What’s In a Workflow?

What’s In a Workflow?

My Favorite Biz Books from 2020

In business, workflows are what makes the world go ‘round! They bring your systems to life by turning them into repeatable processes that streamline your workload. You do not have to spin your wheels every time you do something because you can rely on an established workflow that has resulted in success over and over.

 

The reality is that you probably already have some workflows in your business. However, it’s likely that they are not operating at 100% efficiency. Or, if they are, there is a good chance that you have some gaps elsewhere in your business.

 

Don’t worry — this is normal for businesses that are growing! As you scale, your needs evolve and your systems and workflows must adapt to the changes. What worked when you had five clients is probably not the best method when you have 50 clients. Change comes with growth, so the best business owners are those that are agile and adaptable to their clients’ needs, as well as their own.

 

If you are looking for more clarity in your day-to-day, it’s time to adjust, refine, and refresh your workflows, so they work seamlessly in your business. The better your workflows, the better your life flows — am I right?

 

To start, I want you to consider the eight  in your business:

  1. Financials
  2. Operations
  3. Customer Experience
  4. Human Resources and Team Management
  5. Marketing and Visibility
  6. Product
  7. Systems
  8. Development

 

Each of these “departments” involves unique processes and, thus, should employ its own workflows. In Financials, you might have a process for saving your receipts and adding them to a spreadsheet on the last day of every month. For Customer Experience, you may follow a specific sequence of steps from onboarding to execution.

 

Simply put, a workflow is how you do a particular task in your business from start to finish. Without it, your business will lack consistency, and that disparity will spill over into all other aspects. If your operations are disorganized, it will impact everything from your marketing strategies to your customer experience.

 

While these eight areas are distinct from one another, they are all interconnected. After all, a business is the sum of many moving pieces. All it takes is one breaking for the whole machine to come to a halt. Your workflows help to keep all of the gears well-oiled and operational.

 

For each of these areas, consider the repeated processes you perform and break them down into the following categories.

What’s In a Workflow?
*paid advertising

DAILY

These are the small but necessary tasks that fill up your day: responding to emails, calendar management, marketing, and other responsibilities that keep your business running. While they are significant, they typically do not drive your creative process or client work.

 

WEEKLY

Your weekly workflows are the tasks that are less urgent but still vital parts of your day-to-day business. Perhaps you write one blog post, organize one team meeting, or make five sales calls each week. Get clear on what needs to be done regularly but does not need to be on your plate every day.

 

QUARTERLY

When you get to quarterly tasks, you start to see more of the higher-level strategic work. This is your chance to map out the next three months and the actions that will propel your business forward. Developing content calendars, sending client gifts, reviewing website analytics, and revisiting your goals are all great examples of quarterly workflows.

 

YEARLY

Annual workflows are those that formulate a direction for you to take your business in the next year. This is when you should review your standard operating procedures (SOPs), update your website, refresh your mission, vision, and values, and set new goals to reach for more success.

 

At this point, you should have a list of daily, monthly, quarterly, and yearly workflows that keep your business afloat. With everything laid out in front of you, dig into each to see where you can adjust and optimize them. Perhaps your quarterly content calendars would be better suited in a monthly capacity, or maybe you can batch a quarter’s worth of blog posts so you do not have to write a new one each week.

 

The best way to do this is simply to start documenting what you are doing and how you are doing it. Look for the gaps that take up valuable time, energy, and resources. When you identify areas that could be further streamlined,   that turns your workflows into a seamless part of your business.

 

Then, take all of these tasks—big and small—and add them to your calendar, to-do list, and/or project management software. One of the most common mistakes entrepreneurs make when developing workflows is forgetting about them when life gets too busy. Hold yourself accountable with scheduled reminders to stay on track, knowing that checking those boxes will help build a successful and sustainable business for years to come.

 

Ready to iron out your workflow once and for all? Get in touch with Jen for help optimizing your systems and workflows to find clarity and focus in your business again.

