“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside you.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
What could I say to encourage you, wherever you are, today? I could probably quote Emerson’s words and drop the mic. But I’ll continue by asking you to pause and really take in their meaning.
What if each of us truly believed that what lies inside of us is more important than any mistakes we’ve made, experiences we’ve had, or obstacles ahead of us?
If you’re like me, daily distractions can keep you from doing what you planned to take care of, your soul. So instead, you scatter and hurry, sidelining your priorities to put out unexpected fires. I’ll admit, there’s something very satisfying about filling every minute of every day with a whirlwind of activity and jumping to the rescue when something goes wrong, but if I completely crash at the end of the day, maybe that’s a sign of taking on too much?
This summer, I’ve removed “too much,” and I am concentrating on what matters most – with the vision in mind of who I want to be as a wife, mother, business founder and visionary, leader, and friend. Because it’s when I connect with what lies inside and align my choices accordingly, I can do the hard work without feeling depleted. And feel confident that I am moving toward the person I truly want to be.
Just like our sports coaches build set-plays, drills, and conditioning programs, I have at my fingertips the mind and skillsets for success to prioritize my time. I have a vision, make a plan, and focus on what matters most for the day. And if I get distracted, I get to try again the next day.
Imagine if your kid had this mindset now, to continue to practice for the rest of their life. The resilience to try and try again is based on a personal vision of what they want to accomplish. The skills of breaking down long-term goals into weekly and daily tasks – of prioritizing time to study smarter and not harder, is possible! And now is the time to start!
The program I used to change my life – and studied to become a certified trainer – is called Do What Matters Most. It takes about 4 hours to complete the initial content, and then participants focus on three simple, powerful principles: 1) Lead with a Vision 2) Manage with a Plan 3) Prioritize your Time. This looks slightly different for each age group, from students to leaders and parents.
Pause and reflect on “what lies inside you is greater than anything in your past or present.” Do you want to take the time to bring out this confidence for yourself? What’s the next step in helping your kid build resilience? In building time management, study skills, and executive function habits? Try the program yourself! Once you experience the power of Do What Matters Most training, you will burst with excitement to share it with your kids.
And if they don’t want to listen to you, I bet they’ll listen to me! *Wink*
Want to get started? Reach out to set up a consultation today!
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Cara Thorpe
Founder & Visionary
Yellow Parachute Learning Partners
www.yellowparachute.com
612-361-7266
