Keys to thrive in 2024
Before creating your strategic plan, do this!
Listen to the companion Thrive Support Podcast Episode titled ‘First Things First | 2024 Thrive Prayer & Fast’
Thrive Belief (consider this):
You are called and equipped to do good works.
Thrive Action (do this):
Live as though you believe.
Welcome to a new year! I am blessed to be here and even more pleased to see you here as well. As we all aim to create and/or implement an effective strategic plan for increased profits and increased impact in our businesses this year, I want to offer a few of my most powerful business ‘secrets’. I recently facilitated a time of prayer of fasting for visionary entrepreneurs and those who have been called to creative projects. I hope to make this an annual campaign and we have recently concluded the first. As we wrapped up, I realized that these practices can separate those who accomplish great things for the Kingdom in their faith-led brands from those brands who struggle to make impact.
before we can plant fruitfully, we must first prepare the soil.
Here are a few practices I use in my annual planning and all throughout the year:
Daily Scripture
God can be found within His Word. It’s the love letter, it’s the manual, it’s the guide for our lives. There is no better way to stay connected to the purpose God has called you to fulfill than by seeking His face by reading the Bible. If you are a faith-based visionary, I encourage you to set a goal to read at least one scripture everyday. You can always read more but I encourage you to prioritize that minimum. Not so you can check something off of your list, but so that you can create the space for God to speak directly to you. Messages from church are great and devotions are cool, but there’s nothing like the truth straight from the source! There are many free apps you can download onto your phone that make this practice more than doable.
Build an ‘Audacious Faith’ list
At my church, New Pointe Church, our Pastor Tom Cordero encourages us to write a list of at least 5 things we are believing God for in that current year. He encourages our congregation to list things that only God can do and commit to trusting Him to perform miracles. You would not believe the ways in which God has moved through this group of people who dared to believe! Just the act of creating the list and meditating on it throughout the year has grown my faith by leaps and bounds! I invite you to build your own list. It can be 5 things, less or more. Participants in this year's Thrive Prayer & Fast can consider the prayers they prayed that week as a start. I have one list that is business specific in addition to my non-business list. Do it however you’d like but be sure to be bold in your faith as you have the audacity to believe God for miracles! I’ve got a template here for those who want it.
Pray & Fast regularly
I recently facilitated a time of prayer of fasting for visionary entrepreneurs and those who have been called to creative projects. I hope to make this an annual campaign but you don’t have to wait for the Thrive Prayer & Fast in order to embrace the practice for yourself. Those who participated have the prayer prompts and scriptures from the previous campaign to use anytime they’d like to lean in a bit deeper by repeating this fast. If you missed it this time, simply choose a few areas you’d like to see God move mightily in your business, source related promises in Scripture, and pray them over your business. Sacrifice one or more mealtimes and/or habits (like social media) for a specific amount of time as you meditate on prayer and scripture. Here is a YouTube playlist I use during my periods of prayer and fasting.
Stay connected
It is much easier to stick to nourishing habits if we have accountability from those doing the same. Feel free to email or dm me, (or for those that have my personal number, text or call me) anytime you need a prayer or a word of encouragement. On the Thrive Business Support platforms, I will regularly share resources, encouragement, and reminders for you to put God first and center as you go about your creative projects and business. If you are not already, follow me on your platform(s) of choice: Instagram, YouTube, Thrive Support Podcast. I will be releasing a newsletter/mailing list sometime this year. Visit the contact page to join the waitlist here.
Expect great things in 2024!
By incorporating these foundational practices, I pray that you will build a habit of putting God first and always in the endeavors He has called you to. With these habits as your fertilizer, you’re ready to create and implement a sustainable strategic plan for your creative project. Be sure to join me on your favorite podcast platform for new episodes of the Thrive Support Podcast.
Until next time,
Plant fruitfully!
note: Although AI is a helpful tool, it has not been used to help write, formulate, or enhance this article. All concepts, typos, and grammatical errors are our own. ;)