Jen Taylor

Jen Taylor

System & Workflow Strategist
www.jentaylorconsulting.com

about

Jen Taylor

Jen Taylor Consulting, is a firm that helps small businesses experience more freedom and abundance through systems, strategy, and workflow.
 
I know you want to be able to enjoy all the reasons you started your business in the first place, instead of putting out fire after fire. In order to do that, you need systems and growth strategies that turn your business from a creaky rust-bucket into a well-oiled machine. The problem is there are a lot of “unsexy” tasks that need to get done. And since you’re not sure how to best automate or outsource, you’re left grinding away day after day.
 
The stress and frustration are almost enough to get you to throw in the towel, give up on your dream, and start working on your resumé.
 
I believe it doesn’t have to be so complicated. I understand how you feel and know it may not be “fun” for you to establish business procedures that fully support your success and growth. But lucky for you, that’s what I love to do!

5 EASY STEPS TO AMPLIFY YOUR MESSAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Learn 5 simple things you can do to boost your social media presence in your marketing strategy.

Having Those Harder Conversations

Having Those Harder Conversations

Fave Lifestyles

My husband watched my “Morning WOLK with God” episode while I sat next to him. When it finished, I remarked that I’d come a long way from my days as a miserably inept lobbyist. Remembering my disastrous time as an Olympia influencer, I regaled him with my story of woe when I was working for our state teachers’ association. I’d been assigned the charter school initiative, a very hot topic at the time. I was asked to prepare testimony for the House and Senate education committees and then to follow the proposal through the legislative process. I spent morning, noon, and night preparing comments, honing my arguments.

The idea of testifying terrified me and I wanted to be ready, to say something meaningful, to be ready for any and all rebuttals, to represent the state’s teachers in an articulate, thought-provoking manner. Really—I just didn’t want to screw up. I was on a short-term assignment with the organization and if I dazzled them, I was hoping I might be considered for long-term employment. I screwed up.

I was so focused on my own testimony, what I was going to say and how I was going to say it, my own agenda, that I missed the fact that the bill had been pulled from consideration—the legislative agenda—days earlier. Watching me continue to prep and waiting to see how long it would take me to figure it out, my boss finally pulled me aside after three days and gave me the good news.  

That story’s especially noteworthy remembering that it occurred not long after my illustrious term as president of our local teachers’ association. I’d been elected not because of any great leadership skills, not because my three years of teaching had made me particularly wise, but because no one else wanted the position.

Too young and naïve to know what I didn’t know, I stumbled into some intense salary negotiations. At one point I had an offer from the school district that needed to be shared with the teachers. During our general membership meeting I began with a rousing stump speech on the importance of class size and release time, neither mentioned in the district’s offer.

But before getting to the “rousing” portion of my message, I was interrupted by a well-organized smaller group of teachers who just wanted to take the district’s raise and get back to their classrooms. A motion was made and seconded before my eyes were off my notes. A short discussion followed. Someone called for the question and a vote was taken before I fully understood what had just happened.

Not appreciating the concerns of the teachers, not knowing parliamentary procedure, too focused on my own agenda, I’d lost control of the meeting to seven people in the back of the room who’d never even taken the time to sit down, teachers who’d done their homework and knew what their colleagues wanted, who had their own agenda.

It’s so easy for me to get focused on my own agenda. At times it’s easy to miss the bigger picture.  Has that ever happened to you?

Having Those Harder Conversations
*paid advertising

Our Morning WOLK with God” is about words of loving kindness. When we share words (and deeds!) of loving kindness, we’re sharing God’s loving kindness that became our saving grace. That’s from the third chapter of Titus, a wonderful letter that Paul wrote to his co-worker in the faith about how to engage with the community, how to be a compelling example of Christian life.

But the mere thought of engaging with the community may exhaust us. Yes, it’s a new year, but we’ve still got major issues from last year. Yes, the elections are behind us, but we’ve still got major decisions, harder discussions before us. Yes, the vaccine is here, but we’ve still got major logistical issues to figure out.

