| | | | Information and Resources for Your Business and Life | | | | Inspiration, Tools & Tips! JANUARY 2022 | | | | | |
Online Bible Study Dr. Pam will be teaching her new book "Disciple Me" in a zoom class presented by the Bethel Church Miami. Apostle Carlos L. Malone Sr. is the pastor.
Class Information: Discipleship Training: Disciple Me January 9, 2022 - May 4, 2022 Every Wednesday - 7:30-8:30 PM
1. If you would like to attend, please register. We will be using the book for the class.
2. Bethel Members and those who live in Miami can purchase yours from the church. Please click the church link (above) for contact information.
3. The books can also be purchased from me. They are 15.00 + postage if you are not in the city. If the purchase link does not work email newsletter@drpamrussell.com
Click the appropriate link below. | | | | | |
Employment Offer A God Send, Inc. A federal 501(c)(3) non-profit has an offer for an administrative assistant. The position is: - Part-time, one day slated for Friday. However, the day is negotiable.
- Payment is by 1099, NOT W-2
- $10.00/hr. more depending on experience
- More information can be found in the position description.
- If you want to apply, click here.
- If you know someone who is looking to work, please forward this information. You can also contact me, and I will reach out.
| | | | | | Starting Stronger In order to start stronger, you need a plan. Depending on how your year ended, the plan you need may vary or you may need multiple plans. Do you have a plan laid out for the new year? Do you know your priorities and goals? Even though it may change throughout the year, it’s important to give yourself a solid foundation to start your year stronger than you did last year. | | | |  February
| | | | | | | | | | Welcome to the new year, those who have been with me and those who are newcomers. How did your year-end closeout turnout? Did you end strong? Every new year, we tell ourselves, “This year I’m going to ….” And then the new year ends, and we repeat the cycle over again. Research shows that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by the beginning of February. Why? Because New Year’s resolutions seldom have actionable steps.
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This month we are going to put the assessments and goals you set in November and December into practice as you set yourself up to start stronger. We are going to create a plan. I will say it again, if you don’t plan to succeed, you automatically plan to fail. I would like to thank everyone for starting the new year with me.
Also, as I do every month, thanks to everyone who reached out. I get more and more excited as I see what God is doing with and in my life. It is an honor and a pleasure to give you tips and help you learn from my successes and failures. Please stay subscribed to receive more information, success stories, tips, freebies and much more. | | | | | | | |
Starting Stronger! Remember, you do not set your plan it stone. However, you need to create a plan that will be the launching point for a successful year. Here are some steps to set that plan. 1. Define your Priorities. With all the assessments that you did in November and December, what did you identify as your strengths and areas that need improvement? Take time to list your priorities and rank them in order of importance. Where does God, marriage, business, career, kids, family, health, etc., fit? Pick your top 3-5 priorities to start. Remember, what you pick initially can change as the year progresses and as you meet your goals. Therefore, just establish what’s most important right now.
2. List Your Projects for the Year. Once you have your priorities, you will can decide which things you want to accomplish. Then you can break those goals down into smaller steps. Here are some categories you can place your goals in: - Financial
- Business
- Home and Family
- Health
Make sure your goals are “SMART” (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant (or Realistic), Time-bound). As you are looking at your goals, there are some things to ask yourself: - What’s the “Why” behind your goals?
- Why do you want to accomplish the goals you set?
- How will completing the goals impact your life?
- How will you feel when it’s done?
Next, it’s fun and strengthening to set a mantra for the year. This will be a continual phrase you say to yourself all year. It is just an intentional way to stay focused on the work you want to complete and how you want to grow and learn during the year ahead. My mantra is “Start Stronger” I love having a theme for the year. In leadership, in counseling, and especially in the Bible, they encourage us to speak positive affirmations. It is so healthy. “If you change what you say, you will change what you think and that will change what you accomplish.” - Dr. Pam Russell
3. Fill in Your Schedule Look at your yearly calendar. What essential commitments have you already made? What important holidays, birthdays, and events do you need to plan around? Now that you have your goals identified, you have a better idea of what projects and goals for the year will be realistic. This is where having a planner comes in handy. Find a planner that works well for you. You can choose a hard copy or digital. Make sure you choose one that you will actually use. If you do, you will be more prepared and organized. I will discuss what would be helpful in the specific areas below.
