“We build our careers in isolation. I was a CFO and I did it on my own. But in your second half community becomes much more important. There’s such an instant connection when you say ‘I did Halftime.’” – Lisa Payne, Halftime Alum
Halftime is a time to re-calibrate, to determine a new score card, and to build a future of profound impact. First, you must get clear on where you are headed. But then what?
After you gain clarity on your second half focus, how do you live it out?
And – how can you ensure it is sustainable?
Connecting with like-minded peers is key.
That connection can begin in your halftime program, with a cohort of peers and a coach to discern your calling more easily and gain confirmation on your direction.
But once you’ve discerned your calling, you’ll want to ask, “Who shares a similar calling and is already making an impact?”
Therein lies some of the greatest value of belonging to the larger Halftime network.
That’s what Lisa Payne discovered. Lisa came to the Halftime Institute knowing she had at least 20 impactful years ahead, desiring clarity on how she should spend them. She emerged from the Fellows Program last fall with 3 key priorities for impact:
- Evangelism
- Economic Development
- Anti-trafficking
In addition, she had some important personal and relational goals: spiritual growth and building a living legacy with her grown daughters.
Where should she start?
Lisa first spent time on her personal and relational goals, realizing that these would be the foundation for making a greater impact down the line.
FIRST, A SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION…
With her coach, Carolyn, Lisa says they “delved into how I’m wired. How connected am I to my Creator? What are the things that bring me joy? And where can my talents be used in the Kingdom?” Lisa admitted, “We all think we can do the internal work on our own but doing it with a coach who is spiritually mature and can bring her experience from walking with others before.” Lisa invested in the spiritual growth aspect of the coaching relationship, praying with her coach in each session, reading specific books that would help her grow closer to God, and taking a step back from needing fast answers to see where God was opening up doors.
Lisa describes it like this, “I expected to emerge in a few months with a perfect plan for the next 20 years. It didn’t happen like that, but it was for the exact right reason. God wanted me to get anchored in the love He has for me and the love He has for my family. Now feel very secure in that.”
SECOND, DEEPER & MORE MEANINGFUL FAMILY CONNECTION…
Next, Family. Lisa wanted to focus on her relationships with her two grown daughters. “I’m the spiritual leader of our little family of three, as a single, divorced mom, so I have to be intentional about those relationships and our future.” Following one daughter’s college graduation, Lisa planned a 2-week road trip with both daughters up the coast of California. As the trip approached, she wanted to be intentional in her plans.
At a Halftime event, Lisa met Cristin Parker, another Halftime alum who is now a family coach and consultant. Cristin coached Lisa and they created a plan to make the trip truly meaningful. Lisa wrote 3 letters to each daughter, letters of encouragement, reconciliation, and future dreams. She put together a special box with the letters, some photos of their family history, and special keepsakes that the girls would treasure. The box and the letters served as a catalyst for a different level of depth and connection between the three family members. “As a result, that trip was a turning point in our family that will go down in our history.”
Lisa plans to leverage Cristin’s expertise in the coming months to develop a family vision statement and other intentional tools for their family’s future. Lisa’s connection with Cristin is just one of many connections she’s made as she has taken steps forward on her key priorities.
NEXT, FOCUSING YOUR ENERGY TO MAKE A PROFOUND IMPACT…
We’ve all experienced that feeling of being pulled in a million directions. In halftime, we sometimes call it being “sloppy busy”. Your calendar is full to the brim, but you’re not sure you’re really making an impact where it counts. As a former CFO, Lisa is all about making a detailed plan and measuring results.
First, her Fellows cohort helped her wrestle through whether or not to accept a new, paid position. After processing with Carolyn, her coach, and praying over several months, Lisa ultimately decided not to. Instead, she developed an impact plan. “I call it my boundary document! It’s a spreadsheet that maps out where I want to focus my time, talent, and treasure. It allows me to say ‘yes’ when it fits in my 3 pillars and ‘no’ when it does not. When I stay focused and within boundaries, I have more joy.”
Isn’t that just the opposite of “sloppy busy”?
Lisa is building community around her 3 Pillars: Evangelism, Alleviating Poverty, and Anti-Trafficking. “I don’t want to do it alone. I want to make an impact with others,” she says. She is taking her time to ensure she lets God open the right doors. So far, she has found partnerships for impact in 2 of the 3 pillars in just the last six months.
MAKING AN IMPACT IN EVANGELISM AND WORKPLACE MINISTRY
Lisa has collaborated with two women in her hometown of Detroit to start the Detroit chapter of 4word, a connection and mentoring group for Christian professional women. Lisa shares how it all started, “I connected with Diane Paddison on one of my trips to Dallas while participating in the Fellows Program. We instantly connected over our corporate backgrounds working for large real estate firms, but I have to confess that I was initially a little hesitant to start a group in Detroit. I didn’t want to commit to anything until I had prayed about it, and I wanted it to be the Lord who built it.”
Fast forward a couple of months and Lisa felt a strong call to gather professional women. All in a single day, Lisa received personal text messages from several local women expressing interest in such a group and later that night she received an email from two women who wanted to start a local chapter of 4word. The group got started in early 2018 and has been growing steadily each month.
It is a time for authentic connection and asking questions. Lisa shared, “We all struggle with what it looks like to live out your faith in the workplace. God wants us to be living out our faith in that sphere. We’re helping women answer the question ‘How do you live out your faith and share it with others?’”
ALLEVIATING EXTREME POVERTY
Lisa is also building community around her economic development pillar. “One of my core foci is economic development, specifically for those in ‘extreme poverty’, which is defined as living on less than $2/day. I read Rich Stearns’, The Hole in Our Gospel, and it profoundly shaped how I want to live out my faith. Rich is a halftimer too, actually!”
Lisa also had the joy of connecting with World Vision’s new CEO, Edgar Sandoval, a Halftime alum. “When I met Edgar and heard his story – WOW! He was so empowering. We had a great conversation about halftime and how God has re-directed each of us.” Lisa attended a small conference of World Vision’s donors and was able to form community with others who are helping World Vision to accomplish their mission to end extreme poverty by 2030.
Lisa plans to select a specific project to get involved with and go on a vision trip to see it first-hand.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Can you believe how much Lisa has been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time? It started with laying a solid foundation of understanding how she is wired, and then getting focused so that she could say “yes” and “no” to the right things. As she takes steps forward on her goals, Lisa is building relationships with like-minded peers who she can partner with on her journey.
Once you have your second half plan, how do you make it a reality?
Take Lisa’s advice:
“We build our careers in isolation. I was a CFO and I felt like I had to do it on my own. But in your second half community becomes much more important. There’s such an instant connection when you say ‘I did Halftime.’ I don’t think there’s anything you could be interested in that you wouldn’t find a halftimer who has been involved in it or is running something in that area.”
We’d love to help you discern your next season and build a sustainable plan to live it out. Contact us today to explore what Halftime program is right for you.
