The Divatude Challenge Logo Quandary

Lately I've begun streamlining my different roles and realigning what gets and does not get my attention. I'm learning to ***gasp*** delegate and truly let go of tasks and assignments for the major projects I have on my to-do list for this year.

There are some things that I have to have a hand in - even when I have no idea what I'm truly getting into.  Sometimes it's just me being anal, sometimes it's me wanting to try out something new, and sometimes it's me just needing someone to tell me to take a chill pill!

The Divatude Challenge 2013 kicks off soon and I wanted a snazzy logo for it. Typically I use online photo editing sites and free images to put something together, but what I had in mind was something more official and professional-looking.

Thanks to an online logo creator, I was able to easily put together exactly what I was envisioning! When I work with someone else, I feel as though I'm being nit-picky when I send something back numerous times for minor changes.  Using this free website, I'm able to get as nit-picky as I want with myself! Now, the difficult part...choosing which one I want to use....

Image 1 Created Using onlinelogomaker.com

Image 2 Created Using onlinelogomaker.com

 I was able to create a free account with Online Logo Maker where I can save and download my creations.  This is a great tool for business owners of all walks and sizes. Extra perk - it's easy to maneuver - even if you're not very artistic like this diva...especially if you feel you're not very artistic like this diva :)

I would love your input on the two logos - comment with your favorite (Image 1 or Image 2) and the winning logo will be revealed this Sunday when I introduce you all to the first participant in The Divatude Challenge 2013!

 ~Disclaimer~ This is a sponsored post brought to you by my affiliation with Moms With Voices Media.  All opinions are thoughts are solely mine. Read my full disclosure here~

Focus on DIVATUDE - Week 1

Happy Friday!!!! Crossing my fingers, but I think this is a weekend that I'll finally get a chance to just "be". Nothing very pressing that I have to attend or prepare for. No visitors/guests expected. Just some much-needed and well-deserved time at home with my family on the horizon for the next 48 hours.

This year I want to try something different and have a weekly recap focused on the DIVATUDE theme. This is a way to help keep me accountable and focused on the personal and professional goals I set up for myself for 2013.

What was my driving force this week?
Honestly, this week was a blur. It seemed that my family spent most of our time zipping, zooming and just missing one another.  My days started way earlier than normal as we're a one car family unexpectedly until who knows when.  So my husband and I were playing rocks, paper, scissors each morning to decide who was getting car privileges for the day.  Usually I let him win, because taking him to work and back-tracking to our side of town was just a bit much and a waste of gas and precious moments.

My promotion at work was announced (yay!!!) and I've been doing a mixture of my old and new job so it's been a game of "keep up if you can" on both the personal and professional level this week.

My goal is to sit down on Sunday and create a game plan for the week so I don't feel so rushed and hurried. I, also, need to get better at preparing for the day the night before.

What/who inspired me? Who did I inspire?
I received the sweetest thank you card from a cousin who recently graduated from college.  (Yes, I cried when reading it!) She talked about how much she appreciated me being there for her  over the years and little does she know that she's been such an inspiration to me over the years. Her dedication and maturity despite the many obstacles thrown her way made her big cousin super proud!

Did I walk in victory?
Perhaps 55% of the time. I must admit, I let feelings of self-doubt and frustration creep in and take over my emotions and self-talk. Knowing that I'm holding myself accountable will definitely help me do better.

What specifically did I do that impacted my goals? What did I do to help someone else?
I signed up to attend a blogger meet-up next weekend in my hometown. I'll, also, be attending a training session for my Thirty One Gifts business that morning. One of my personal goals is to become debt-free within the next five years so increasing my personal income helps me work towards that goal. I'm, also, taking part in the 52 Week Money Challenge and made my first transfer to my savings account this week.

I'm doing quite a bit of training this week so I'm hoping I was able to impart some useful knowledge on those I crossed paths with.

What aspects of DIVATUDE did you focus on this week?