There are area specific checklists, templates and a lot more to help you start stronger in the freebies this month. Use them to plan the success of your year. | | | | 
Business Application
Take stock of where your business currently stands and plan your business’s future. Here are 6 steps to plan for next year. Your plan to start the new year starting stronger should basically answers three questions: | | 
Ministry Application
This year has slowly improved after the 2020 pandemic. One thing you need to keep in mind, things will not be the same and you have to step into a new normal. However, there is some semblance of life pre-pandemic returning to
READ MORE ...
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Personal Application
I hope you did the assessments and evaluations in November and December to end the year strong. Now is the time to start stronger. If you did not complete them, you can use the personal SWOT in the freebie section. If you are
| | | | | | | | Pamela Russell Ministry Information Prayer Line Name: “At God’s Door” Number: 951-981-7721, no passcode is needed. Time: 5:30- 6:00 a.m. EST, but you can log on earlier. Days: Sun-Sat, including holidays
If you want to be a part of prayer, but its a bit too early for you. Please listen and be blessed. The recordings can be found here.
Additional Information: Online information about the prayer line Prayer Requests: Submit them here. The Current Devotional we are using is My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. You have access to the entire year. We are using the update version, not the classic.
Please come and share with us.
We have put together a wonderful project to bring healing. 
You can listen to it here. We were approved so you can now also listen to it or download it from You Tube.
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FREEBIES
Here are this month’s free business and ministry tools:If you need any help with any of these resources please contact me.
| | | | FEATURED COMPANY/CLIENT REVIEW | | You can be featured whether you have been my client or not. If I understand your business and I believe you can help my readers, please reach out to me using my contact information at the bottom of this page. I would love to promote your services.
| | | | | | If you have done work with me, please submit a review, it would help me greatly.
Please click here. You will find a list of business review sites. Click the name of the site where you want to leave a review. You can place your review on one or as many as you like. Each review will help me so much, so I am thanking you in advance. If you want to leave a review for a site that is not listed, please contact me and let me know which site. | | | | In a study led by professor Dr. Gail Matthews, respondents were 42% more likely to accomplish their goals when they were in writing. The success rate for achieving goals was 76% when study participants wrote down their goals, developed a plan, told a friend, and kept the friend in the loop. This year, as you purpose to start strong, take some time to reflect on where you are and where you want to be. Set your goals for 2022 and work to complete them. If you have questions or need any assistance, email us. You can also call us @ 904-830-0737. You can also set up a free consultation. | | | | | | "The foundation for our success is not hoping that the new year will elevate us, it is by standing on the past year’s success and failures, and elevating ourselves.” - Dr. Pam Russell | | | | MORE From Business Development - How is your business performing?
- What business goals do you want to set for the new year?
- What are the best ways to meet your goals?
Aren’t you glad you did the planning in November and December? If you did not complete the assessments, there is a SWOT analysis in the freebie section for you to use. Here’s how to use what you did to start stronger this year for your business.
1. Evaluate Your Business Goals Use your assessments from last year to create a strategic plan. It will help you to determine where you’re headed. Make sure your goals specifically spell out in concrete terms what you’d like to accomplish this year. Make sure they are SMART (i.e., Don’t just say you’d like to increase sales. By how much? In which area? How?) The clearer you are, the easier it will be to map out ways to achieve your goals. There are three areas to consider as you set your business goals: - Your Business Vision: Your vision caused you to start the business in the first place. What did you see when you looked into the future? Why did you start this business? • Your Business Mission: Your mission is the specifics you need to accomplish to fulfill your vision. You need to determine how you will make the best widget available or serve the most outstanding tacos. • Your Personal Values: Your values encompass what’s important to you in the way you run your business. What would you like your employees and customers to experience?
Making sure you are clear in these areas will help you put a strategy in place to accomplish your goals. Your plan will affect everything from the number of employees you hire to the types of goods and services you offer.
2. Do a Reality Check Use your assessments to figure out where you stand in relation to your goals. Sales figures are one way to measure how you’re doing, but success can mean many things; it all comes down to what success means to YOU. Money is likely a big factor, but it also helps to think in terms of what your community involvement is like, how green your business is, and what programs you have in place for your employees. Again, measure yourself against your vision, mission and values.
