Video: 3 Strategic Thoughts To Not Shrink Back During COVID-19

Now is the time to move into the season of embracing our new normal. For the foreseeable future, this is real. It is here. How are we going to deal with it?

We no longer have the luxury as leaders, as parents, as spouses, as employers and employees to sit around in the trauma and the chaos of what’s going on and making it our excuse to not get used to this new normal. Nobody wants to do it. Nobody asked for a complete turnaround from what we knew to be normal. However, the fact is that it is here, and it is not going to change anytime soon. So instead of sitting around, waiting for somebody to let you know it’s time to come out of the house and then you’ll start getting back on track with your goals, make the choice to rise up. Something is shifting in the atmosphere and the overcomers are rising up. The overcomers are ready.

Now is the time to create a new normal. It is no longer the time to be sitting in the sorrow and pain of what’s going on. Be aware. Do your part to be responsible and keep everyone healthy. But do not shrink back on your goals and what you need to accomplish. Now is the time to rise up! This is the time that people are looking for leaders that are saying something different than the fear and chaos. Your employers will remember how you handle this time. Your kids are watching and will remember how you handle this time. Your partner will remember how you handle this time. That should be the charge you need to rise up and do your best! These three strategic thoughts will help you do just that.

STRATEGIC THOUGHT #1: BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, YOU WERE SET APART FOR THIS MOMENT. YOU WERE APPOINTED TO LEAD.

That is true whether you are leading your family, yourself, your spouse, a team, a company. Whatever you are leading, you were appointed to lead in this moment. Do it well.

Now, some people say you should never mix faith with business. We disagree. So if you believe in an Almighty God, know this: He set you apart for this moment. He did. Not a human. But your Creator. (And if you don’t believe in God and have the same faith as we do, then just chalk this up to a good ole affirmation at the very least. Truth is truth no matter what you believe.)

Remind yourself of this first thought. Because it is true. You were set apart to lead in this moment. There are going to be days ahead that will probably be hard. There will be days ahead where will probably want to give up. That is the truth of where we are at. But guess what? That is also the truth of life! Anybody building a business or going after their dreams knows the roller coaster ride of emotions that it is! That is the nature of doing something important with your life!

STRATEGIC THOUGHT #2: DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR CONFIDENCE. IT WILL BE REWARDED.

Write it down and say it out loud. Yes, it’s a Truth Statement®. Confidence is all about taking care of that fear as soon as it comes. Be confident in who you are. Be confident in your skills. Be confident in what you’ve overcome in the past that proves you can overcome this. Be confident in your faith.

Do not throw away your confidence and wallow in fear and doubt and disbelief. How? What you say out loud matters. You throw away your confidence one negative comment at a time. Right now is the time to build your confidence! Say your Truth Statements® out loud! Each of these strategic thoughts can be your new Truth Statement® to speak out loud twice a day for thirty days. You know what happens when you do that diligently for thirty days? You rewire your brain from a negative thought that throws away your confidence and feeds fear into one that feeds your skills and your confidence. You will be a different person in thirty days when you follow through with this!

STRATEGIC THOUGHT #3: WE ARE NOT OF THOSE WHO SHRINK BACK. WE RISE UP.

If you need to put that on your phone every day at 7am and 7pm as a reminder for thirty days, do it. It will keep you going on the days when you don’t want to keep going or you feel like you can’t. We are overcomers! We don’t have the luxury of shrinking back anymore because of what someone else might think. We don’t have the luxury of shrinking back anymore because of what someone might have said about us! Those people are not your people. Love them from afar and rise up with boldness anyway.

Snooze. Unfollow. Block and delete on social media if you have to. What we follow on social media is the difference between if we shrink back or if we rise up. Be diligent with who you are listening to right now. Be diligent about who you are learning from right now! Stop listening to a gazillion people that are giving you differing opinions causing nothing but confusion. Stop listening to leaders that only feed you milk! It is time for some meat! This is no longer something to play around with. We are in a period of time right now that will be written about in history books. The question you need to ask yourself is this: do I want to be in the group that shrunk back or do I want to be in the group that rose up and positioned themselves to succeed in the face of trials?

This is the time to lean in to your personal leadership and growth. Design the life you want! This is the time to lean in to new dreams, new skills, new opportunities. Create them if you must! Take this time to slow down and grow your critical thinking skills and strengthen what you can.

TAKE ACTION:

Personalize each of these three strategic thoughts and post them around your home to speak them out loud at least twice a day.

• Before I was born, I was set apart for this moment. I was appointed to lead.
• I will not throw away my confidence. It will be rewarded.
• I do not shrink back. I rise up.

Helping you live and lead well,
~Mandy & Raychel