DWP Challenge # 9: Source of Inspiration

Is there someone in your life that truly made a difference? They stepped in when everyone else seemed to step out? They took the time to truly listen and help you through a difficult time? Or perhaps the way they handled their own personal struggles caused you to persevere and keep pushing forward?

Today's challenge is to take the time to write a letter (not an email, but a real pen to the paper letter) to someone who has made a difference in their life. Let them know what they did and how it impacted you for the better.  Let them know that they sparked something in you to keep pushing onward and upward.

Once you've written it mail it and strive to be that same influence in someone else's life.

Who would you write your letter to? Why?

DWP Challenge Day 8: Listening and Hearing

Active Listening - a communication skill that requires the listener to comprehend, interpret and reflect on what they are hearing usually by para- or re-phrasing to the speaker to ensure comprehension

Listening is one thing - but hearing is a totally different skill. How often do you find yourself overtalking the person you're having a conversation with? Or planning your response while their talking and often missing out on key facts and information?

One of my biggest pet peeves is when I'm talking to someone and they interrupt with what they "think" I'm trying to say or answering the question I've yet to ask because they believe they know what I'm going to say based on the first few words in my sentence.

Good communication is a two-way street. Being able effectively get your point across and being capable of listening and interpreting what is being said.

Today's challenge was to spend more time listening to what others were saying and less time talking. How difficult was that for you? Often, it's human nature to want to jump in with our opinions or own experiences.

Image from HREA.ORG

Active listeners often:

~ face their speaker directly and give their undivided attention (I'm bad at this - especially at work when I'm interrupted while doing something else)

~ Minimize internal and external distractions

~ Keep an open mind and don't assume they know what the speaker is going to say

~ Focus on what they speaker is saying and not plan how they are going to respond while they are supposed to be listening

~ Refrain from turning the conversation back to them or their experiences by sharing similar experiences or how they would react in a situation (unless specifically asked for their opinions/reactions)

~ Hear the speaker out and respond accordingly - even if it feels as though they are being personally attacked - often by listening and asking specific, pertinent questions you can diffuse many situations.

Which active listening technique do you need to work on the most?
How do you feel when the person you are speaking to is NOT a good active listener?

DWP Challenge: Week 2

Week 2 of the DWP Challenge kicks off tomorrow!!!

Our focus is going to be active listening - something that is difficult for many, including myself! The goal is to spend the day listening more than speaking. True listening where you are taking in what others are saying and not just waiting for an opportunity to have your say. We'll recap here on the blog and over on Facebook to see how it went. Good luck!

Also, I'm currently soliciting volunteers to be a part of The Divatude Chronicles that will kick off on January 1st.  Do you have a story to share? Are you driven, inspired, victorious, and/or called-to-action? Are you still working on getting all your stuff together but still pushing forward despite the obstacles? Did you persevere despite challenges and setbacks and can now say "I did that"? I'd love to share your story and help motivate and inspire others. Please email me at divaswithpurpose@gmail.com if you'd like to participate.

Here's a recap of the first 7 challenges:

Challenge 1: Write Personal Mission Statement

Challenge 2: Rather than criticize, coach. Motivate with positive feedback and influence.
 
Challenge 3: Do something nice for someone else - leave a soda money by the vending machine, pay for someone's coffee, let that extra car turn during your morning or afternoon commute, etc
 
Challenge 4: Focus on the positive all day. No negative thoughts. (Warning - often when you make a conscious effort to be positive, it will seem as though anything and everything that can go wrong will - keep smiling and stay positive through it all).
 
Challenge 5: Connect with at least 4 other people and commit to motivating and inspiring one another for the next 5 days. It doesn't have to be anything ornate - just a simple motivating text, email, Facebook post, etc.
 
Challenge 6: Have a selfish moment. Do something for yourself.
 
Challenge 7: Share lessons from your successes and failures with someone that can benefit from it.

