Weekly Thought – August 9, 2016
Fred’s belief in rhythm was well-known to his friends. He eschewed the philosophy of “every day and every day I am getting better and better.” He held to the belief of seasons and periods which allowed for growth and assimilation. He called them plateaus.
Please continue praying for the Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute as the two fall events are coming in September and October. Gratitude is certainly felt for those who stand with us.
Pit Stops
Sound development requires a program that provides plateaus in which our information is turned into knowledge through experience and then another climb. Personal growth is not a series of nonstop climbs. Plateaus allow for assimilation before starting the next ascent. Each person has his or her own pattern and must become adept at reading their graph of climbs and plateaus. Those who try to go up too fast either run out of steam or poorly assimilate their experiences. They develop hollow spots.
All of life doesn’t evenly and systematically move through the pattern. From a distance, a graphed line may look like a consistent incline. However, when studied up close, the viewer sees it is a pattern, up, down, and flat places. The macro view often looks different from the micro experience.
We have natural divisions in our life, such as family, career, spirit, finances, emotions, friends, acquaintances, and physical health. A friend of mine who consults with executives on personal development likens these segments of life to subsidiaries of a corporation. Each one “reports” quarterly to the individual who monitors and supervises the performance of each.
I like to think of the divisions as interrelated but distinct in their focus. Clearly, each has its own particular life cycle of climbs and plateaus. Therefore, it is important to track all areas of our life and keep time tables charted for each. As we undertake this exercise, we can measure the condition of each division. I do not attempt to have each area in the same mode. Ideally, each has its season for climbs and plateaus. For example, when one is climbing in one’s career, energy and positive stress are redirected to that subsidiary. To strive with equal energy and focus to each of the other areas hoping for marked climbs is asking for burnout and poor production.
Understanding the syncopation of life’s development rhythm keeps us in sync with progress.
This week consider: 1) What are the major areas of focus for me? 2) Which area of my life is receiving the greatest attention toward climb mode right now? 3) How am I avoiding burnout?
Words of Wisdom: “To strive with equal energy and focus to each of our life areas, hoping for marked climbs in each is asking for burnout and poor production.”
Wisdom from the Word: “For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.’”(Hebrews 4:4 NET Bible)