Friends, what a wild ride I have been on since being bit by a brown recluse. For those of you who do not know, they are venomous spider, with no anti-venom available for treatment. I got an infection, and since then have been struggling with side effect after side effect from the various antibiotics I have had to take.
This past weekend I was scheduled to deliver three keynotes at a women's retreat. I am grateful to share that by the grace of God, I walked onto the stage and shared what God laid on my heart.
Getting to the stage was not easy. The event team totally understood if I wanted to back out. But I remained focused on the goal.
So how did I get across the finish line of accomplishing my goal to speak at the retreat when most of the time I felt miserable?
- I focused on the opportunity and the impact. It's been a year since I've been live on a stage. I had prepared quite a bit prior to the spider bite, and I didn't want to forgo such a great opportunity.
- When I felt well, I didn't waste that time. In the pockets of time that I felt good, I used the time to continue to prep, work on my notes, and slides.
- I gave myself grace. I knew that how I prepared for this event wasn't as extensive as I had prepared for other live speaking engagements. I did the best I could, with the energy I had, and showed myself grace in the moments I got disappointed with the lack of preparation.
- Think short term. I focused on one talk at a time, instead of thinking of three talks together. Breaking our goals down in bite size goals, gives us quick wins, to then move onto the next goal.
- Fake it. I truly felt incredible on Friday night for my first keynote. By Saturday, I wasn't feeling so hot. I'm not a fan of faking it but sometimes we have to put on a smile, muster up some energy, and go out and shine. I paid for it later, and slept until 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, but the goal had been accomplished!
There are various reasons we may struggle with our goals but as long as we keep battling for them, we are never out of the fight.
Blessings,
Stephanie
Inspirational Speaker and Award-Winning Author of "The Giving Challenge: 40 Days to a More Generous Life" and “The Gratitude Challenge: 41 Days to a Happier, Healthier, & More Content Life”