DWP Challenge Day 7: Living and Learning

As I blogged on previously, one of my life philosophies is living without regrets. Learning from my mistakes, growing from them and striving to become a better person overall are what I try to focus on.

Today's challenge took me awhile to complete because I'm selective about who I share my story with in a one-on-one basis. I know, sounds odd coming from a blogger who puts almost all of it out there for my readers on a regular basis, right? I've learned though that those closest to you are often the ones to be a little too judgmental - especially when someone's trying to grow and rise above previous choices.

While many around may have wished I took a different path in life, I'm confident that I'm where I am for a specific reason.  The choices and path that I've taken in life have brought me to this point for a reason that I may not fully understand right now, but I know that there's a greater purpose behind it all.

Those are the words I shared with someone who was struggling with a major decision recently made in their life.  Sometimes the choices we make may shock and stun others, but if you have peace in your heart and spirit once you've made it - then don't waver in your decision. Keep your head up and continue to press onward and upward.

You can see the inspiration behind the challenge and the first 7 days challenges below:

Day 1: Write Personal Mission Statement

Day 2: Rather than criticize, coach. Motivate with positive feedback and influence.

Day 3: Do something nice for someone else - leave a soda money by the vending machine, pay for someone's coffee, let that extra car turn during your morning or afternoon commute, etc

Day 4: Focus on the positive all day. No negative thoughts. (Warning - often when you make a conscious effort to be positive, it will seem as though anything and everything that can go wrong will - keep smiling and stay positive through it all).

Day 5: Connect with at least 4 other people and commit to motivating and inspiring one another for the next 5 days. It doesn't have to be anything ornate - just a simple motivating text, email, Facebook post, etc.

Day 6: Have a selfish moment. Do something for yourself.

Day 7: Share lessons from your successes and failures with someone that can benefit from it.

You can see an overview and the inspiration behind this 14-day challenge here.

DWP Challenge Day 6: It's OK to be First

With our many different roles, we often put ourselves at the very bottom of our to-do lists (if we even make it on the lists at all!).

It's okay to do things for ourselves. It's okay to take time out and away from our family, friends and loved ones and just indulge in pure, selfish moments.

One of the definitions I found for selfishness is "exclusive regard to one's own interest or happiness".  Often times that takes on a negative connotation. However, in our many roles in life we often place so much emphasis everyone else that we need gentle reminders to do something for ourselves.

We need to unwind and de-stress. We need to pamper ourselves and let our families (especially our children) see us do so.

My selfish moment today: enjoying one of my daughter's birthday cupcakes while sitting on my patio enjoying the quietness of the afternoon while my kiddos napped.

DWP Challenge Day 5: Diva Circle

"Across species and throughout human cultures, females have banded together for protection and mutual support. They have groomed each other, tended each other's young, nursed each other in illness and engaged in the aimless sociability that generally has mystified male anthropologists.

But the power of girlfriends is beginning to yield its secrets to science. For women, friendship not only rules, it protects. It buffers the hardships of life's transitions, lowers blood pressure, boosts immunity and promotes healing. It might help explain why women, on average, have lower rates of heart disease and longer life expectancies than men." 

~ Melissa Healy, Seattle Times

The friendships I have with other divas are absolutely priceless.  My divas have inspired me in so many ways.  We've celebrated together, cried together, mourned together, succeeded together, motivated one another and so much more.

Today's challenge is to connect with 4 other divas and commit to motivating and uplifting each other over the next 5 days. It can be as simple as a mass text or email, inspirational Facebook posts, or conference calls. Whatever your schedules will allow and you can all  commit to.  My circle for the next 5 days is super diverse and eclectic! I can't wait to see how we motivate and inspire each other.

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. 

 ~ Alice Walker

Week 1 of the Challenge:

Day 1: Write Personal Mission Statement

Day 2: Rather than criticize, coach. Motivate with positive feedback and influence.