3. Choose Your Focus Once you know where you are, compared to where you’d like to be, you can start working out how to get there. Most likely, you’ll have more things on your list than you might be able to accomplish at once, so you will probably have to narrow it down by setting priorities. Based on your resources and capabilities, choose 3-5 specific targets and start planning. Choosing just a few things to concentrate on will actually help you achieve your goals. It may sound simple, but work toward your strengths and away from your weaknesses.
4. Know When to Say No As you come up with ideas, always keep your vision for the company and its purpose in mind. Reject any strategies that don’t fit. You’ll also have to shelve ideas you don’t have the resources for right now. Those ideas may be wonderful, but you’ll need the right people, facilities, time and money to put your strategies into effect. Don’t plan what you cannot accomplish. If you have ambitious plans, don’t be afraid to strategize how to meet them. You may not have the resources today, but part of what you’re planning for is to be able to develop in areas that will help you accomplish what you want in the future. Concentrate on longer-term business goals, like how to grow your business, improve the products and services you offer, and improve the way you run your company.
5. Create Your Implementation Strategy Your strategic plan amounts to nothing more than an intellectual exercise until you implement it. Your next challenge will be to do the work to execute your ideas, make changes, and monitor their effects. Figure out how and when you will address each element of your plan. For the implementation of your plan to be successful, it’s helpful to assign specific responsibilities, activities, deadlines, and budgets. Remember, be SMART.
6. Evaluate Your Plan’s Performance Strategic planning isn’t a one-shot deal, but an ongoing process. You will need to evaluate how things are going after you put the plan into effect, Plan-Do-Review. As you move forward, have the courage to change course if something isn’t working out the way you thought it would, and to experience minor discomforts as you alter the way you’ve been doing things. Schedule the time to look at what’s working and what might need tweaking. Make sure you and your staff are clear about your business goals and what needs to be done. For parts of the plan, you might decide on a daily or weekly check to see how the implementation is going. For other changes, monthly or quarterly reviews will do.
If you did not go through the planning and evaluating processes here are the links: November – Financial Planning | | | | MORE From Ministry Development
church services. Churches have had to pivot and change how they conduct weekly services, clean and sanitize, and communicate with members! The debates continue regarding mask or no mask, vaccine or no vaccine, but one thing remains constant. The church has work to do and a mission to fulfill. I will continue to say, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
Churches need planning to stay focused on church priorities that move you closer to achieving God’s vision for you. If you did the assessments in November and December, you are ready to get started with your planning. If not, there is a church SWOT analysis in the freebie section that you can use to start stronger. Here are some things you should do:
1. Start/Evaluate Your Leadership Meetings. If you have leadership meetings already, look at what you are discussing. Are you training and developing? Are you reviewing what was done and how you can do it better? Yes, this meeting is where you make decisions, solve problems, and discuss important issues such as operations, current processes, etc. However, it should still be fun and something your leader looks forward to. If you are not having leadership meetings, now is a good time to start.
2. Evaluate Your Continued COVID Readiness Though you have taken unprecedented measures for the past two years just to stay alive. Expect remnants of the virus to carry over into 2022. Audit church expenses and itemize those costs (i.e. additional and higher impact cleaning and sanitation products, masks, dividers, etc.) that resulted from COVID. Use this cost summary for your 2022 budget. Document lessons learned and write policy, process, and accountability standards. Take what you learned and systematically improve.
3. Layout a Church Strategy Use a written church strategic plan (there is one in the freebie section) to achieve the church mission, develop members, and enhance church programs systematically. If you have not done one, devote some time to do a SWOT analysis and talk about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that face your church. Brainstorm ways your church can build on its strengths and address its weaknesses.
4. Create or review Your Church Budget Budgeting ensures responsible stewardship of church financial resources. Go through a formal church budgeting process that designates funds to support the strategy to achieve the mission. This process should include looking at how the ministry spends its resources and how it plans to invest in those things that further its mission. Look also at those capital equipment needs and put a plan and budget in place to ensure the funds are available when needed.
5. Learn from Church Volunteers Volunteers are the labor engine of the church, and without them, most churches would have to close their doors. Develop a volunteer strategy and spend some time asking for feedback. The goal is to put a plan in place to improve the volunteer experience. Volunteers have a great perspective and can offer insight into improving operational efficiencies. Take advantage of this collective knowledge and make the time and delegate the resources to support volunteer efforts. Make sure you set clear expectations for the outcome of the conversations.
