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Have you ever felt stuck between a dream God has given you and the fear of taking the wrong step? If yes, this conversation is for you.

This month I'm joined by my friend and non-profit communications consultant Erin Straza, and together we get refreshingly honest about something so many of us quietly wrestle with: procrastination. Not the lazy kind, the kind that comes from caring deeply about getting it right.

We talk about why hesitation is often just protection in disguise, and how perfectionism can keep your dream simmering on the back burner indefinitely.

If you struggle with procrastination too, here's what I want you to hear: that stalling isn't a character flaw. It's a sign of how much this dream matters to you.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE:

• Why trusting God and acting on that trust can feel like two very different things
• How dreaming about the future can quietly replace doing the work of today
• What your personal wiring has to do with choosing your next right step
• Why imperfect progress beats perfect stillness — every single time

I also share something I believe wholeheartedly: everything we do is just practice. The missteps, the detours, the seasons that felt "wasted" — they're all shaping you for exactly where God is calling you next.

If you've been waiting for permission to move forward without having it all figured out, consider this your moment.

And if you're craving community with women who get it — women who are pursuing God-sized dreams and cheering each other on — I'd love to have you inside Dream Believers, my virtual community built just for you.

👉 Learn More: merrittonsa.com/dreambelievers

🔗 Connect with Erin Straza

• Website: http://erinstraza.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinstraza/

Devoted Dreamers is hosted by Merritt Onsa, a Christian life coach, mentor, speaker, and founder of Dream Believers. New episodes drop every week for the woman who believes her best chapter isn't behind her.

NEXT STEPS:
Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Call
Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes
Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android
Join the Dream Believers community

MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

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The dream has been there for a while now. You can feel it.

But every time you consider the next leap of faith, something stops you. Maybe it sounds like: "I'm not ready yet." Or "What if I'm wrong about this?" Or the most persistent one: "I don't want to waste the precious time I have left."

If that's where you are right now, this episode is for you.

To open Season 14, I sit down with my longtime friend, writer, and nonprofit communications consultant Erin Straza.

Together, we unpack the belief so many women carry: that confidence must come before courage.

Spoiler: That's not how it works.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

✦ Why "I don't feel ready" is rarely about readiness.

✦ What to do when you're not sure this is the right dream.

✦ A different way to interpret the nerves.

This is the episode to send to the woman in your life who has a dream she keeps putting off. And if that woman is you, it's time.

🌿 You Were Never Meant to Do This Alone

If this conversation made you wish you had women in your corner who actually talk about these things, that longing is telling you something.

Dream Believers is a community for Christian women who have sensed God stirring something meaningful and want to take steps forward.

We gather around three things that actually move dreams forward:

Proximity: the right women walking beside you

Consistency: showing up regularly so momentum becomes real

Depth: honest conversations about faith, fear, calling, and taking the next step

If you're ready to pursue your dream in a way that's rooted in Scripture, aligned with how you're wired, and supported by women who get it, come find your people.

👉 merrittonsa.com/dreambelievers

🔗 Connect with Erin Straza

• Website: erinstraza.com/
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erinstraza/

Devoted Dreamers is hosted by Merritt Onsa — Christian life coach, mentor, speaker, and founder of Dream Believers. New episodes drop every week for the woman who believes her best chapter isn't behind her.

Learn more about the Dream Believers community at: merrittonsa.com/dreambelievers

NEXT STEPS:
Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Call
Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes
Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android
Join the Dream Believers community

MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

Send a text

I’m closing out this 10-part Habit Series with one of the simplest and most transformative practices I’ve ever picked up: daily gratitude.

In this episode, I share why spending just one or two minutes thanking God before your day begins can quietly reshape your mindset, soften pessimism, and strengthen your ability to persevere in the long haul. I’ll walk you through how I practice daily gratitude, why I keep it intentionally simple, and how this habit has helped me stay grounded even in seasons marked by uncertainty, grief, and things I cannot control.

We’ll also zoom out and talk about why gratitude matters so much when you’re nurturing a God shaped dream. Consistency, self-leadership, and perseverance are not just personality traits. They are muscles you build. Daily gratitude is one small habit that strengthens all three.

If you’ve felt discouraged, stuck in negativity, or unsure how to keep going faithfully with the dream God has placed on your heart, this episode will help you reset your focus and start your day from a place of trust and truth.

And before I wrap up, I’m also giving you a behind-the-scenes look at what’s coming next for the Devoted Dreamers Podcast. I’ll share how Season 14 is evolving, why I’m changing the format, and what you can expect as we head into a new season focused on taking meaningful action on your God-shaped dream.

Get the Habit Tracker here: merrittonsa.com/habits

NEXT STEPS:
Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Call
Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes
Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android
Join the Dream Believers community

MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

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When it comes to creativity and taking action on our dreams, there’s a lot of talk about moving forward, but we don’t spend nearly enough time looking back.

That’s why I’m adding this brand-new habit to the Devoted Dreamers Habit Series: Scheduled Reflection. It’s a practice I didn’t include when I first launched the series, but it’s one I’ve come to see as essential for long-term faithfulness to a God-shaped dream.