In his letter, Paul was not only encouraging Titus, but he was encouraging all of us to be compelling examples of Christian life. And knowing we’re all a little exhausted, a little overwhelmed, a little cynical at times, how do we do that? Where do we even begin?

Personally, I need to start by talking less and listening more. Too often I’m replaying that miserably inept moment as a lobbyist, as a union president, when I was too focused on my own agenda—what I was going to do, what I was going to say, what I thought best—that I missed what was really going on, what others were really saying and feeling.

Too often I’m still putting my own agenda first. And if one of my non-negotiables is gratitude, then I want to value those around me—what they’re saying, what they’re feeling, what they’re experiencing. I want to learn from them. I want to grow with them. I want to find solutions together, but I can’t do that if I don’t understand them, if I don’t appreciate their perspective, if I don’t stop and listen.

Alfred Brendel is an Austrian pianist, poet, author, and lecturer. He reminds us that the word LISTEN has the same letters as the word SILENT.” I want to listen, not just long enough for me to reply, but long enough for me to revere and respect and reflect.

How do we have the bigger conversations, the harder discussions? I have to start by talking less and listening more. I know! That’s an amazing statement for someone who’s talking at you every Friday morning.

Does this mean we remain silent? No, God’s words of loving kindness need to be heard every day in every way in every place. It just means we watch for those times when we need to listen first. The bigger conversations and the harder discussions can happen after we’ve heard.

I love the book of Proverbs which so often gets right to the point: “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” I learned that the hard way.

We walk together, ladies! I treasure the uniqueness that is each one of us, our unique perspectives, unique ideas, unique thoughts and concerns. And together we can spread God’s love, joy, peace, and hope in wonderfully unique ways. Together.

Let There Be Peace on Earth

Heavenly Father, let there be peace on earth and let it begin with us.

Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.

God, You are our creator, and family all are we.

Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.

Amen.

 

Deanna Nowadnick is the author of Fruit of My Spirit and Signs in Life.

Deanna is also the host of “Morning WOLK with God” here at Fave Lifestyles.

Deanna Nowadnick

Deanna Nowadnick

Speaker | Writer | Author
www.FruitOfMySpirit.com

about

Deanna Nowadnick

Before my father died, he reminded me that Mom had asked me to write a book. At the time the boys were in college, and the notion of writing was unfathomable. Writers write books. By the time my boys were adults, I’d run out of excuses. I was also at that age when I could pause and reflect.

Fruit of My Spirit: Reframing Life in God’s Grace was my first publishing endeavor. My second was Signs in Life: Finding Direction in Our Travels with God. Both are collections of stories that tell of God’s love and faithfulness. Both tell of His remarkable grace and mercy.

When not writing, I serve as the Client Service Coordinator for The Planner’s Edge, an investment advisory firm in Washington state. I’m active in my church, serving on the Leadership Team and gathering with a wonderful group of ladies to study and giggle over lattes and chocolate. On my desk is a rock with the words “Choose Joy!” etched in it. It’s my inspiration for each day. As an author, it is my hope that my own words might share that joy we find together as children of God.

With Him, it can be so.

5 EASY STEPS TO AMPLIFY YOUR MESSAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Learn 5 simple things you can do to boost your social media presence in your marketing strategy.

Harmony Or Not?

Harmony Or Not?

Fave Lifestyles

I Used To Be A Staff Member

I used to be a staff member. To move the organization forward, we tried to be in agreement. Or at least, I wanted to be ‘on the same page.’

 

Harmony Or Not?

Our son was in college and performing in choirs. I heard all the voices blend together so beautifully and thought, with pain in my heart, “Why can’t my co-workers sing together like this choir?” As if from God, I heard, “It’s my Song. I’m writing the Song.”

 

At a Christmas concert, a well-liked Master’s degree student wrote an orchestra piece. In the middle of this beautiful Christmas hymn was discordant music. After the concert, I told our son, “I didn’t like the Christmas hymn with the discordant music.” Wisely, our son reminded me, “Mama, that’s how Christmas feels sometimes.”

