Have you wanted to quit on a dream before you really started? In the early stages, the details are still foggy, and the lack of progress makes it feel like you’re pushing a boulder uphill, which can make it tempting to quit. But don’t give up before you get to the good part! In this episode, you’ll discover a simple process for confidently taking the first steps into your God-shaped dream and how to let go of excuses that are keeping you stuck.
239 || [Solo] Dream Taking Too Long? Another Way to Think About Your Timeline || Merritt Onsa
If you feel discouraged about the pace of your dream and wonder if everyone else is years ahead of where you are, I’m going to shatter your idea of the perfect timeline today. We’ll talk about a clear example from Scripture of waiting faithfully for a dream and how to avoid the biggest mistake that keeps you from making progress. I’ll share examples of small steps of faithfulness you can take today and how to courageously face the scariest part of pursuing a dream.
235 || [Solo] Five Business Realities That Will Shape the Way You Pursue a Dream || Merritt Onsa
I often hear dreamers question whether a God-shaped dream should be a business or a hobby—and how to decide. This solo episode is a wrap up of my financial series from last month but also shares my business-building story. You’ll hear how I accidentally became a freelance writer and the lessons I learned from that experience that you can use to discern if your particular dream could or should support you and your life.
230 || [Solo] How Messy Action Gives You Permission to Get Started on Your Dream || Merritt Onsa
When you’re first getting started on a dream, it is hard to imagine achieving the success you’ve see in others. How do you get past the novice stage full of mixed-up ideas spinning around in your head? How do you get over fear-induced procrastination? How do you get to the finish line? It’s by taking the next step, which is often messy and imperfect. And yet, when you begin to walk in your purpose, you will be amazed with what God does through your small steps of faithfulness.
229 || [Solo] Two Practical Steps to Help You Let Go of What Other People Might Think || Merritt Onsa
Do you ever worry what someone else might think of your dream? Whether it’s your sister who doesn’t get you, a parent who’s never understood your passions, or a spouse who already feels deprived of time with you running after a dream can spark big feelings (and fears) about what others will think. This episode will help you re-think your preoccupation with other people’s opinions with encouraging guidance from Scripture to shape what you can do instead.
228 || [Solo] 3 Questions to Help You Decide if Your Dream is Worth Pursuing || Merritt Onsa
Do you ever wonder if the time you’ve spent on your dream is going to be worth it? Maybe you haven’t seen the fruit you expected at this point, or your progress has been slower than you imagined, especially given what you’ve invested. Wouldn’t it be terrible to look back and realize it was all a waste of time? This episode will help you determine if your dream is a worthwhile pursuit and give you some intentional questions to ask yourself right now to make sure that you’re walking in His purpose.
227 || [Solo] How to Know if This is the Dream God Has for You || Merritt Onsa
Do you tend to question your dream or wonder if you heard God right the first time? Nearly every day I encounter someone talking about the fear of missing out on the purpose God has planned for her life. Some describe it as a deep worry that everyone else has beaten her to the finish line, and she’s somehow gotten it wrong but doesn’t know how to find her way back into God’s ordained path that was chosen for her before the beginning of time. But you weren’t meant to live under that pressure!
226 || [Solo] How to Be Certain It Is the Right Time for Your Dream || Merritt Onsa
Is the timing right for my dream? I hear this question often in my conversations with women who have a dream on their hearts but also a long list of other responsibilities and interests that take up most of their waking hours. How do you determine the “right” timing to pursue a passion project? If your life is already full, how do you decide when to adjust your commitments so you can shift into what’s possible for the future? I’m helping you answer these questions and more in this week’s episode.
225 || [Solo] The Reassuring Truth about How to Grow Confidence Right Now || Merritt Onsa
How’s your confidence? When I asked this question on Instagram, 100% of those who responded answered, “I’m working on it.” But what does it look like to “work on” your confidence? Maybe it’s a little bit like saying, “I’m trying.” But “trying what?” is the next question. In this episode I’m teaching you how to avoid the common mistakes when it comes to confidence building and why it’s so important to set your mind on the truth as you do that.
224 || [Solo] How to Go After a Dream Even When You Don’t Feel Confident || Merritt Onsa
Which of these confidence myths are keeping you from stepping into your God-shaped dream?
“I have to know what I’m doing; I need to FEEL confident; I need to BE really good at {fill in the blank}.” Each of these may seem true on the surface, but they are all big, fat lies! Your dream is given to you by God for your good and for the good of His kingdom, and it’s an invitation to be part of God’s redemptive work in the world. How can you make sure this is the year you finally say no to self-sabotage?
