"Too much... too soon."
That's the biggest challenge for dreamers like you and I. We want to make it as an entrepreneur, as a student, as a leader in ministry, or in the corporate world. Or, maybe we just want to succeed as a spouse or parent? The old cliche rings true for those who want to dramatically change the world, "This is a marathon, not a sprint."
Our culture of instant gratification is rarely a real-to-life example for having a successful future with anything we've been entrusted. We've got to lean in and stay in. That's the commitment, if you want to make it. Will Mancini addresses our warped ability to plan effectively in his book, God Dreams, when he says,
It has been said that humans tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in one year and underestimate what we can accomplish in five. #WillMancini #GodDreams
I've now lived long enough to sheepishly admit this to be true. Amazing how our year can get so quickly overwhelmed that our life's goals get crushed almost at the moment of conceiving them. I'm learning there's a balance to be struck. Among these ever flowing seasons in our lives there is also an underlying rhythm available for our own discovery and to master.
Seeing Down the Road
In God Dreams, we're frequently reminded to "think long". This can be especially difficult when rent is due this week. When your child needs to go to their doctor's appointment tomorrow. When that report is due to the boss this afternoon. We live in a very "right now" society and thinking past lunch is sometimes hard enough because we're always so wrapped up in the task at hand. We see this point further made,
The challenge isn’t typically our ability to think long; it’s our availability to do so. #WillMancini #GodDreams
Let me call you out by saying: No excuse. You've told yourself you want something more, haven't you? It plays over and over like a broken record (remember those?) in your mind. So get it out of your head. There's too much swimming around up there anyways. Get it on paper, or I'm sure there's an app for that. Whatever you do, you've got to make room for your dream if you ever want it to have the chance of being your reality. You have to plan your work, then work your plan. You do it for everyone else... do it for your own dream. Your future self will thank you.
Stop - Get Out and Look
There's a phrase in the package delivery industry. When you're not sure if your vehicle is clear of danger, before you proceed, "Get out and look." In the case of driving safely, the goal is to not hit something. However, if you're wanting to be a successful leader or influencer, the inverse is true: You want to, in fact, aim and hit something, but not just anything will do. You want to hit the right thing. The right goal or a milestone. Several of these milestones should exist down a long path that works like google maps with multiple, intentional stops along the way to your final desired destination. We're given one more key from Mancini on this when he says,
"Think long because how big you think guides how much you accomplish." #WillMancini #GodDreams
Paul was someone else who respected the "long game" when he said,
...I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. #Paul #OpenLetterToThePhilippians
Get ready for the ride of your life. Wherever you may have jumped off the rails... jump back on while there's still time. Learn to enjoy the path, you only get one go at it.
What do you think?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Tell us how this post helped you. Or tell us what we missed. Also, feel free to let us know which topics you'd like us to cover in the future.
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Book and Verse References
http://a.co/f2xIJXO
http://a.co/2jczBal
http://a.co/7gsTUVe
http://biblehub.com/nlt/philippians/3.htm
Additional thanks to Cae Towns for copy editing.
#templates #success #life #goals #passion #discovery #unique #ideas #wisdom #trailblazer #longgame #goddreams #challenge
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