 

I’ve learned to accept the harmony and discordant music of Life. Of course, I prefer times of harmony! I work to understand and move through discordant times.

 

Perfect

I often say the word, ‘Perfect’. I used to try and be perfect because I thought this was what God expected me to be. Now I understand better than ever that I am imperfect and God is more interested in how I am doing from moment to moment. I accept the joy and the challenge of each present moment as ‘Perfect’.

 

Love’s Song

Even though I understand that somehow God is writing a Universal Song, I now hear all of us as the individual notes and instruments and voices. We are each writing this Song with Love as our Conductor. The more we can live in harmony with ourselves and each other, the better off we will all be. The more quickly we can learn from and move through discordant times, the better off we will all be.

 

We can choose whether or not we want life-giving emotions to dwell in our bodies and minds. If we are willing to live with life-draining emotions, we will exist rather than thrive.

Harmony Or Not?
*paid advertising

Sally Is Okay, Now!

My client whom I will call Sally was suffering in many areas of her life. She tried not to cry during an online network meeting. Sally heard my calm voice and healing persona and she booked a Discovery Call before the network meeting was over. Sally came for her first session within days. Sally went through the 12-session The Soul Power Experience program. By the last session, Sally was crying because she received so much benefit and care. Sally said she would miss our session time together so we scheduled an intuitive session for the next month. At this session, when I asked her how the various issues in her life were going, she said that everything is okay. We used the technique of PSYCH-K to program important goals and Sally is happily on her way to a thriving life. Sally has a new sense of strength and peace of mind. She is learning from and moving through the discordant experiences of her life.

 

Emotions Are Experiences In Motion

Life, in all of its glory and suffering, is meant to be experienced. Emotions help us experience life. We learn and grow emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally, socially, etc. We experience emotions in seconds of time. Life becomes more difficult when emotions get stuck in our memory and our body. When we can see emotions as experiences in motion, we can create a daily practice of making sure we experience our emotions and then let them go and move forward.

 

Let Dani be your guide in reframing and releasing life-draining emotions and empowering life-giving emotions that will help you thrive.

 

Sing a New Song!

 

Namaste – the Divine in Me Celebrates the Divine in You!

I Love You!

~Dani

 

Let Dani Be Your Guide to Emotionally Singing A New Song!

Dani offers a free 20 minute The Emotion Code session, which helps to remove an inherited or current emotion. Activate Your Soul Power!  Live Your Infinite Greatness!  Be Your Own Hero!  Book a FREE Breakthrough phone call! Find free resources!  Go to www.danigreen.today.

 Dani Green

Dani Green

Dani Green
The Soul Power Experience Creator
www.danigreen.today | hello@danigreen.today
425-359-4906

About

Dani Green

Dani Green is the Creator of The Soul Power Experience using motivational speaking, education and hypnotherapy. Dani also helps clients reduce stress, smoking cessation and weight release. As an Ordained Minister, Dani writes and officiates Weddings and Funerals. Dani and her husband, Kevin have three adult children and have hosted 15 international students.

5 EASY STEPS TO AMPLIFY YOUR MESSAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Learn 5 simple things you can do to boost your social media presence in your marketing strategy.

Creating Systems That Work for You

Creating Systems That Work for You

My Favorite Biz Books from 2020

As a business owner, you wear a lot of hats in your business. You aren’t just the CEO, but rather  . You make strategic decisions about branding, messaging, budgeting, team building, and more. But, even if you’re a solopreneur, the reality is that you don’t have to do it alone.

 

By developing systems in your business, you can effectively streamline every process that takes up valuable space and time. From how you onboard and offboard a client to how you ship a product, systems take the guesswork out of your work and, in some cases, even do the job for you. Ultimately, systems will help structure your business so you can do more with less brain power. Sounds enticing, right?