Day 3: Do something nice for someone else - leave a soda money by the vending machine, pay for someone's coffee, let that extra car turn during your morning or afternoon commute, etc

Day 4: Focus on the positive all day. No negative thoughts. (Warning - often when you make a conscious effort to be positive, it will seem as though anything and everything that can go wrong will - keep smiling and stay positive through it all).

Day 5: Connect with at least 4 other people and commit to motivating and inspiring one another for the next 5 days. It doesn't have to be anything ornate - just a simple motivating text, email, Facebook post, etc.

Day 6: Have a selfish moment. Do something for yourself.

Day 7: Share lessons from your successes and failures with someone that can benefit from it.

You can see an overview and the inspiration behind this 14-day challenge here.

DWP Challenge Day 4: Positive Thoughts

Positive thinking and talk is definitely not a new topic here on Divas With A Purpose.

A couple of years ago, I wrote about Dreamkillers and the experience I had with someone close to me speaking negative thoughts into my psyche and how it affected me for years to come. Being positive is not always an easy thing to do. However, the more you focus on it and practice it, the easier it becomes part of your natural habit.

Many times it's easier to focus on the negative - complain - make a lot of noise rather than rise above all of that (and others) look at the brighter side of things.

Today I had to deal with some specialness and had to check myself.  Rather than complain about and berate those that didn't do what they were supposed to do, I had to stop, breathe and explain how their actions affected the grand scheme of things.  Often times when people do things - it's not that their lazy or slack - they truly don't realize how what they do affects others and aren't able to prioritize correctly.

Did you have any trying moments today? Did positive thinking and talking help you re-focus and become more productive?

Week 1 of the Challenge:

Day 1: Write Personal Mission Statement

Day 2: Rather than criticize, coach. Motivate with positive feedback and influence.

Day 3: Do something nice for someone else - leave a soda money by the vending machine, pay for someone's coffee, let that extra car turn during your morning or afternoon commute, etc

Day 4: Focus on the positive all day. No negative thoughts. (Warning - often when you make a conscious effort to be positive, it will seem as though anything and everything that can go wrong will - keep smiling and stay positive through it all).

Day 5: Connect with at least 4 other people and commit to motivating and inspiring one another for the next 5 days. It doesn't have to be anything ornate - just a simple motivating text, email, Facebook post, etc.

Day 6: Have a selfish moment. Do something for yourself.

Day 7: Share lessons from your successes and failures with someone that can benefit from it.

You can see an overview and the inspiration behind this 14-day challenge here.

DWP Challenge Day 3: Nice Gestures

Today's challenge was rather simple compared to yesterday's for me. I needed that mental break!

I just had to be nice - now sometimes that can be easier said than done. I chose to focus on my commutes back and forth to work because I have a tendency to be a little short-tempered in the car. Just a tad!

I smiled more and even used nice hand gestures :)

What random act of kindness did you do for someone today? Day's not over yet if you haven't done anything...try it...it'll bring a smile to your face and their's!

The significance of this, you ask? Well, being nice is always a good thing but some other benefits:

