Weekly Thought – October 11, 2016
Fred’s strategic approach to life planning influenced generations of men and women. He focused on his gifts and the most effective way to use them. He said, “I have never felt time pressure because I didn’t get involved in things that weren’t mine to do.”
The Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute at Palm Beach Atlantic University will be October 26, 27th. Please pray for the team members, the faculty, students, and staff. We are blessed to share these days together “stretching and blessing the next generation of leaders… to the glory of God.” Please pray about participating with us financially. All gifts are tax deductible and gratefully received.
Where Am I Going?
Choosing a goal in life is not our most important decision – choosing our direction is. Chasing short-range goals can take us in the wrong direction. Mature success and satisfaction come from the direction in which we move, not in the goal that we attain.
Too much goal orientation brings us the same problem that Harvard Business School found in the case study system of teaching. Bright young students learned to solve problems rather than identify opportunities. The real progress in life comes in recognizing opportunities. Problem solving is important, but it is just a means of taking advantage of opportunities.
When we become too goal-oriented, we become almost mechanical in our approach to life. The totally technological vantage point tends to turn us into computers. Who wants that?
I oppose setting an ultimate goal for one’s life in the sense of a specific, definable, measurable place in life one hopes to arrive. To define a place where “I will have made it” puts too much importance on one decision after another. This deterministic approach creates a sense of futility to those who attain what they have aimed for, what they have defined as success, and what they see as the “end all.” Too often they realize that it was process and the journey that energized them, not the final goal achievement.
The becoming is the joy in the journey.
I am not opposed to planning, but I am much more interested in making decisions based on the impact they will have on who I will ultimately become. Following the path is an adventure. I don’t want to be so focused on goals that I get to the top of the ladder only to see that it is leaning against the wrong wall.
Goals are important as mile markers to confirm that we are traveling in the right direction. They are never to be an end in themselves. To adhere rigidly to our goals is to miss some of the excitement that comes spontaneously. It is also a clear way to miss so much of the life God has for us.
This week think about: 1) How well am I balancing goals and direction? 2) What measures am I using to determine if I am pleased with my direction? 3) Who is in my circle to help me assess my direction?
Words of Wisdom: “The becoming is the joy in the journey.”
Wisdom from the Word: “So you will walk in the way of good people, and will keep on the paths of the righteous.” (Proverbs 2:20 NET Bible)