Do you want to know the most important thing about motivation? It has to come from within you to be successful. You can be briefly motivated by a song that you sing along to in the car, a great quote, or by a blog post, but it is fleeting. If you want to create excellence in your life it has to come from deep inside you.

So how do you create this disciplined motivation? Answer: The “Fire-Starter Five” or affectionately known as the FS-5 from here on out. The FS-5 is an energizing way to get your week started off right! It provides you with a sense of focus and purpose for your week so that you are in the driver’s seat of your life. Today, I am going to give you the inside scoop on how to implement the FS-5 in your own life so that you can create a fire that burns forever!
Why:
Here’s why I love the FS-5: It gets you excited for the week ahead in areas of your life that are going to make a direct impact on your happiness and fulfillment. It doesn’t lock you in to something you “have” to do, rather, it gives you the flexibility to prioritize items that will directly impact your personal development and impact on others. There’s also a “control the controllables” factor that happens when YOU decide what you want to focus on rather than letting the week dictate it for you. The FS-5 gives you an incredible sense of accomplishment as you set your week up to kick some butt, contribute to the world, and serve those around you.
The Plan:
Each Sunday night write down 5 powerful actions that you want to accomplish throughout your week in the following areas: Leadership, Wellness, Personal, Work, and Family. Next to each action – write WHY that action is so important to you. Then, in your calendar, assign a date and time to each of action and go do it! The following Sunday review the actions that you achieved and take a moment to reflect on the outcomes that these actions had on your week. Then, create new actions in the 5 areas for the following week and roll over any that did not get completed. If an action rolls over to the week I encourage you to think about why it didn’t get done and what you will do differently this upcoming week to change it. This whole process should take no more than 10-15 minutes which means transformation AND efficiency which is my favorite kind of system!
Here’s an example of an FS-5:
Family: Create a family dinner experience 4 nights per week that includes cooking with the family, a sit down meal with prayer/gratitude, and enjoying quality time together. Why? This is important because my family is my highest priority. The chance of my 3 year old sitting down the entire time is slim to none, but it’s the quality time that matters the most. When: Monday August 17, Wednesday August 19, Friday August 21, Saturday August 22
Work: Complete course syllabus for fall semester class. Why? This is important because it will make class preparations more efficient and ensure that readings and instruction are aligned with the overall curriculum. It also will get the “big elephant” done so that I can focus on teaching. When: Thursday August 20 by 5pm
Personal: Begin adding mantra practice into my morning meditation Why: This is important because I want to increase my confidence and the energy that I bring into my interactions and this will set me up powerfully for the day ahead. When: Every morning
Leadership: Reach out to 1 colleague each weekday to express gratitude. Why: This CoVid world is HARD and everyone needs a reminder that they are doing ok and we are in this together! I also want to make sure that my colleagues know how valued and appreciated they are especially during these challenging times. When: 1 person each weekday
Wellness: Increase hydration by using my new liter water bottle (link here and shout out to one of my favorites, Kate, for the gift!): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0879295ZK/ref=twister_B086JXBCYS?_encoding=UTF8&th=1&psc=1 Why: This is important because the heat of summer, coupled with nonstop zoom meetings has left me feeling dehydrated and I know that water is essential to optimal health. We NEED more H20 for organ function, energy, and overall wellness so this is a priority to me! When: All Day, Every Day!

So that’s the FS-5 in a nutshell -simple, easy, straight-forward and your motivation to change and contribute to the world every single week!
Now comes the fun part: keep aiming HIGHER! How can you raise the bar every single week so that you can become extraordinary? How can you keep pushing yourself to new heights? After a month of completing the FS-5 look back over your intentional actions and take time to celebrate all that you’ve done. You are a game-changer, you are a difference-maker and the FS-5 will provide you with perspective, motivation, and clear direction so that you can keep making lemonade no matter how many lemons get thrown in your way.
Love & Lemonade,
Lauren
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