~  it helps add significance and meaning to your life

~ it's a stress reliever and confidence booster

~ it helps distract and alleviate some of your own problems

~ people take notice and do nice things for others, too

So, really, what are you waiting for?

~~~

Week 1 of the Challenge:

Day 1: Write Personal Mission Statement

Day 2: Rather than criticize, coach. Motivate with positive feedback and influence.

Day 3: Do something nice for someone else - leave a soda money by the vending machine, pay for someone's coffee, let that extra car turn during your morning or afternoon commute, etc

Day 4: Focus on the positive all day. No negative thoughts. (Warning - often when you make a conscious effort to be positive, it will seem as though anything and everything that can go wrong will - keep smiling and stay positive through it all).

Day 5: Connect with at least 4 other people and commit to motivating and inspiring one another for the next 5 days. It doesn't have to be anything ornate - just a simple motivating text, email, Facebook post, etc.

Day 6: Have a selfish moment. Do something for yourself.

Day 7: Share lessons from your successes and failures with someone that can benefit from it.

You can see an overview and the inspiration behind this 14-day challenge here.

DWP Challenge Day 2: More Coaching, Less Critizing

Whew! Today's challenge is proving to be a challenge! How ironic that it fell f on a Sunday when I'm home with my family and they are the one's I have to focus on being less critical of and more positive with. Definitely an eye opener.

For those that don't know my household dynamics - my husband, myself, my 11 year old son, my 4 year old son and the 11 month old teething diva-in-training. Plenty opportunities for not-so-fun conversations on most days.

My family had a birthday party for my niece yesterday and my kiddos are still high on all the cake, ice cream and candy their grandparents stuffed them with before hightailing it out of here to the peace and quietness of their home.

I'm a huge advocate of watching the words we speak to and over our children.  I can still remember negative, nasty things said to me decades ago. They truly can impact your self-esteem, confidence and worth.

I started the day out by explaining the challenge to my children and letting them know that today's focus was on being less critical of others and their actions. Needless to say, we've all taken on the challenge and have been mindful to remind each other if someone's words seem to take on a negative connotation.  There have been less arguments between my boys and I even caught my oldest "coaching" his younger brother on how to play a computer game so they could play together. Winning!

How do you motivate your loved ones with positive  feedback and influence? Once I get my kids to buy into a behavior it's awesome to see how they incorporate it into their daily lives and remind us all if we slip up.

~~~~~

Week 1 of the Challenge:

Day 1: Write Personal Mission Statement

Day 2: Rather than criticize, coach. Motivate with positive feedback and influence.

Day 3: Do something nice for someone else - leave a soda money by the vending machine, pay for someone's coffee, let that extra car turn during your morning or afternoon commute, etc

Day 4: Focus on the positive all day. No negative thoughts. (Warning - often when you make a conscious effort to be positive, it will seem as though anything and everything that can go wrong will - keep smiling and stay positive through it all).

Day 5: Connect with at least 4 other people and commit to motivating and inspiring one another for the next 5 days. It doesn't have to be anything ornate - just a simple motivating text, email, Facebook post, etc.

Day 6: Have a selfish moment. Do something for yourself.

Day 7: Share lessons from your successes and failures with someone that can benefit from it.

You can see an overview and the inspiration behind this 14-day challenge here.

DWP Challenge Day 1: Mission Statement

Let's be clear - I don't expect the mission statement to be completed, polished and wrapped in a tiny bow within 10-15 minutes.

However, I'm spending the day reflecting on what I want to put in my personal statement - something that I know will evolve and change as I grow.

This has been on my list of to-do's for entirely way too long and it's time to start whittling away at it.

Why a personal mission statement? That song You Fancy, Huh? just popped into my head :)

This is just a way to focus and align your life's purpose with your daily walk.  That still sounds pretty serious and official-like, right? Really, in my opinion, it's a brief statement or list of words that give you a clear overview on how you'd like to live each day.  Will you do it each and every day? Of course not, but it helps you focus your energies and activities.

Most company mission statements communicate their primary goals, values and purpose. As individuals focused on making a difference in our families, organizations, communities and those we reach - why shouldn't we be able to communicate the same?

Some questions to reflect on:

~ what makes you smile?
~what are you naturally good at?
~if you could teach anything, what would it be?
~what are your core values? what's most important to you?
~what 3-5 words come to mind when you think of yourself?
~what do you do when you're procrastinating?
~what do people come to you for advice on?


