Three All-Important Questions

Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

Following a plan is like using a GPS device. If it knows where you are, you tell it where you want to go, and it creates a personalized road map. The difference between a GPS and you is you have to create all your own turn-by-turn directions. Mark Twain said, ‘The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting the first one.’ To reach your destination you must ask yourself three questions: 1) What’s my present position? It’s impossible to ignore the reality of where you are right now and still be successful. The former CEO of General Electric observed, ‘Strategic management is trying to understand where you will sit in tomorrow’s world, not where you hope to sit; it’s assessing where you want to be, and where you can be.’ 2) What’s my desired destination? Write down what your dream will look like when you’ve achieved it. Henry J. Kaiser, founder of Kaiser-Permanente health care system, said, ‘The evidence is overwhelming that you cannot begin to achieve your best unless you have some aim in life.’ 3) What are the in-between steps? Don’t expect them to be quick or easy. Creativity is messy. It’s far from an exact science. But unless you know where you want to go and identify the steps that will get you there, ten years from now you’ll still be where you are today. So the word for you today is: ‘Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get.’

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me determine the course that You have already charted out for me and then give me the faith and the patience to follow it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen