Prepare for February - Don't Start Yet

If you think you are ready to plant, don't start yet . . . Rob Blackaby, President of the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary and church planter from Cochran said this in the U.S. a couple of years ago. The principle of preparation applies to any goal or project you are facing including church planting. Half the people who make new year resolutions do not have a plan in place to "get 'r done."

So below is a check list of steps to prepare. Feel free to add some of your own. The best idea will probably be yours . . .

1. Invest - Our goals are often doomed before we start. We hope to get great results from minimal effort or investment. On a scale of 1-10, How committed are you at reaching your goal?If you are less than a "5" maybe you picked the wrong goal. If your commitment is exercise related you may need to buy comfortable walking or running shoes. If it is personal organization you may need a new filing cabinet. If it is to organize your garage you may need to rent a truck and so on . . .

2. Focus - If you are serious about change, focus on one thing only. My pastor and one of my best coaches, Bill Howard, fought me four years ago to focus on one big goal. I reluctantly followed his advice. The difference was profound. If you have more than one resolution, part of your preparation process is to decide where to start. Place all your energy there. How do you decide? Pray and talk to people who love you. Here is another radical idea . . . if you decide all of them are important start with the easiest one first. Momentum is great in football and in life.

3. Support - Find someone who has succeeded at a similar goal. That may take some work, but remember, you are serious enough about this goal to invest and prepare. Don't look for a someone as skinny as a bean pole to help you with weight loss, unless they were not always skinny. Find an organized person to help you with organization. Find a praying person to help you with prayer.

4. Audit - We have created ways of doing things over the years. The way we do things is commonly known as "systems." Systems are powerful. Look closely at the way you do things. What obstacles are created by your systems for your new goal? For example, you may have spent years going to bed late and operating on minimal sleep. If your new goal requires a commitment in the morning then address it. The first step is not a morning commitment. The first step is an evening commitment to get in bed earlier. This may include sleep research. This may also include a trip to your doctor or the local mattress store.

If you want to experience a different 2010 don't start yet. Prepare to start. I will have more preparation tips Monday. Happy New Year!

Prepare in January - Launch in February

Take the month of January to prepare. Launch your effort to reach your goal, February 1. Over half the people who set new year goals have no plan in place to help reach their goal.

What if I called you on January 1, 2010 and invited you to hike the Appalachian Trail for a week? "Sounds interesting," you might say, "but my spring is pretty busy, might be summer before I can get the days off." "No, I am going tomorrow," I reply. You think I am nuts. Preparation to research, buy, or borrow the right equipment is needed. People closest to you need to know your plans. You have work and other responsibilities that will be affected. This is not to mention some physical conditioning that might help you enjoy yourself more. An invitation to a journey of that magnitude could only be successful if you take time to prepare.

A serious goal is like a long journey. Think about some ways you can prepare for the long journey of a significant goal.Tomorrow I will give some steps to help you prepare.

How About A Goal Free January 2010?

I will tell you tomorrow why goals seldom work. If you have the courage, tune in! Happy New Year!

Dino

Resolute - Low Bars

By now some of our best intentions for 2009 could be gone. A low bar for you may be a high bar for me. So, among other things, I have two issues to address in this new year.

1) Stop drinking out of the milk jug. One of my dirty little secrets . . . My oldest daughter, Anna, busted me early this week for drinking out of the milk jug. I am not sure she can accept the fact that as a man, drinking out of the milk jug reflects my desire to save the environment. Think about the paper cups and glasses I am saving. My decision to swig could have a positive affect on our environment for 500 years. First person I ever saw do it was Granny Street over 45 years ago. She was way ahead of her time. But, family is more important so I will quit.

2) Start treating our cat, Lilly, better. Again, maybe a man thing. For someone who can't articulate all that well, she controls conversation and decisions in our lives. She is overweight and no one cares. She is lazy. She uses our new couch for a scratching post and no one cares. With no expectations, no accountability, I struggle a bit with that relationship. But, Lilly rules. I need to accept that fact. Besides, serial killers often mistreat animals in their early years. So, I try to pet Lilly once a day reflecting my desire not to be a serial killer. If I become one I know Lilly could be a early victim. Awkward? Yes but . . . it is getting easier.

A low bar for you may be a high bar for me. Maybe that is okay. You can advise and support me out of your strengths and experience. I can refuse to stay where I am. I can commit to new and better, whatever that means.

One reason we fail is that we think in leaps instead of baby steps. Losing 10% of you current weight is proven to make you healthier. Exercising 20 minutes a day, three days a week will matter. Spending 7 minutes with God, every day, if it is better than what you are doing now, will make a difference. So, move on. Set a goal. One you can reach. Pet the cat. Walk past that tempting . . . ummm . . . milk jug. You and those around you will enjoy the results!