“Writing or reviewing a mission statement changes you because it forces you to think through your priorities deeply, carefully, and to align your behavior with your beliefs”
~Stephen Covey,The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Putting it all together...first and foremost, it's YOUR personal mission statement so it can read and be phrased however you like. Whatever motivates, inspires and helps you. Some start each sentence off with words like "I will", "I am", "I believe", "I do" Some use only positive affirmations and some use negative words to emphasize what they want to remove from their environments. Do you. Begin writing and see what comes out. Take some time to polish it and work on it until you're satisfied. Once you're done ~ type it out, make it pretty and put it somewhere you'll see each day to inspire and motivate you to be the best you that you can be.
My Work in Progress:

I will stay true to my values and beliefs.

I will focus on the positive and remain thankful for all of life’s blessings – no matter how minute or trivial.

I will instill an attitude of gratitude in my children and live a virtuous life for them to pattern their personal walk.

I can do anything I set my mind to – I will go back to school to complete my educational goals.

I will focus on what brings me happiness – motivating and inspiring women to live their best, strive for better and empowering others no matter their circumstances.

I am embracing my inner DIVATUDE


Week 1 of the Challenge:

Day 1: Write Personal Mission Statement

Day 2: Rather than criticize, coach. Motivate with positive feedback and influence.

Day 3: Do something nice for someone else - leave a soda money by the vending machine, pay for someone's coffee, let that extra car turn during your morning or afternoon commute, etc

Day 4: Focus on the positive all day. No negative thoughts. (Warning - often when you make a conscious effort to be positive, it will seem as though anything and everything that can go wrong will - keep smiling and stay positive through it all).

Day 5: Connect with at least 4 other people and commit to motivating and inspiring one another for the next 5 days. It doesn't have to be anything ornate - just a simple motivating text, email, Facebook post, etc.

Day 6: Have a selfish moment. Do something for yourself.

Day 7: Share lessons from your successes and failures with someone that can benefit from it.

You can see an overview and the inspiration behind this 14-day challenge here.
Have a fantastic day :)

Divas With Purpose 14-Day Challenge

Why a random 14 day challenge in the middle of the month? 

It hit me that I was getting slack. The passion and uumph had for DWP was waning because of outside distractions and setbacks. I’ve decided for 14 days I will do a something small, but significant to focus on being a woman of purpose and motivation. I encourage you to join in with me when you can.

Why only 14 days? I'm a realist. My ADD will kick in around day 7 so it will truly be a challenge for me stay focused, but after jotting down the things I want to focus on each day - I'm excited and motivated already!

I will be blogging each day on each challenge and updating the links below if anyone wants to bookmark this page to keep up with everything in one place.

Chime in below or on the Facebook page if you're going to join in at any point.

Wish me luck, Divas!

Day 1: Write Personal Mission Statement

Day 2: Rather than criticize, coach. Motivate with positive feedback and influence.

Day 3: Do something nice for someone else - leave a soda money by the vending machine, pay for someone's coffee, let that extra car turn during your morning or afternoon commute, etc

Day 4: Focus on the positive all day. No negative thoughts. (Warning - often when you make a conscious effort to be positive, it will seem as though anything and everything that can go wrong will - keep smiling and stay positive through it all).

Day 5: Connect with at least 4 other people and commit to motivating and inspiring one another for the next 5 days. It doesn't have to be anything ornate - just a simple motivating text, email, Facebook post, etc.

Day 6: Have a selfish moment. Do something for yourself.

Day 7: Share lessons from your successes and failures with someone that can benefit from it.

Day 8: Spend the day listening more then speaking.  True listening - not anticipating what your response is going to be when others are finished speaking.

Day 9: Write a letter to someone who has inspired you and mail it.

Day 10: What's your area of expertise? Offer to help someone that could benefit from it - no strings attached.

Day 11: Create a vision board.

Day 12: Reflect on where you want to be 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years from now. What do you need to do to get there. Act on it!

Day 13: Create a motto for yourself.  Write it down and post it where you'll see it on a daily basis.

Day 14: Focus on your DIVATUDE. What drives you? What inspires you? In what ways are you victorious? What calls you to action?