“It is good to have an end to journey toward;
but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
Ernest Hemingway
It’s goal setting season, so I thought it would be helpful to point out some of the pitfalls.
- No plan is a plan. No goals means you’ll surely hit it.
- Planning too big or too vague. Not specific enough.
- Not planning in increments.
- Not asking God what He wants you to spend your time and energy on.
- Imitating someone else’s goals rather than goals specific to you.
- Not planning for success. Start with the end goal and then Break it down to manageable parts.
- Not considering your season of life, talents, finances, and leaping without a step-by-step plan.
- Not trusting Christ for the outcome.
When times are tough, remember you’re not the first person in history to overcome the odds and end up victorious in the end. Noah did it. You can too if you remember these 10 basic principles.
1) We’re All in the Same Boat – ask for help.
In the Hawaiian culture there’s a term called Hele pu Kanua. It means “We go Through it together.” Be good to one another, help each other. You never know when someone else may hold the key to your success or that you may hold there’s.
2) Plan Ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead.
It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark. Being a good steward of time, money, relationships now will go a long way to success in the future. Want relationships with adult kids, start building that at birth. Want to feel safe and secure in an emergency, build your emergency plan now.
3) Stay fit – your body has to last you a lifetime!
You never know what you will be called upon to do. If we live to be 100, don’t let the last half of life be a weak, feeble servant. Stay sharp and able. Noah was 600 years old when he built the Ark. One day someone may ask you to do something really big and you’ll need to be physically ready.
4) Don’t Listen to the Critics – There will always be critics.
When God calls you to commit to something and others criticize, remind yourself you serve an audience of one! I’d rather be in good graces with Christ than popular with the naysayers. It’s important to be certain you’ve heard from God rather than just emotions or throwing something out there, so you can stand when others would choose to knock you down. Stick to your guns and get the job done, regardless of what others say.
5) Steady wins the race—Faster isn’t Always Better.
Completing small goals is a sustainable strategy. For example, saying I’m going to declutter the entire house is a long-term goal, but breaking it into a drawer within a room improves the odds, it’ll be completed. Remember, the snails made it to the ark, right alongside the cheetahs.
6) I’ve got your back warriors—friendships, partnerships are vital.
We’re built to interact with people—even we introverts! We learn much about ourselves when we connect with others. Building relationships that we can count on can give perspectives we don’t see. We all need a warrior buddy, someone who will fight back-to-back with us. Find one and hold onto them.
7) Balance Control with Letting-Go-Trust.
If you think you can be in control of everything in your life, the faster you get over these thoughts, the sooner you’ll find a balance. You can’t control everything. Trust that our creator knows our needs, present and future, far better than we do and the sooner we give it up to His control the sooner we’ll land with hinds’ feet in high places.
8) The Ark was Built by Amateurs. The Titanic was Built by Professionals.
Just because you don’t have all the experiences in the world doesn’t mean you can’t do great things. When God calls us to a mission, He also equips us with the skills, wisdom, and energy to serve His way. We don’t have to have the highest degrees or be the smartest person in the room to succeed at our purpose. When God calls us, if we remain obedient to His plans, we will be successful. When we drive our success, we set ourselves up for disappointment and burnout.
9) No Matter How Hard the Winter—Spring Always follows.
Trusting in the Lord’s plan is a daily commitment. It’s easy to get off on our own ideas, egos, and plans only to become discouraged. Stay positive, believe in the process, and stay the course.
10) Don’t Miss the Boat.
The animals and Noah’s family exists today because they paid attention to God’s call and acted. There will be many opportunities to talented leaders like yourself, but choose wisely and when one comes along that’s inline with God’s plan for you—DON’T HESITATE!