6. Write Goals for Church Employees Church employees facilitate the church experience and have special needs. This is also the perfect time of year to write employee goals for 2022 and to update church job descriptions to reflect those goals, if you have not done it in a year. Talk to your employees and look for ways to keep them engaged and committed. Burned-out employees simply go through the motion, so spend some time finding ways to keep them focused! Church volunteers and members rely heavily on church employees, so be sure to take care of them! Now might be a good time to revisit your compensation strategy and see where you can add budget dollars for merit increases.
7. Talk to Church Members Members have a vested interest in the church. Invest the time to understand the member experience so you can incorporate their needs into a strategy. Members are the financial engine of the church, talk to them and make sure the church is meeting their needs–within the boundaries of the church’s vision, mission, and budget. Create a way to focus on church members and identifying their spiritual and social needs. Pay attention to all demographics in your church. They have some of the same needs, but some needs vary based on the culture. Again, make sure you set clear expectations for the outcome of the conversations.
8. Update Your Emergency Preparedness Plan This is extremely important. Every church should have an activation plan for physical, environmental, and emotional crises. Now is an excellent time to review and update the emergency preparedness plan to ensure your church is ready for the unexpected. It is only wise to have a plan and know how to respond in the event of an emergency. Who more than the church should be prepared?
9. Make Sure You Can Hold Your Pre-planned Church Events Response to COVID forced most churches to cancel or change their 2021 events. Take the time now to think through what church events might look like in 2022 and start working on a plan. Churches are the light in this very dark and sinful world. Churches provide hope for us all. Plan now so your church can continue to reach your community. There is no secret formula, but good planning and fiscal responsibility, coupled with a well-structured performance management process, is a great way to start!
10. Write This Years Goals for the Church If you did not do it last month, write church goals for 2022. Goals can help you translate strategy into actionable steps and ultimately get things done. Put them on paper and assign responsibility to get them done. Monitor goals monthly using a performance management system.
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going to start stronger here are some things you can do.
Start with a Vision What is it you want to accomplish in the new year? This is a personal question. Please remember that your goals and hopes for the year are just that–yours. - Create vision for the year and set some goals.
You can do this by creating a vision board (instruction is in the freebies), drawing up a mind-map (instruction is in the freebies), or simply making a list. - Keep it realistic.
This applies to the goals themselves and the number of goals. Use the SMART goal sheet in the freebie sections to help you create your goals. - Outline steps to realize the goal (milestones).
This is where most people fail. What do you need to do to make your goals come true? Write those steps out and attach deadlines/dates to them. Having that plan laid out from the beginning increases the chances of success.
Use a Planner You will be more successful if you function on a timeline. Make it fit within your lifestyle. It is good to start each new year off with a new planner. It doesn’t matter if it’s fancy or simple. Just have a place to keep track of everything, make sure you are going to use it, and it is handy. Planners can be paper or electronic. Use whatever works for you personally and don’t be afraid to experiment and try different things until a method becomes clear.
Review the Previous Year If you have not done it already, take a few moments to review the previous year. It does not mean this should be an exercise in defeat. Simply look at the previous year and figure out what worked and what didn’t. Celebrate your accomplishments! Learn from mishaps and accomplishments alike. This is the time to figure out what works in your life.
Share & Find Support Don’t keep those goals to yourself. Share them with loved ones and find support. Support can be immediate family, or it could be other groups and enthusiasts in your area or online. Sharing goals with someone makes them more real and helps you stay accountable. Finding support gives you the opportunity to learn from others as well, which can often make achieving goals easier.
Review Often The plan is there, be sure to review it often. Don’t set the goals once and walk away. Use the planner and find some time to review the plan, identify what worked, and make adjustments as necessary. Keep the important things in the forefront of your mind and push the clutter to the back.
Planning is a wonderful thing, but living and actually doing is better. Use the plan as a guideline, not a rule. Go after those goals, change things as necessary, but make it happen. Keep those personal priorities at the front and center of each day and you will achieve your goals. | | CALL (OR) EMAIL 904.830.0737 | help@drpamrussell.com
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