 

Now, I’m willing to bet you already have certain systems in your business. Whether they’re optimized to simplify your life is another story, but you likely have specific processes that run like clockwork. Consider how you:

  • Respond to inquiries
  • Create and send proposals and contracts
  • Accept payments
  • Organize client information
  • Develop content for social media

 

There’s a good chance you have some systems in there. You aren’t recreating the wheel every time you take a payment or welcome a new client into your brand experience. Systems tend to develop naturally over the course of a business, but that doesn’t always mean that they are as efficient as they could be.

 

In other areas, you really might be scraping together the pieces every time. How does that help you in your business? Furthermore, how does that help your client?

 

Creating new systems and revamping existing ones follow a similar four-step process: Audit, Research, Implement, and Evaluate. Let’s break each of these steps down so you can start getting your systems in order today.

 

AUDIT

You know what they say: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This rings true when it comes to your business operations, but that leads to the big question: How do I know if it’s broken? Before overhauling your business, take some intentional time to look at your current systems and processes under a microscope to identify where it flows and where it’s blocked.

 

Start with your administrative responsibilities since that tends to be the area that bogs down creativity the most. There’s nothing like an hour’s worth of emails or a spreadsheet of numbers to suppress your genius. What are the repetitive tasks that must be completed but make your eyes roll into the back of your head? Where are you spending more time than necessary? Here are some suggestions:

  • Responding to emails
  • Creating and sending proposals, contracts, and invoices
  • Scheduling meetings and appointments
  • Organizing your filing system
  • Collecting receipts and tracking expenses
  • Managing regular client communications

 

Now,  move onto the more focused tasks that are specific to your clients. Consider these questions, adjusting them as needed for your business model:

  • What does client onboarding and offboarding look like?
  • How do you ensure a consistent client experience?
  • What are your shipping procedures?
  • How do you request and gather feedback?

 

Then, set your signs on your creative process:

  • What are the steps you must take to bring a project to fruition?
  • Do you have a structured workflow to ensure you meet deadlines?
  • Are you blocking time to work through your projects?
  • Is anything preventing your productivity?

 

By the end of this brainstorming exercise, you should have a clear idea of the systems that are operating smoothly, those that need some love, and the areas that never had a system in the first place. That leads us to the next step: research.

 

RESEARCH

You know what you need to fix, so now you need to figure out how to solve it. In many cases, you can find online, cloud-based software that can bridge the gaps in your business.

 

In today’s market, you have many options to sift through to find the right fit. Be mindful of the must-haves for your ideal system and keep looking until you find the perfect solution for your needs. It could be a robust customer relationship management platform (CRM), or it may be as simple as an appointment scheduler that syncs with your calendar. You know how you operate best, so find a solution that matches your work style.

 

For other tasks, you may not need any fancy software at all but rather a shift in procedures and mindset. Perhaps you start blocking out time on your calendar or adopting the   technique for time management, which limits distractions by breaking your projects down into manageable 25-minute blocks. Maybe you create an out-of-office responder to enhance your client touchpoints. Sometimes, the smallest adjustments to your systems can make the most significant impacts!

 

If you’re ready for new software, take advantage of the free trial period to ensure it’s a solution that will meet your needs. If it’s more of a shift in standard operating procedures (SOPs), commit to it for three weeks to see if it provides the results you expected. Then, it’s all about implementation.

Creating Systems That Work for You
*paid advertising

IMPLEMENT

The implementation stage can be the most exciting experience…or the most frustrating. It can take some time to see real change in your business and, on top of that, you’re learning an all-new process. You have to change your habits, which is never easy!

 

I encourage you to stick with it for at least three weeks to a month. If you reach the end of that period and you’re not happy with the change, revisit the research stage and see if you had noted potential alternatives that would better suit your needs.

 

Implementing a new system is challenging on your own, but it can become even more difficult if you have to onboard clients or team members as well. Plan for a soft rollout, letting them know about the transition in advance to set clear expectations. When it comes time to introduce your new system, explain it in detail, open yourself up to answer questions, and assist in getting everyone up to speed.

