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Sublime Reflection

Sublime Reflection

Rewrite the Story of Your Past

I was recently inspired by a post on Instagram.  One of my coaching colleagues, Dr. Sasha Heinz, suggested that we stop and spend a few moments thinking about who we were ten years ago.

Ten Years Ago

This is me in 2008.  I feel sad when I look at this photo.  It was a hard year for me.  My 18-year marriage was over.  I was a single mom of 6.  I cried every time my kids had to go spend time with their dad.  I was working two jobs–one of them graveyard, so I was constantly tired. I stopped going to church, stopped praying, stopped being me.  It felt like I was barely surviving.  

I was spiraling in doubt, confusion, rebellion, and overwhelm.  The life and family I had planned on was over.  I was drowning financially.  I lived in a house I hated.  I was mad, and sad, and didn’t have a lot of hope.  

Now, ten years later, my life looks totally different.  I started a business.  I wrote a book.  I have an amazing husband.  Four more kids to love.  Grandkids.  A great job.  Financial security.  So many blessings.  

When I look back now and think about how I got from there to here, it was nothing huge.  It was just a lot of little decisions.   

But most of all, it was just deciding not to feel sorry for myself.  I stopped thinking of myself as a victim.  I decided my life could be whatever I wanted it to be.   

It hasn’t been easy.  There have been a lot of ups and downs.    

What’s so interesting is there are still parts of my life that are hard, and I could tell you a sad story about my life today, but I choose not to.   

Likewise, I could have told you the “story” of my life in 2008 from a more positive perspective.  I didn’t see it that way at the time.  I didn’t even know I could.  

But I do know that now.   

I love that we can learn and grow, and when we know better, we do better.

Do you believe you can tell the story of your past any way you want to?

Let me tell you my 2008 story again:

In 2008 I finally had the courage to leave a very difficult 18 year marriage.  I found two jobs that allowed me to work around my kids’ schedule.  I found an apartment we could afford near my parents who helped pick my kids up from school when I was working.   

I used the time my kids were with their dad to fulfill a lifelong dream of writing a novel.  My job ended up being something I could work part-time from home, which gave me some free time to start a business.  That business helped me build the skills which led to the dream job I have today working for The Life Coach School.  

I learned some spiritual lessons that I couldn’t have learned any other way.  I saw many tender mercies from Heaven, including help finding my amazing husband who loves my kids as if they were his own.  

Feels much better, right?    

What did your life look like ten years ago?  And how are you choosing to tell your story?  

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Kimberly Job is a Certified Life Coach, author, and mother of TEN! She's passionate about journaling, self love, personal growth and helping you put yourself at the top of your to do list.

A belief is simply a thought you’ve practiced ov A belief is simply a thought you’ve practiced over and over.

So to believe something new, you have to practice a new thought over and over.

This is the thought I’m practicing in February.

My default thought is “Today is going to be hard.” I’d much rather believe today is going to be fun.

I know I have a lot of coaches who follow me, so chime in with your favorite way to practice a new thought in the comments below.

#lifecoach #thoughtwork #chooseyourbeliefs
My #morningroutine box. I love my morning routine My #morningroutine box.

I love my morning routine so much that I could easily spend 3 hours every morning, if I had the time.

But I don’t—you know job, kids, adulting and such.

So I put all my options in this box, set my timer for one hour, and choose a few things to do.

This morning that looked like:
✔️12WT Audio Coaching
✔️5 Little Lines Journal
✔️Identity Journal
✔️Scriptures
✔️Probiotic & Energy+
✔️Marco Polo Coaching Groups

What do you include in your morning routine?
Truth. You’ve got this. #happymonday Truth. You’ve got this. #happymonday
I made a goal to read 100 books this year. This is I made a goal to read 100 books this year. This is #3 and I’m loving it so far.

I had a totally new insight about what it means to be my “higher” best self.

I’ve always thought of my higher self as my spirit self, my eternal self, the part of me that existed before I was born.

This book suggest that your higher best self is that part of you combined with all the wisdom you’ve gained from the trials you’ve experienced here on earth.

It’s not someone you aspire to be someday. It’s who you are right now.