Here’s why:

Without a consistent reflection practice, we miss key opportunities for growth and learning.

When was the last time you took a pause to reflect on something you tried? It could even be a new habit you attempted during this series. Did you keep it up all week? Was it a total flop? Did you find yourself making adjustments with each new attempt?

When you skip the reflection, you also miss out on the potential mindset shift that comes as you consider what you might do differently next time.

But when you build a new reflection practice, it helps you recognize what God is already doing in and through you.

Want to make it easy? I share a simple three-question reflection framework you can use weekly, monthly, or anytime you feel stuck.

If you want to pursue your dream with steadiness instead of burnout, this habit matters right now.

Get the Habit Tracker here: merrittonsa.com/habits

NEXT STEPS:
Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Call
Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes
Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android
Join the Dream Believers community

MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

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Most of us say we want to grow, but when it comes time to step out of our comfort zone, we hesitate. Not because we don’t care, but because trying something we’ve never done before puts us face to face with uncertainty, insecurity, and the possibility of getting it wrong.

In this eighth episode in my Habit Series, I’m inviting you to practice a simple but powerful habit: trying something new. Not restarting a habit you’ve tried before, but stepping into something unfamiliar on purpose. A new skill. A new experience. A new way of showing up.

I talk about why this matters more than we realize, how trying something new strengthens courage and perseverance, and why your brain and your dream both benefit when you stop quitting before you’ve truly begun.

I also share reflection questions to help you notice what’s really holding you back, plus an invitation to try something new alongside other women through our monthly co-working calls.

If you’ve felt stuck, bored, hesitant, or quietly restless, this episode might be the nudge you need to take one small, brave step today.

Get the Habit Tracker here: merrittonsa.com/habits
Save your seat at the next Co-Working call: merrittonsa.com/coworking

NEXT STEPS:
Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Call
Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes
Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android
Join the Dream Believers community

MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

Send a text

If you feel like your inbox is always demanding from you, you’re not crazy. Email is one of those sneaky little drains that doesn’t just steal time, it steals attention. And attention is necessary for stewarding a God-shaped dream.

In today’s Habit Series, I’ve invited my friend Christa Hutchins (host of Just One Simple Thing podcast) to share three simple ways to manage your email without turning it into a whole new project. Because when your inbox is a mess, it impacts everything else you’re working on, including the next brave step on your dream.

This is also for the woman who’s building an audience and trying to grow an email list. I know it can feel scary to clean house and remove people who never open your messages. But this habit pays off in the future. It protects your focus, keeps your systems lighter, and helps you lead your dream with more clarity and less constant noise.

If email has been stealing your time and energy, this is a habit worth building today.

Get the Habit Tracker here: merrittonsa.com/habits

NEXT STEPS:
Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Call
Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes
Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android
Join the Dream Believers community

MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

Send a text

For a long time, I believed I didn’t have time to sleep more. My life was full, my evenings felt like the only quiet hours I had to myself, and going to bed earlier felt like giving something up I couldn’t afford to lose. And yet, I was exhausted, foggy, short-tempered, and running on fumes most days.

In this mini episode of the Habits Series, I’m talking about sleep hygiene and why better sleep isn’t a luxury for later, but a foundational habit for women who are trying to do too much all at once. I share honestly about how poor sleep was quietly affecting my energy, my patience, my creativity, and my ability to show up well for the people I love and the dream God has placed on my heart.

You’ll hear the small, realistic changes I’ve made to improve my sleep without overhauling my life, and why sleeping more has actually helped me regain clarity, focus, and emotional margin instead of costing me time. If you feel stretched thin, constantly tired, and tempted to believe that rest will have to wait, this conversation may help you see sleep in a completely different light.

Get the Habit Tracker here: merrittonsa.com/habits

NEXT STEPS:
Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Call
Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes
Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android
Join the Dream Believers community

MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

Send a text

Weekly planning doesn’t have to be complicated or rigid to be purposeful. At its core, it’s simply a protected block of time where you slow down, look ahead, and decide how you want to steward the week you’ve been given.

In this mini episode of the Habits Series, I’m talking about the habit of weekly planning and why it matters, especially if you already have a full life along with a God-shaped dream that hasn’t had much room to breathe. I share how weekly planning has helped me move out of reactive mode, notice patterns in my days, and make small adjustments that create more clarity and margin over time.

You’ll hear what weekly planning looks like in my life, how to choose a rhythm that actually works for your season, and why consistency matters more than doing it perfectly.

If you’re tired of feeling scattered and reactive, this episode will help you see how one protected block of time for weekly planning can bring clarity, calm, and momentum.

Get the Habit Tracker here: merrittonsa.com/habits

Get my $19 training where I walk you through how I do my weekly planning, including the planning worksheet that helped me finally make this a priority in my life! Get the training here: https://www.merrittonsa.com/weeklyplanning

NEXT STEPS:
Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Call
Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes
Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android
Join the Dream Believers community

MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.