 

As time goes on and your new system is adopted as an  , you should start to see the results over time. It may even inspire you to adjust some of the other processes in your business to boost productivity. But, first, you must evaluate your new system’s efficacy.

 

 

EVALUATE

Evaluation should be a part of every system and process in your business, not just the new ones. It helps you be proactive and stay on top of your operations, ensuring that nothing falls into disrepair. Consider your business like a vehicle: You wouldn’t leave it to collect dust in a garage, would you? No, it needs regular maintenance and, in some cases, a little extra fine-tuning to run smoothly.

 

Of course, if you get a new feature installed in your car, you’ll be keeping an extra close eye on how it performs. Were those new speakers really worth the cost? Is that upgraded engine everything it promised? The same goes for your new systems.

 

In business, accept that you are always learning. Even after your three-week period is over and you think it’s a fit, pay close attention to your return on investment. Are you really saving all of the time you expected? How have you felt since optimizing XYZ process? Keep this speculative mindset up for six months to a year before filing your new system away as one of the good ones. (Even then, be open to new possibilities!)

 

The most successful businesses run on a collection of practical, streamlined systems that keep the gears turning, even if you’re out of the office or neck deep in a client project. It’s never too late to kickstart your systems, so go ahead and make an appointment with yourself to put that audit on your calendar!

 

Looking for more guidance in creating systems that work for you? Connect with Jen to take the next steps to a more streamlined, productive future for your business.

Jen Taylor

Jen Taylor

System & Workflow Strategist
www.jentaylorconsulting.com

about

Jen Taylor

Jen Taylor Consulting, is a firm that helps small businesses experience more freedom and abundance through systems, strategy, and workflow.
 
I know you want to be able to enjoy all the reasons you started your business in the first place, instead of putting out fire after fire. In order to do that, you need systems and growth strategies that turn your business from a creaky rust-bucket into a well-oiled machine. The problem is there are a lot of “unsexy” tasks that need to get done. And since you’re not sure how to best automate or outsource, you’re left grinding away day after day.
 
The stress and frustration are almost enough to get you to throw in the towel, give up on your dream, and start working on your resumé.
 
I believe it doesn’t have to be so complicated. I understand how you feel and know it may not be “fun” for you to establish business procedures that fully support your success and growth. But lucky for you, that’s what I love to do!

5 EASY STEPS TO AMPLIFY YOUR MESSAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Learn 5 simple things you can do to boost your social media presence in your marketing strategy.

God’s Value Proposition

God’s Value Proposition

Fave Lifestyles

Earlier this year Jeff Bezos shared what some have called a brutal truth in his last letter to shareholders. According to Inc. Magazine, they are five short words that many never learn. The words? Create more than you consume.

Bezos goes on to say that our goal should be to create value for everyone we interact with, that value proposition we often hear about.

Thinking about the past year, I wondered if his comments had any application to our lives as people of faith. I wondered about lessons God has shared with us that He’d want us to carry forward as part of our walk with Him and His people. I wondered if there was a value proposition for us women of faith.

Throughout social media are pandemic take-aways, experiences and insights that have highlighted deeper truths, reinforced life’s transcendent joys, and answered the question, What’s really important?

I thought back on my own year. I still remember the morning I fell apart learning that nail salons were closing, knowing my nails have not been without polish since 1973. Yep!

Then there was that panic buying moment that resulted in a case of industrial strength, commercial grade toilet paper that’s thinner than tissue paper with the consistency of waxed paper. Yep, consumption at its finest, thanks to Mr. Bezos and his fine team at Amazon.

As we lurched through pandemic protocols, I was not at my most creative. I was not focused on what I might give up, how I might give back, where I might give more. As life slowed, I became more and more focused on what I wanted when I wanted it. I wanted to consume. I wanted my nails done!

And then I started riding my bike and walking. Coming back from a week away, from a week of waaaayyyy too much fine dining, I woke up Monday morning and said, I’ve got to ride my bike. That day I decided I would get outside every day. Every day I rode my bike to the coffee shop and home again. When the weather started to turn and my bike added its own windchill factor, I continued to get outside, now walking. And in the quiet of a half hour walk, thirty short minutes, God turned my heart.

