Fear Means Go: Meet Kathy

Every day this week (and weekend!), I’ll shine the spotlight on an ASPIRE Success Club member who will inspire and remind you that – with the right support, tools, and focus – you can achieve big dreams and Bold Goals! And if you want the ASPIRE Success Club to support you, join now while openings are still available – click here for details. ~ Dr. Christi Hegstad

SUCCESS STORY: Kathy McGinnett, Pittsburgh, PA

I love to write and have long dreamed of seeing my work published, but I never really knew how – or if – I could make that happen. I’ve kept it in “dream phase” for quite some time.

In ASPIRE, Dr. Christi had us each set a Bold Goal at the start of the year. After much thought, I decided to stretch myself and create my Bold Goal around this longtime dream: I declared that I would submit an article to the leading magazine in my field, one to which I have subscribed for years and really enjoy. 

Setting this goal was quite significant for me because it would really require me to stretch out of my comfort zone, change some of my habits, and overcome my fears. Since I work full time, I also knew I needed to set aside dedicated time to make this dream a reality. Our ASPIRE book selections and Christi’s coaching have really helped in that regard.

Throughout the year I did several things to move closer to my goal, including developing new habits that came directly out of our ASPIRE virtual meetings. I was doing things to support my Bold Goal – but I still held back from writing and submitting my article, the actions that would really make this dream come to life.

Then, after attending Spark, it all came together.

Spark had me stretching out of my comfort zone in all kinds of ways – even flying to Iowa was a leap for me! But connecting with all those inspiring women and gaining more tools from Christi reminded me how much I want to make my writing goal a reality.

Within a couple of days of Spark I collected my thoughts, wrote my proposal, and sent it to the #1 magazine in my field. They LOVED it! They accepted my query immediately and the article is now in progress! 

It seems as though all of this happened within a couple of days – and Spark definitely ignited my purposeful actions. But I also know that the work I’ve done throughout the year and the support from my ASPIRE friends helped set the stage for this success, built up my confidence, and created the positive foundation I needed to take this big leap.

ASPIRE has helped me retool my thinking, my attitude, my habits and my actions. As I achieve my Bold Goal, I realize I want to s-t-r-e-t-c-h even further now!

Way to go, Kathy! Your dedication throughout the year has been incredible, and then to see it all come together like this is so motivating! Readers, join the ASPIRE success by clicking here! Tomorrow in our final installment in this series, you’ll hear from a woman who made the conscious decision to make purpose a higher priority than a paycheck and where that brought her.