This is the final episode in a series.Previously we took a 30,000 foot look at three words which run in the background of our thinking and doing.
O God – show me how to live well.Psalm 143:8 paraphrase
We begin with ‘Why’ because it reveals our hidden motivations and is the seat of vision.
‘What’ brings vision to the context of our lives — it sets the floor and ceiling of what we are all about.
‘How’ is the architect’s plans from which the structure is built.
For years I’ve looked at “how” from the standpoint of “How am I going to get something done?”My answer to that question resulted in creating a critical path — the micro-steps which, I think, will get me from here to there.
Recently though, I am considering other ways of looking at “how.”Perhaps you too will have other ways to consider.Here then are some new thoughts on “how.”
How am I going to proceed? In a hurry?Before I have really decided on the ‘why’ and ‘what’ of it all?Will I proceed with God and the counsel of others or will I rely on my own perspective?.
How will it unfold?Will I insist on perfection or view it as a process of discovery?Will I go into it without anticipating unintended consequences?
How have I prepared for it? With wishful thinking or did I, as Mark Batterson says, “dream big, pray hard, and think long”?Am I prepared for it to take longer than I expect?
How much do I want it?Have I counted the cost, or as much as I can imagine, and am I willing to pay the price?As Matt Fitzgerald wrote in How Bad Do You Want It?, “The only proof of wanting it more is suffering more.”
How will I stay on track?This perhaps is one question which is most neglected, yet most essential.All too often we start well but finish poorly.To keep on track I use a written plan, daily review, and a daily punch list of to-do’s to increase my chances of success.
Like the old Spanish Proverb says, Choose whatever you want and then pay for it.
Pray
O God I want my one time on the planet to be a life of purpose.Help me choose wisely how I proceed.
Read
The chapter on the Daily Core Four in Chasing the Sage, page 165
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