You’ll hear me talk about being a passionate advocate for words of loving kindness. Walk the WOLK, I like to say. Walk the words of loving kindness. That’s easy to do when the sun’s shining, not so easy in the middle of a torrential downpour, in the throes of our new normal.

In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he says we are His workmanship (God’s workmanship). Some translations of the Bible, use the word handiwork. “We are God’s handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

As God’s people, we have been wired up to create. That’s part of what it means to be created in God’s image. Still, some of us may have moments of consumption that are not very attractive, a little self-centered, a little too inwardly focused, speaking from experience.

God’s Value Proposition
*paid advertising

We will also have moments for wonderfully good works as part of God’s great creation, His creation in which we’re a part, His creation which is us. We are God’s value proposition.

Some Bible translations also read “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them.” That we should walk in them. My daily walks have become daily time with God. With my phone in my pocket on mute, away from computer notifications and reminders, I have time with God, not just to talk with Him, but also to listen.

When my boys were small, there were times I needed them to listen. That parenting thing, you know? I would tell them to turn down the TV, the game, the music, so they could hear me. God needs me to listen also, so I can know what he’s prepared in advance for me to do.

During this past year, how did God help you do good works? What plans did God have for you, plans you may not have been aware of at the time, but looking back you go, “Ah, yes, that was God.”

I don’t want to belittle the challenges of these past many months. The brokenness of our world has been shocking, the din about us has been harsh, the challenges seemingly insurmountable some days. My own self-centeredness has been difficult to fathom at times. And then God gives us a gentle nudge, a moment of quiet, an unexpected opportunity in which we can step in with His love and His light. It might be the PPP loan that kept people working, that supported local businesses. It might be a moment in which to share a sincere thanks with a nail tech, a stylist, a therapist, those people in our life who support us in so many ways. It might be the extra time and money we were able to share with our community, our church, our family, another family dealing with especially hard times.

You are God’s beautiful creation, created to create. And He has big plans for you, for all of us, plans designed just for you, plans designed just for me. We create, not because we’re part of some grand mathematical equation, but because we’re God’s people created to do His good work.

In their “Defined” bible study, Stephen and Alex Kendrick talk about God’s workmanship. They said the Greek word is poiema, similar to our English word poem. They ask us to imagine being a God’s poem, His beautiful and thoughtful self-expression, His masterpiece, made from an overflow of His creative joy as His workmanship. That’s waaaayyy more than some mathematical equation!

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

 

Deanna Nowadnick is the author of Fruit of My Spirit and Signs in Life.

Deanna is also the host of “Morning WOLK with God” here at Fave Lifestyles.

Deanna Nowadnick

Deanna Nowadnick

Speaker | Writer | Author
www.FruitOfMySpirit.com

about

Deanna Nowadnick

Before my father died, he reminded me that Mom had asked me to write a book. At the time the boys were in college, and the notion of writing was unfathomable. Writers write books. By the time my boys were adults, I’d run out of excuses. I was also at that age when I could pause and reflect.

Fruit of My Spirit: Reframing Life in God’s Grace was my first publishing endeavor. My second was Signs in Life: Finding Direction in Our Travels with God. Both are collections of stories that tell of God’s love and faithfulness. Both tell of His remarkable grace and mercy.

When not writing, I serve as the Client Service Coordinator for The Planner’s Edge, an investment advisory firm in Washington state. I’m active in my church, serving on the Leadership Team and gathering with a wonderful group of ladies to study and giggle over lattes and chocolate. On my desk is a rock with the words “Choose Joy!” etched in it. It’s my inspiration for each day. As an author, it is my hope that my own words might share that joy we find together as children of God.

With Him, it can be so.

5 EASY STEPS TO AMPLIFY YOUR MESSAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Learn 5 simple things you can do to boost your social media presence in your marketing strategy.

Pin It on Pinterest