[BONUS] How to Get Free Dream Coaching with Merritt—In Season 10!
People say my solo episodes are among their favorites! That’s why I’m kicking off Season 10 with a series of solo episodes focused on providing you with additional support for getting off the sidelines instead of waiting around for the right timing to pursue your dream. The time is now! It’s not a mistake. If there’s a dream on your heart, God means for you to pursue it!
219 || Finding Space to Dream as a Mom of Young Children || Merritt Onsa
Although I wrote this talk for moms of young children, this episode is a reminder that God’s plans and timing have purpose no matter your life stage. If you feel disconnected from your dream, you’re not alone. Just because it’s not today doesn’t mean it’s not EVER. Instead, think of motherhood as an opportunity to use your strengths to keep those muscles strong. Finally, ask the Father to help you stay open to cultivating wonder, curiosity, and creativity through the power of the Holy Spirit!
212 || [Solo] How to Know If Imposter Syndrome Is the Reason You Are Stuck || Merritt Onsa
How is imposter syndrome killing your dream (and your confidence)? If you are confused about what imposter syndrome is, whether you have it, or more importantly, how to get over it, this episode is full of hope that you can overcome imposter syndrome with God’s help. You’ll learn how to recognize imposter syndrome, how it impacts you, and why it’s so important to not let another day pass living under this attack on your identity.
208 || [Solo] Learning How to Trust God Even When You Doubt Your Purpose || Merritt Onsa
Have you ever looked at someone else living her dream and thought, “Wow! She’s so much further along than me” or questioned why dreaming a God-shaped dream is so difficult at times? This solo episode is about clearing away misconceptions you have about the path to a dream, how God uses our difficulties to remind us of our need for Him, and the three mistakes we want to avoid in understanding our part versus God’s part in pursuing our dream.
Season 9 || [Bonus] Do You Have a Dream Burning in Your Heart?
With five years of podcasting under my belt, people always ask what I’ve learned so today I'm sharing my three top takeaways from interviews with Christian women dreamers as they fight back fear to start business, launch a nonprofit, write a book, pursue a speaking career, wait on God, test out new ideas, fight the lies, battle comparison and imposter syndrome, and come out on the other side trusting God more because they’ve learned to lean on Him in the process of chasing their dreams.
195 || [Solo] 3 Commitments to Make Before Spending Money to Pursue Your Dream || Merritt Onsa
Are you ready for big things to happen with your dream? Maybe you’re weighing the pros and cons of hiring a coach, or you want to invest in a course for the support and accountability that will push you out of your comfort zone, or that training program to fill in your knowledge gaps. All of these are great options but only once you have considered the three commitments that need to come first, before you invest any money in your dream.
190 || [Solo] A Beginner's Guide for How to be a Great Podcast Guest || Merritt Onsa
Have you ever considered being a podcast guest? You’re probably not surprised to hear that there are 1.75 million podcasts in the world (according to Podcast Insights) and that number is growing daily! This episode will teach you how to pitch yourself, the techy details you need to know, and how to prepare to be the best podcast guest you can be so you can share your dream with a wider audience.
186 || [Solo] 3 Strategies to Help You Shift from Busy to Purposeful || Merritt Onsa
Did 2020 reveal some hard truths about your life? Did slowing down (because you had to) reveal the true cost of busyness in your life? Or on your family? This solo episode is about the change you can affect when you shift from busy to purposeful in how you live and how you pursue your dreams. These three simple shifts in your thoughts and actions will simplify day-to-day life and make a real difference in how you feel about your responsibilities.
182 || [Solo] Staying True to the Woman God Made You to Be || Merritt Onsa
Even if you have a good understanding of your security in Christ, there are plenty of things in the world vying for your attention and affection. In this solo episode I share the four identity mistakes we make as we pursue a God-shaped dream and how to turn them around for your good and God’s glory. You’ll learn how to counteract comparison, how to properly value your gifts and then how to use your gifts to live out God’s purpose for your life.
180 || [Solo] Planning Your Dream While Doing Your Dream || Merritt Onsa
If you have allowed your need to plan keep you from taking steps toward your dream, this episode offers a bit of perspective on how to get started right now, even if you don’t have it all figured out. Because God designed you with a purpose that is certain and known to him, you don’t need to have it all planned out before you begin. He already knows! So take the leap and try new things, even if it means opening yourself up to mistakes, and then, take time to reflect and innovate.