Is It Time?

By Valorie Burton
Author and Motivational Speaker

CBN.com – I remember the day back in 1999 that I decided to finally get down to business and write my first book. I’d talked about writing a book for years. I had started writing two books, but simply ran out of words and never finished them. Then one morning, while getting dressed for work and daydreaming about my book, I made a shift. “It’s time to just do it,” I realized. I was tired of thinking about it and ready to move forward.

This week, I feel led to ask you, “What is it finally time for you to do?” It’s a great question for the beginning of the year. Perhaps there is something you’ve been talking about doing, thinking about doing, even daydreaming about doing. It’s time to make a move! A few years ago, I discovered a scripture in Ecclesiastes 5:3 that inspires me whenever I get stuck in a rut of over-thinking my vision in a particular area of my life:

“A dream comes through much activity, but a fool is known by his many words.”

Whether your dream is related to your work, relationships, finances, health, or spiritual life, it will only come to life when you take action! So what is it time for you to take action on? Consider these examples to help you identify what it’s time for you to take action on:

Your Work
- Is it time to change jobs? Change careers? Ask for a raise? Launch your own business? Take your existing business to a new level?

Your Relationships
- Is it time to move past fears or past heartbreaks so that you are healthy and ready for love in your life? Is it time to forgive a family member or friend against whom you’ve been holding a grudge? Is it time to carve out more time for the people you love? Is there a conversation that’s long overdue?

Your Finances
- Is it time to stop using those credit cards that you don’t pay in full every month? Is it time to set up an automatic debit from your checking into an investment account so that you can finally bring your savings goals to life this year? Is it time to take action towards getting more (and better) clients or customers? Is it time to stop spending money to impress others?

Your Health
- Is it finally time to get serious about exercising consistently? Or is it time to cut back on the sugar or fried foods, or add more vegetables to your diet?

Your Spiritual Life
- Is it time to trust God in a particular situation or area of your life? Do you finally need to find a “church home” that nourishes you in the way that you need to be nourished? Is it time to get serious about studying the Word?

Whatever it’s finally time for you to do, make a decision this week to do it. It’s not about creating a New Year’s resolution. It’s about making a shift and recognizing that the time has come for a change. If you ignore the need for a change when it's time, you will find yourself increasingly frustrated with the situation. Often God will allow you to get frustrated so that you will finally become fed up enough to do something about it! That's where I was when I began writing Rich Minds, Rich Rewards in 1999. I knew there was a book inside of me and I was so tired of my own excuses and procrastination, that I finally started writing. Your dreams can come true, but your job is to take action! It begins with a decision and continues with each step you take forward.

It is essential not to begin the year by overwhelming yourself with multiple, large changes and goals. Get clear about what's most important and focus your actions on it.

My challenge to you this week:
Identify the “thing” that it is finally time for you to do. Then take action!

Journaling assignment:
What has kept me from taking action on this particular circumstance or issue in the past? What will I need to do differently to make it easier for me to accomplish my goal? What is my goal in this area?

A sought-after life coach and speaker, Valorie Burton seeks to inspire people to live more fulfilling, less stressful lives. She is the author of Listen to Your Life, What’s Really Holding You Back?, Rich Minds, Rich Rewards, and her latest, Why Not You? 28 Days to Authentic Confidence.