Under Construction

Each of us are at varying stages of life.  Just as the photos with this post show homes in various stages of construction.

It is easy to make the assertion that we ouselves are under construction as well.  No matter our age, abilities, interests or desires we are involved in construction from birth to end of days.

Whether it is faith, fitness, finance or any other functional area of our life there are principles of construction that must be followed to end with the best results.  These are like the foundation of a home.  Without a firm foundation the house will not stand, a principle we teach our small children in the song, "The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock." 

At the most basic foundational level is the plan or blueprint.  Without a vision for the finished product and an understanding of what is required to get there it will be near impossible to have the desired product in the end.

Once the plans are established comes execution.  This is how we follow or fail to follow the blueprint.  How closely we follow the blueprint will determine our eventual success or failure.  With our fitness for example, if we jump in too quickly and overexert ourselves we will face pain, if not injury, and our plans may become derailed.  The same applies to our financial lives, as well, to keep our budget on track means not making those impulse purchases that may put us in a bind.

In building a home you can't do much of the interior work until your construction is "in the dry" meaning the inside is safe from the elements that might otherwise do it harm.  Likewise as we progress we seek to make a difference on the inside this may mean aquiring additional knowledge in a particular area to allow for more detailed construction or renovation.

This concept also leads me to think about the quality of materials that we are using to build our lives.  There is a term GIGO in computer programming which means garbage in garbage out.  Choose the best materials that will stand the test of time when inputting knowledge to build your life upon.

When construction is occurring on a home often the homeowner will track the progress each day with the builder, noticing the sometimes subtlest of differences.  We too should adopt this practice in various areas of our life.  Progress made and witnessed is powerful reinforcement to continue.  The process we take to build a better life requires planning, great materials and constant progress checks.

If you will adopt these practices, you will DO WELL in building a better life.

Checkpoint

We have put to rest the first week of the new year.  Many have set out on resolutions or goals for the year, now are they willing to check-in to assess how they are doing?  This at the heart of why many will not live up to the ambitious targets they have set.

If you truly seek change in your life, then it is imperative to check-in periodically.  When we fail to keep tabs on our progress  we often wind up in an out of control spiral away from the target, and that is when we give up.  You are better than that! 

In matters of faith, are you praying regularly?  In a letter to the church at Thessalonica Paul exhorted them to "pray without ceasing".  We are further guided to "study and show thyself approved. . ."  Have you been in the word?  Finally in the faith category, are you attending worship?  Being with others who are seeking God, encouraging one another and bearing one another's burdens is a wonderful blessing.

On the finance front what have you changed toward a different result?  Are you still living the bad habits of your past?  Adopt the "B" word, a budget, and work at it daily.  Work on yourself to hone your skills and increase your knowledge to make yourself more valuable in your workplace or the marketplace at large.  In the words of Dave Ramsey, use "baby steps".  We did not get to where we are overnight, nor will we get to our desired outcome that quickly either.

Finally on fitness, again it is a journey to a desired end.  Much like learning to ride a bike we will have crashes and some of them will hurt.  We MUST however, pick the bike back up and go again.  With practice we get better, and with a coach or a cheerleader, any accountability partner it is easier to get going again.  Do you have a champion, to turn to for encouragement, just as those learning to ride that bike typically have that parent running alongside until they get the confidence to go it more on their own?

The bottom line this week is don't let the early distractions or obstacles deter you from your goals.  Assess and limit the mess!  Together we can all DO WELL!

How to Do Well

Last week we looked at establishing goals for the coming year.  This not necessarily an easy process but it is necessary to success.  I hope that you have considered a few goals, or at least begun rolling a few ideas around in your head.

Once you put them on paper, or onto an electronic planner you are not finished.  There is a next step that many people will skip which the most successful will not, and that is to develop a strategy of how they will achieve those goals.  This again will take some time, and to be optimal may force us to confront changes in our daily actions and thought processes.  This is why most New Year Resolutions don't last through the end of the first month as we fail to confront these changes and develop these strategies.

You and I can make 2016 highly successful for ourselves if we will commit now to Do Well.  This involves the types of preparation we have discussed the past couple of weeks, along with a plan for tracking of our progress and course correction when we deviate.  It is my hope that you each have gained something from this discussion and are better prepared remembering that"With God we will. . . Do Well!"

Do Well

 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ - Luke 19:17 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke19:17&version=ESV

In our busy world it seems like we are in a never-ending quest to do more.  The verse above shows that our Lord is about excellence as he tells the servant "well done".  Please note he did not say all done, rather "well done".

As 2015 enters it's final month in just a couple of days it is important to look ahead to how we will live in 2016.  By starting now you can have your goals/plans in place and ready to begin on Day 1 of the new year.  Who couldn't use a head start?

First, we must do a self assessment.  This requires painful honesty and reflection.  This is typically the most painful part of the process since most of us struggle with self image in some way or another.

Once we have established where we are we need to determine where we want to go.  This is where we set those goals for next year.  I recommend breaking those into four sections: Faith, Family/Friends, Finance, and Fitness.  You may choose to add your work related goals as another option, but for me work is something that should not define me, but is inextricably linked to each of the others.  As you look at each of these areas do a little brainstorming and put down those things that come to mind.  Then look those things over and determine which items will have the greatest impact on your well-being.  My suggestion here is to limit yourself to about 3 goals in each area.

Now that you have begun the process we will look at next steps in next week's edition of "Workout Your Faith".  Keep I mind that "with God we will. . . Do Well!"