What are you reading right now?
I heard a quote this morning from @joelosteen. "Wh I heard a quote this morning from @joelosteen. "Whatever follows I am... is going to come looking for you."⁣
⁣
𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐚𝐦.⁣
⁣
Do you say things like, I am....⁣
so tired⁣
so busy⁣
stressed⁣
overwhelmed⁣
fat...⁣
⁣
Or do you say things like:⁣
-I am beautiful⁣
-I am confident⁣
-I am strong⁣
-I am healthy⁣
-I am talented⁣
-I am creative⁣
⁣
This caught my attention because I switched up my goal setting this year, after reading Atomic Habits by @james_clear, and wrote identity goals instead of goals that achieve some specific outcome.⁣
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Here are my 5 “I am” goals for 2020:⁣
⁣
1. I am a person who plans weekly and follows my calendar.⁣
⁣
2. I am a wise steward of our financial resources and take time to think before spending.⁣
⁣
3. I am an intentional, consistent business owner.⁣
⁣
4. I am a passionate, fun wife.⁣
⁣
5. I am growing healthier and stronger every day.⁣
⁣
I have specific habits for each of these goals that I'm tracking in my #bulletjournal⁣
⁣
Are you setting goals this year? I'd love to hear what strategy you're using. 
Share your #2020goals with me in the comments.
My favorite book from 2019 is Atomic Habits by @ja My favorite book from 2019 is Atomic Habits by @james_clear. One concept in the book is building identity based habits.⁣
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A quote from the book, “True behavior change is identity change. When your behavior and your identity are fully aligned, you are no longer pursuing change. You are simply acting like the type of person you already believe yourself to be."⁣
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So I'm approaching my goals a bit differently this year. Instead of creating outcome based goals, I'm creating identity goals. I'll share them with you tomorrow.⁣
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I'm excited to use the Clear Habit Journal to track the new habits I'm working on, and bonus that it doubles as a Bullet Journal. ⁣
⁣
I'm looking forward to using a #bulletjournal again. No matter how many other planners I try, I still love having a blank page to include anything I want. ⁣
A new year always makes me even more reflective th A new year always makes me even more reflective than normal. And reflection is my jam—thus the name of my blog (in case you were wondering). ⁣
⁣
Let’s rewind. There was a time in my life when I was homeless and had no food to eat for almost two months. After staying out in the winter cold, a friend of mine arranged for me to stay with her older sister who just happened to live in a drug house. Random people would come and go. Some spent the night. Every drug you could imagine was available. Many unspeakable things happened there. ⁣
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I used to be ashamed that this was part of my story. But not anymore. I look at it as evidence of how far I’ve come.  I'm the person I am today, not in spite of these hard circumstances, but in part because of them.⁣
⁣
Life looks a lot different now. I own a business. I work for an amazing company. I’m a Certified Life Coach. I have the best husband, and beautiful children. ⁣
⁣
I used to hate myself. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲. And day by day, I'm finally learning to love myself.⁣
⁣
Don’t get me wrong. Life is still not easy. There are hard things in my life too. But I know I have the power to CREATE the life I want. ⁣
⁣
You do too. ⁣
⁣
Notice the 𝘠𝘌𝘛 at the end of this quote. It’s never too late to create the life you want. ⁣
⁣ 
I promise. It’s possible—𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬.
There’s a subtle mindset shift that happens when There’s a subtle mindset shift that happens when you stop putting things off and start taking small steps toward your goals.

No matter how far away change feels, it’s available to you now, and begins with your very next CHOICE.

Don’t choose to stay the same.

Identify one small step you can take today.

Make the choice to do things differently—one day at a time. One CHOICE at a time.

That’s how change happens.

Start with something small. Throw away the Christmas cookies. Cancel Netflix. Pay $10 extra to your credit card.  Call your mom. Try a new recipe.

What is one of your goals for 2020, and what is the first small step you’re going to take?

I’ll post mine in the comments. #2020goals
This is my 10th year choosing a #wordoftheyear

My word shapes my year, my months, weeks, days . . . and moments.

It affects my goals, focus, and decisions.

Some years I pick a more active word because I’m in a season of growing. Other years, I’ve needed more rest and rejuvenation and chose something softer.

2019 was a tough year for me. I decided in 2020 I want to take life less seriously, and experience more joy, play, and fun, so I chose lighthearted for my word.

Here are the words I’ve picked in previous years:

2012 - Shine
2013 - Courage
2014 - Nourish
2015 - Believe
2016 - Ease
2017 - Leap
2018 - Purpose
2019 - Connection

Have you picked a word yet?  I’d love to hear what you chose! Share your word with me in the comments below.

#DYD2019 #onelittleword2019 #lifecoach #lifecoaching #lifeonpurpose
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