Now just because the Vernal Equinox is approaching and the Northern Hemisphere will be entering the Spring season does not necessarily mean all of us will be. So how do you determine what season you may be preparing for? I’m glad you asked, because that’s where we’ll pick up now on “Becoming Today”.
As we talked about yesterday in“Preparing To Spring Ahead”, the return of Daylight Savings Time, this weekend leaves us with more to do than reset clocks and try to remember how to change that one, which confounds us every six months.
It’s time to refresh and renew not only items in our life, but also ourselves.
According to a group known as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, adults need to get a minimum of seven hours of sleep, the weeks before and after the clocks are adjusted.
They say we should also gradually, better start tonight then, adjust our routines by making our bedtimes 15-20 minutes earlier each night. Apparently that is to make up for the hour we’ll “lose” on Sunday morning.
Another recommendation from the group of doctors is to set your clocks ahead before going to bed at your normal time, Saturday night, instead of waiting till the next morning.
Plus here’s a “Ro-notation” for you, do not try this at home. Do not attempt what my Grandfather always did, which was to set alarm clocks to get everyone up in order to make sure all the clocks were all adjusted at precisely two in the morning.
Now those who do not take steps to ensure they are well rested and realigned for the seasonal shift could be in store for some scary times on the roads over the next week.
A different study reveals that in the week after the switch to Daylight Savings Time, the number of fatal traffic accidents in the United States increases by six-percent. The majority of those occur in the morning hours, and the further west you are in the timezones the more affected you are by time change.
As the seasons begin to change we are preparing ourselves for a time of awakening, blossoming and reemerging. All of which require effort on our part.
Let’s get to work. Today’s post will require participation on your part. After all, it’s designed to help you clarify your vision, accept your purpose and determine the next step to take along your individual path towards “Becoming”.
Begin by asking yourself some questions. There are no wrong or right answers, since there are questions you are asking yourself about your Self.
Undertake a self examination of your past, present, and future making sure to base your questions focusing on your hopes and dreams. These are intended to build a foundation for undertaking some life changes.
I know, someone over there says “that’s not easy” and I hear her on the other side saying “change is tough”; Yes, nonetheless it is required to continue growing, developing and living.
Asking yourself hard questions plus answering them thoroughly and honestly can help you determine how ready you are to achieve your goals, makes dreams come true and truly live a life of “Becoming”.
Quite simply you are preparing to clarify your life’s purpose. For some this may be their first exploration, for others it may be time to revisit earlier lessons learned and for others yet, we realize this is an ever-developing aspect in life. Therefore as seasons change so may our focus, needs and wants.
An example of this from Scripture is the Apostle Paul. He knew, understood and accepted the mission to which he was called.
He lived a very “Becoming” acknowledging God had called him to preach the gospel (Ephesians 3:8-9). He devoted his energy, talents, experiences and opportunities to accomplish this purpose.
Focus on your responses for a while, then ask yourself
What is my life’s purpose? My mission? Where do I direct my focus? And why? Write down ( or type) your answers. Keep them where you can refer to them as a roadmap or guidebook for orienting your path.
Here are some sample questions you may consider during this exercise:
What do you value?
What is truly important to yo?;
How do you motivate yourself?
What do you really want out of life? ( Not what others want of you, not what some say you should, but truly what you want).
What are your greatest talents or skills?
Which of your talents gives you the greatest sense of satisfaction?
What are your biggest weaknesses?
What do you do to overcome ( grow beyond) them?
What are the values dearest to your heart?
How is the “public you” different from the “private you”?
What are you most proud of in your life to date? Why?
What do you hope to achieve in life?
What three things would you like to change most about yourself?
Now that you have gained insight into who you really are and what is most important to you, you can put those answers into action. Develop and fine tune your goals, aspirations and desires.
How do you begin that? By asking and answering some more questions.
Before we begin, keep in mind right now the “how” does not matter. You need to define who you are? Where you are going? And why do you want it? The ‘how’ things will happen, just like the times when, “it” will work itself out or be revealed at the right moment. Remember God is in the details.
Eight Questions to Forecast Your Season
- Is the focus of my “Becoming” something I truly desire?
It needs to be about you, for you and from within. To qualify your answers also take note of these inquiries. Am I pushing myself to be something I’m actually not? Am I being something I’m not just because others expect it of me?
- Who will I have to become in order to make my goal a reality?
You already know unlike the song you can not remain the same. So now is the time to focus on affecting positive impactful and effective methods of change. This could involve thought processes such as what must I do differently? Write out your revised goals and review them daily. Take small steps. Set achievable tasks for each day along the way. Change is inevitable and necessary. You realize you can not keep doing things the same way over and over and expect different results. Sound familiar? So even though Einstein never actually said it, focus on sanity anyway.
- What have I done in the past to try and achieve this goal?
Did you have success? If so, how do you make it happen again? If not, determine what you need to do differently. Develop new strategies that are more in line with who you are “Becoming”. Release the past, let go of old ways and focus on building momentum forward and upward.
- What are your “whys”?
Continue asking yourself “why” you want what you want. Why is it good? Why will it improve your life? Why is it of benefit to the greater good? Why aren’t you making progress? Why are you feeling better about yourself and circumstances?
- What will you have to give up in order to make your “Becoming” a reality?
In order to receive you have to make room for it. We all need to release parts of our past. This can include identities, relationships and for some physical belongings. All can contribute to limiting us and contribute to keeping us from our goals.
- What’s stopping you?
In answering this question you’ll discover what’s preventing you from taking action. Often a habitual response. Somewhere along the way you trained yourself to accept less, or make do. Take the limits off. Open yourself to opportunity and possibilities. It’s time to shift your attitude into high gear and believe in yourself and who you are truly “Becoming”.
- What does your success look like?
Having a clear picture of what life will look like for the future you is essential to assisting you in achieving your goals. It is a great motivator to be able to clearly see who or what your “Becoming”. Some may try vision boards, for others just keeping the image top of mind, in their hearts or reinforcing the picture by writing or speaking about it is a great motivator. Visualize your success creating clarity to sharpen your focus.
- Will this choice move me forward or keep me stuck?
We all have choices we must make every day. More than likely every hour. Keep this in mind and come to understand the ramifications of these actions. Will skipping a step aid your progress? Or cause you to trip? Is this better than that? Yes it may be harder, that way, but I never said any of this would be easy. So refresh yourself and get ready to take renewing actions.
Consider these questions carefully. If you want clarification, care to add to the discussion or contribute comments, post below. If you prefer to send a private communication, click over to the Contact Page for an easy to use submission form.
Then make sure you stop by again tomorrow, for our next edition of “Becoming Today”, as we’ll discuss how you bridge the seasons while preparing to cross over to the next.
Did you know you can listen to our daily conversations? Usually at the top of this post you’ll see a Spotify button to go directly to it, but as different providers are realigning their services and making readjustments, it’s a little iffy. So while we adjust to their readjustments, here’s an alphabetical list of links for all the places you can listen.
“Becoming Today with Rochelle Jeanette” is available on these podcast platforms:
Becoming Today with Rochelle Jeanette 
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