40 Day Challenge – Week 4

Day 16

 

 
If the Buck Stops, What Can you Start? Perhaps a bit of an ambiguous title for our fourth chapter, but after working through this week with us, we think the meaning will be clear.

When evaluating your current career path, consider what drives your choices and how you feel about where you are?

ARE YOU:

• Following the passions of your heart?
• Interested in the fancy car and nameplate on your corner office door?
• Miserable going in to work each day?
• Just happy to have a paycheck in this economy?
• Proud of what you do?
• Spending far more time away from your family that you’d like to?
• Spending too much time away from your family because you WANT TO?
• Chasing the corporate ladder for the status and power?
• Strive to keep up with a mismanaged budget and a “more is better” lifestyle?
• Finding joy and fulfillment in your work?

What else comes to mind?

Sometimes we get so caught up in the “machine” that we lose sight of what’s really important or we’re afraid of what we can’t change things so we ignore or deny the truth. Have you ever felt this way? If this isn’t the case, do you love your current job enough to work it for free? Are you excited to start work each morning?

Today, we challenge you to reflect on how you feel about your current career path and what has driven the choices you’ve made.

 

 

Day 17

 

 
WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR ‘WORK’ IF MONEY DIDN’T MATTER?

Are you doing it now?

If the importance placed on the almighty ‘buck’ stopped, WHAT could start?

For us, our ministry will start – Action Plan Ministries.

We aren’t promoting financial irresponsibility and understand most of us can’t just quit our day jobs today to do what our heart desires tomorrow, BUT we can develop an action plan to make it happen.

It’s NEVER too late to change careers, NEVER too late to go back to school, NEVER too late to make lifestyle and financial adjustments so you have the freedom to transition, NEVER too late to follow God’s call on your life. Set yourself up for joy and success no matter what life stage you are in.

A good friend of ours was debating at 40’ish whether or not to go back to school. It would take twice as long to complete her degree since she still would need to work her fulltime job while taking classes. Her bottom line was that God willing, in 6 years, she would either be 46 with a degree or without. Why not make it with?

If you’re not following your true passion and using the gifts and talents God blessed you with, we challenge you to declutter all that stands in your way – your stinkin’thinkin’, finances, schedule, etc. Whatever it takes! You only get one shot at life; have a no regrets approach and go for it. Money is necessary but it ain’t everything.

 

 

Day 18

 

 
A pep talk of sorts.

What if you aren’t working in the career field of your dreams? What if you aspire to do something different?

Determine what needs to be changed and make it happen. You’re probably already saying, “Yeah, right, if it was only that easy…” Consider this. Simple or challenging will have precisely the same end result, absolutely nothing will ever change, if you don’t create a action plan and put it in motion.

Have you ever wandered into a consignment craft store? You look at the projects and think that many of them wouldn’t be hard to make, but realistically, would you actually go to a craft supply store, purchase the material and any tools needed, carve out the time to make it, and actually put it all together?

It’s easy to look at the end result and have confidence that you could and would make it happen. Perhaps it truly would be easy to make. But, if you don’t follow through, it can be the easiest task in the world and you’ll never accomplish it.

Apply this to your career aspirations. If you truly desire to make a change but don’t put an action plan in place and move on it, you’ll never craft your life’s project and future. You may as well succumb to purchasing the item as-is off the store shelf, which comes at a premium price. It may not be exactly what you want, but heck, you settle for it anyway. This equates to giving up and accepting whatever your current circumstances are, instead of pooling your resources, creating your own unique combination of success, and controlling the direction and outcome.

Yes, the concept is ridiculously simple—change what you don’t like. And yes, implementation can be difficult, but how important is it? We challenge you to print out and utilize the ‘Action Plan Template’, which is another free resource on our ‘Free Gifts’ page. This template provides eight easy steps to help you get from where you are to where you want to be!

 

 

Day 19

 

 
Okay, so it’s not always possible to make an instant career transition. We get it! So what do you do in the interim?

Implementing small but instrumental parts of your bigger Action Plan from yesterday’s challenge will keep your faith alive during the waiting period. Step 7 from the template asks you to consider what steps you can take, while walking in God’s will and word, to attain the desired end result? Consider the following ‘steps’ as part of the cumulative effort to gear up for any changes you are contemplating:

• As you brainstorm and plan your career decluttering, write your ideas down and make a to-do list. Check items off as you go for encouragement.
• Map out what it’s going to take to get from where you are to where you want to be.
• Establish a realistic timeline.
• Research any education or training required.
• What financial aids are available to you?
• Can you declutter your finances and change your lifestyle so your needs are less?
• What other obstacles must be overcome? Fear? Insecurity? Anxiety?
• Make a vision board – SEE YOUR GOAL!
• And, of course, don’t forget the power of prayer. Bathe yourself in prayer and positive reinforcement through Scripture. Lean on the Lord during these times and pray for your hope to stay strong and your plans to come to fruition.

An all-time favorite is Jeremiah 29:11, ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Remember, life is NOT a dress rehearsal! You must challenge yourself to remain positive and progressive during the interim and stay the course. Remind yourself the best is yet to come!

 

 

Day 20

 

 
As we finish up this week, let’s take a quick peek at decluttering within the workplace.

Whether you love your current job or are just staying temporarily, use bits and pieces of what we’ve discussed in the challenge thus far to keep your workplace decluttered.

Desk / office – Are there crumbs in your keyboard, sticky stuff on your phone or 10-ley, papers to be shredded, piles to sort through? What about dusting or vacuuming /sweeping? It may sound ridiculously simply but keeping your workplace clean and decluttered can make a difference in your concentration, attitude, efficiency, and productivity.

Is your ‘desk’ you vehicle? If so, the same concept applies! Get rid of all the junk on your dash, clean old lunch bags off the floorboard, remove old papers from the passenger seat. Keep your vehicle clean. Not only will it make a positive difference for you, but your vehicle is a direct reflection of the company you represent; take pride in this.

Co-Workers- THIS IS A BIGGIE! Do you get involved with unnecessary conversation which is unproductive at best and often hurtful? Do you have a negative attitude that is trickling down to your co-workers? Is time spent sharing gossip that is better left out of the workplace? Heck, any gossip at all should be abandoned! Are there competitive or jealous type games being played? Is there unhealthy vying for position or attention? Even the best-intentioned “counseling” has no place in the work arena. These are career-altering, work-cluttering, and health-compromising scenarios which must be curbed.

We challenge you to consider your current work environment and find any attitudes, habits, behaviors, etc. which should be decluttered? Are you willing to step up and take care of them? We hope so! Any stories to share? Send us an email! declutternow@actionplanministries.com

Next week we declutter your temple. WHAT you ask? YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE? ABSOLUTELY IT IS! It’ll be interesting. Promise!