those dreams and turning them into reality is not!
We all know that God is the author of big dreams.
He called one man, Abraham, to leave his country to go to a land that God would show him. He did, and his descendants outnumber the stars.
God led Moses to free a captive nation without a single weapon being used. He called Paul to spread the gospel throughout the entire known world, and he did.
It’s pretty cool stuff, but in all honesty, I woke up this morning bummed that I’m out of Cheerios, frustrated that the toilet leaks, and exasperated that I’m behind on answering email – again.
It seems crazy to dream big when the pieces of my life are all so very, very small.
Big God: Big Dream
Thankfully, while our God is the originator of big dreams, He is so much more. He is the Equipper, the Provider and the Finisher of all great things. And shockingly, He loves to use ordinary people, with leaky toilets and bottomless email boxes, who are willing to follow Him.
In the chapters we are reading this week, Michael Hyatt gives us seven steps to thinking big, and I can’t think of a better exercise to walk through from a coach’s point of view.
If you are one of the few who really want to succeed, and I’m sure you are, don’t just read these steps. Do them with me, one by one.
Stop, Drop and Dream
1. Imagine the possibilities. Stop reading for a few minutes. Drop everything else that you are doing. Close your eyes, sit back in your chair and dream.
What will it be like when God blesses your coaching business so that you can daily serve the people you love?
2. Write down your dream. Do you believe that your dream is God-given? If so, then like Abraham, it’s time to leave the comfortable known world you live in to pursue this vision with all you have.
Right now, decide that it is no longer a dream. It is your goal.
3. Connect with what is at stake. Why was this dream birthed in God’s heart? What does He want to be different? Why is this so important to Him? To you? What will happen to those God has called you to serve if you don’t pursue this goal? Why is your dream coaching practice worth the sacrifices you will have to make?
Write this down in your journal as well.
4. Outline what would have to be true for this to occur. Start with your vision of the ideal coaching practice and work backwards. What things need to happen for your dream to become a reality?
5. Decide what you can do to affect the outcome. Sketch out a rough map of how to get from here to there. Define some clear next steps.
6. Determine when this will happen. Marketing is one of the easiest things to put off for a tomorrow that never comes. Deadlines are what will keep you on track.
7. Review your goals daily. Is building your coaching practice a dream or is it a calling from God? If it’s a calling from God, you need to keep it front and center. Pray through these steps daily. Check in with an accountability partner weekly. Decide now where you will write your goals for prayer and when you will review them.
God’s promises to Abraham, Moses and Paul began as dreams that God revealed to ordinary men. But these dreams were realized day-by-day, step-by-step and choice-by-choice.
Life is too important to be lived haphazardly. Dream big. Plan carefully. Live intentionally. You will be glad you did.
What’s your big dream?
Kim, all the posts in the book club have been so good. I must say that I appreciate this one the most. It is perfect for me where I am now in building my platform and coaching business. About 8 months in now, I’ve found it easy to grow discouraged. This has been a tremendous virtual coaching session for me. I’m going to sit down with my journal and process through all the questions from this post! Pure encouragement for me. Thanks!
Hi Matt,
I’m so glad that you are joining along. It sounds like you are at that very tough phase of business growth – you’ve been working so hard and yet the results still aren’t what you would like. Most bloggers quit blogging after 9 months for this very reason, when just hanging in there a while longer would have brought them to the ‘tipping point.’ My guess is that the statistics are similar for new coaching businesses as well.
You have been in my prayers throughout the day today. Be encouraged friend – God has good things in store.