Happy Productive New Year Pam Farrel is one of the most “get it done” women I know. In this New Year UPGRADE, she desires to help us be “get it done” women too! “Achievement, attainment and accomplishment feel GREAT!“ Pam says. “Completion brings a certain satisfaction and fulfillment, especially if our goals and tasks positively impact our life.” I (Dawn) have personally seen how many accomplishments Pam has made over the years. She must have some secret, I thought. Turns out, she does! And she’s sharing it here. Pam continues . . . Our productivity has even more value when it means that other people are blessed and built up too. When our accomplishments encourage and equip others, the joy is multiplied! People sometimes ask me, “How did you write and publish 46+ books, speak almost every week, run a ministry, keep a vibrant marriage, raise three great kids, build a wonderful friendship circle and keep your home in order? Honestly, I was inspired long ago by the Proverbs 31 woman. While I recognize this description of a godly woman was penned as a tribute and likely covered the accomplishments of her lifetime, while studying the passage, one VITAL trait consistently popped off the page: The Proverbs 31 woman didn’t just hope, dream, wish or plan—the girl took ACTION! Let’s look at this famous passage. (I have emphasized the action verbs): An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. 14 She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. 15 She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. 16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. 17 She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. 19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. 20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. 22 She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. THE RESULT And what is the positive outcome of her proactive action plan? 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. In summary . . . Her kids rave about their awesome mom; her husband proclaims her strength, value, talent, and character; she is held up as a role model of virtue and godliness, a woman to be praised by people; and best yet, her OWN WORKS—those accomplished tasks and the character developed in the pursuit—provide an extra dose of praise! Inspired by her diligent action, I thought, “How can I replicate this hard-working woman’s ‘get it done’ style?” In Get It Done, Girl! Maximizing Your Moments Action Planner, I share a simple acrostic that helps me plan and then take A.C.T.I.O.N. A—Ask God. Invite the Creator to give you a heavenly perspective. I begin each day asking Him to order the steps of my day. By taking the time to pray, it has helped me recall a person, an opportunity, a need, or inspired a creative thought for a book, a blog or a business. C—Clear the “Must Do’s.” I keep the Due Date next to each task in my action planner and also, as a reminder, on my phone’s calendar. I ask, “Which of the many things I have written has the worst consequence for inaction?” I mark these MUST DOs with a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in order of priority. T—Tackle Tough Tasks. Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day. Your “frog” is the most vital task each day. I try to handle the hardest things early in the day—then I greatly reward myself! I—Invest in the Future. At this point, I get to select the tasks and actions to make progress on. For bigger projects, I break them down into more bite-sized portions, assign due dates, then select time blocks to work on these items. I track my projects and try to make forward movement. O—Organize Space and Personal Life. Being organized can lower your daily stress and raise your productivity. You can either: pay a maid, delegate chores to your children—which helps them grow up to be responsible adults, or handle your tasks yourself. The key to our happy, long-lasting marriage is this: The one who has the RESPONSIBILITY has the AUTHORITY to handle that task, their way, their time, with their creative ingenuity. And the spouse’s role is to THANK and APPLAUD their mate for handling the job. N—Nurture Those I Love. Just because you are a “Get It Done, Girl” kind of woman doesn’t mean you are all work and no play! The most productive people I know have a healthy work/play balance. Their motivation for the work is to provide, protect and bring a peaceful environment to their life and family. A happy family is a more productive family. And while we are talking about nurturing, treat yourself as kindly as your Heavenly Father would treat you. How can you press in and take not procrastinate? What in this blog will help you take A.C.T.I.O.N. so those in your life arise to bless you? Pam Farrel is an international speaker, author of the Get It Done, Girl: Maximize Your Moments Action Planner, her 47th book. She and her husband, Bill, are Co-Directors of Love-Wise. To help with your productivity, in their book 10 Best Decisions a Parent Can Make there is a list of what chores and responsibilities children and teens can handle by their age and stage of life. In Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti, the Farrels share how they divide and delegate work, ministry, home and family responsibilities. Goals Ministry New Year Organization Priorities