As good as it feels to be encouraged, it often feels even better to be the encourager, don't you think? That's a fun part of being a part of the Cultivate community - YOU get to be a part of making this work of achieving dreams and rising together happen!
Whether it's in an online platform like our PowerSheets® Facebook group (the best gals!) or in your real life neighborhood, there are so many ways to encourage a friend who's pursuing her dreams and goals. In this month, when statistically most people have given up on their New Year's resolutions, a little push of encouragement can make all the difference.
Here are 5 of our favorite ways to encourage someone in her goals:
1. Ask her about her goals. Sounds simple, right? But it's the foundation for everything else! Giving a friend the gift of your time and attention validates her ideas, goals, and dreams. It helps her believe they are worthy of spending time on. And admit it - when you're fired up about something, you're SO excited for a listening ear to gush, right?!
2. Listen without giving advice. This is a piece of, ahem, advice we give during our Making Things Happen Conference. So often, we want to jump right in and brainstorm alongside our friends, especially if they're at the beginning of a project and still fumbling for the way forward. And sometimes that's wonderful! But unless she asks for your help or opinion, the best thing you can offer is a listening ear. If we jump in and solve a problem for her, that can undermine her confidence to keep moving forward.
3. Set reminders to check in. A quick tip we love: if she mentions an important upcoming date related to her goal (maybe an exam, or a big presentation, or a doctor's appointment), set a reminder in your phone to check in on that day and send a little encouragement! If she doesn't mention a specific date, a follow-up a few hours or days later to reiterate that you loved your conversation, were honored to hear about her dreams, and are rooting for her can mean so much.
4. Offer her accountability. You don't have to be an expert, you just have to be reliable! ;) Send her a quick text when you're checking in on your own PowerSheets ("thinking of you and wanted to see how your month is going!") or swap photos of your completed Tending Lists for the month ahead. Helping her stay accountable reinforces your belief that her dreams are worth working toward.
5. Offer your help. If you do have something to offer, it can be such an encouragement! Offer your resources, your connections, your time, your words, or a gift. (Speaking from experience, it is such a JOY to spend money being generous and helping someone make progress, though of course, help in any form is wonderful!)
A final note: if you want this encourager in your life and don't have it, that can feel hard and bitter. The best option? Be this person for other people, without any expectations or resentment. Again, the PowerSheets Facebook group is the perfect place to start. Even the smallest gestures can make a huge difference!
I'd love to hear a story of how you encouraged someone, or were encouraged, in one of your goals! Please share in the comments, if you'd like!
Emily Thomas
This is His Year: our first-of-its-kind workbook to let your faith inform the goals you set for the New Year.
Set, plan, and track progress toward the goals that matter most, big or small, the things you’ve always wanted to do—with PowerSheets!