This post and a conversation with my friend Kelly really got me thinking.  Frankly, it got me me fired up!  In our phone call, Kelly asked Emily and I how we make things happen, how I find balance so I don’t feel like work is my life and how I make marriage a priority with so much on my plate.  I get these same questions all the time.  First of all, I don’t do any of this perfectly (progress, not perfection), but I can tell you the answers to all of those questions:  I had to change.  I had to do the hard work.  I had to make firm decisions.  I had to say NO to doing the same thing every day that was getting me nowhere and say YES to a life that mattered.  I had to make sacrifices.  I still do every day and they are WORTH IT.  

Because I personally believe in giving all of my “secrets” away to help others, I literally spelled out exactly how I do things every day about a year ago. THE CHALLENGE is 10 posts I wrote that tell you precisely what I do to simplify my life and make things happen.  Things that matter. There are no other hidden secrets I have and there are no quick fixes.  And you don’t have to listen to a single word I say.  I don’t know what you need in life right now and I don’t have all the answers, but I do know this works just as well for me today as it did a year ago.  Even with a baby now in the mix, nothing has changed because I discovered some universal truths - through making a ton of mistakes and learning the hard way - and I stick to them.  Circumstances will always change, but basic facts that give you clear focus on what matters do not.  Taking the mere 30 minutes it will take you to read all of these posts WILL change you because it isn’t rocket science, people.  If you don’t believe me as a living example, read the comments. (This is why I’ve never transferred the posts to a different platform because hearing other people’s experiences is so valuable to others and keeps you accountable.) It just works. Not just for me.  I’m nothing special.  I learned the hard way in many instances for the last decade I’ve been in business and I decided to share what I’ve learned and how I do what I do.  Pretty simple.

And here’s where you get your kick in the pants:  Making things happen means you have to make the decision to change.  I wrote The Challenge to give you practical steps on how to do that.  If you are like Kelly was, thinking that it’s too overwhelming and you just don’t have time, then… The Challenge is PERFECT for you.  These posts - and the changes they describe - were written as a result of me being sick and tired of running myself into the ground.  If y’all have been following me since the beginning, you know I used to run myself into the ground a lot.  I was overwhelmed and not using even a tenth of my potential.  I had a weak marriage, poor friendships and my business was just stuck.  I was working 24/7 and plain old unhappy.  I was sick and tired of being sick and tired!  So, over time, I made some big changes.  I made a ton of mistakes and I tried everything I could think of.  With a lot of prayer and grace from the man upstairs, I finally started to feel whole and happy and joyful and - even now with the chaos of motherhood and no matter what comes my way - I feel like I am on the right path.  Will the same happen for you just by following these steps?  I don’t know.  But, isn’t it worth giving it a try?  How important is living life to the full?  How important are your dreams?  How important is your family?  Your art?  Your marriage?  The first step for me was admitting that I didn’t know it all and that what I was doing just wasn’t working.  It was humbling.  It was a process.  It didn’t happen overnight and I’m still on this path every day.  But, taking action was and is worth it.  A year from now you will wish you had started today. - Karen Lamb  That is one of my favorite quotes for a reason, friends.  I can’t make you put one foot in front of the other.  But, you can.  You have everything you need to make the changes you know you need to make. You are worth it.  Period.  Start today. - Lara

P.S. Only a couple weeks left (deadline is April 1) to apply for the Making Things Happen Scholarship.