In the pursuit of keeping our commitments, it’s sometimes easy to lose our way.

At times, I’ve wondered why I put in so many hours.  I’ve wondered if fulfilling my pastoral duties is really worth it. I’ve gone through difficult seasons as a Dad and felt like throwing in the towel (If you have teenagers you know what I mean ☺).

Maybe right now you’re feeling the same way.

Part of the problem is that we live in a society that promises ease.  Somewhere along the way we believed the lie that more money would make life easier.  Or we believed that if we were promoted, life would become easier. The truth is that life is not easy.

Here’s something that helps me, when I feel like I’m losing my way.

I’ll start by giving some examples.  I put in long hours, because I believe it develops character and contributes to my own well-being and my family’s.  People who tell you there are more important things than money are the same people who can’t find any when they need it.  The truth is that the cost of living is expensive and gets higher every year. Money is NOT the root of all evil. The love of money is the root of all evil. 1 Tim. 6:10.

The reason I continue to pursue my calling is just that.  It’s a calling. In my most stressful moments, I’ve wanted to ditch it and flee never to be seen again.  But despite the stress, it’s what I feel God has called me to do. Truth be told, I cannot imagine life any other way, despite how painful the life of a pastor can be.  God’s grace is sufficient. My own calling occurred while a pastor was preaching on 1 Samuel 3:2-5.

When it comes to parenting, when I reflect, I’m reminded that I once dreamed of being a Dad.  Not just once but three times. The thought of doing life with my wife and kids was once a distant dream that filled every waking moment.  Plus, my children are a gift! Psalm 127:3

The truth is that we lose our way when we lose our why.  

So if you feel like you’re losing your way, chances are you’ve lost your why.

What’s going to help you get back on track.

Memory.

When we lose our way, we have to take the time to remember why we decided to do what we’re doing.

Maybe it’s a building project.  The thought of new real estate space was exciting.  But now, half-way through the building process you’re reconsidering.

Maybe it’s your job.  You once loved your job, but now that your fifteen years through a thirty year career, your second guessing all the years of hard work.

Perhaps it’s school.  You wanted to grow and improve your finances, but now that you’re a few semesters in and a few thousand dollars poorer, a life of ease is looking awfully attractive.

Proverbs 4:23 explains the importance of examining our motives so that we can stay on course.  Our course is only as pure as our motives. When our motives are pure, the path is clear. When they’re not, we wander off the path.

Many of us set out with good intentions and clear direction, only to experience difficulties and clouded judgement.  Ultimately, nobody is going to help us achieve our own success. It’s up to us. It’s a matter of personal choice. Chances are that when we feel like abandoning ship, we’ve forgotten our why.  

When your why is clear, so is the way.

What is your ‘WHY?’.

Have you ever had a set back that made you feel like quitting?

As a runner, I felt like quitting many times.  The setback?  Pain.

There are times when your lungs burn.  You sometimes feel like your shins are going to explode.  One day in particular, when I felt like quitting, my body lied to me.

I kid you not.  My body, not my brain, said, “STOP!  You can’t do this”.  Once I recognized the voice, I laughed.  “You can do it body, and you’re going to.”  That day I ran twice as far than I normally did at the time!

You may feel like quitting right now.  At first, the race seemed easy, but with time you’ve grown weary.  With your marriage.  Or you job.  Your children.  In the battle to be the man or woman God called you to be.

You’re not alone!  It’s human nature to avoid pain at all costs.  Especially good pain!

The good pain of getting physically fit.  Of enduring difficult, yet important, relationships.  Of personal growth.  Of leadership development.  While growing in spiritual maturity.

It may have been A.W Tozer who said that when God calls someone he hurts them.  That may or may not be truth.

But there is something to be said about the addage, “No pain, no gain!”

God knew we would experience pain, so he recorded the story about people who had a similar experience.

Several times, in the scriptures, God’s people were taken captive.

So how do you survive as a people when you are in captivity for 70 years?

The answer is you maintain hope.  According to the writers of the Encyclopedia Britannica, “Although the Jews suffered greatly and faced powerful cultural pressures in a foreign land, they maintained their national spirit and religious identity”.

Just as in times past, God’s promises can help us get through present troubles.

If God delivered us in the past, we can be assured he will presently and in the future as well.

When in an especially dark time, David remembered God’s mighty works in the past and was reassured of future deliverance.  “The Lord,” David writes, “has done great things for us; whereof we are glad” (Psalm 126:3).

Remembering past mercies, David prays, “Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south” (Psalm 126:4).

He then reveals a principal, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy” (Psalm 126:5).

Many people quote this verse when going through difficult times.  In their minds, God will deliver them.  All they have to do is wait.

But that’s not really the principle at work, here.

This isn’t a rendition of the modern day mantra, “hang in there”.  David is explaining that difficult times require action on our part if we want deliverance.  Can God deliver us without any action on our part?  Of course, but this principle teaches us that if we want to see results, we have to take action.

Tough times never last, tough people do!

Perhaps this idea is resonating with you right now.  Rather than curling up into a fetal position because you’re experiencing difficulties right now, what if you decided to take action!

The difficulties of life never cease, however, if we want to enjoy the fruits of our labors, we must keep sowing during difficult times.  Especially during difficult times.  There really is no time to lose.

When we do, we’ll experience the promise.  David writes, “Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.  Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves” (Psalm 126:5-6).

Allow me to suggest this idea.  Perhaps things have gotten so difficult lately that you’ve been considering a short cut.  In your heart, you may know this short cut is wrong, but you’re so tired and weary that it seems like the only way.

There are many shortcuts…telling a lie, changing some numbers, submitting some papers, giving in.  There is a word for these shortcuts…sin.

The antidote to sin is faith.  David teaches us, as well as other writers, that we can trust God.  He is our father and we are his children.  He loves us and promises to provide for our every need.

How do we know he loves us?  He allowed his Son Jesus to die for us on the cross.

How do we know he can do the impossible?  He raised his son from the dead!

If you’re trusting God as your Father and you’ve been thinking about the shortcut lately, I want to remind you that you are loved any you can trust your heavenly Father.

If you’ve never trusted God as your Father, you can.  Today.

I know you may be really tired right now and maybe you’re even considering dropping out of the race.  I want to remind you.  Life can be tiring and painful.  Don’t quit!

Jesus himself experienced weariness and pain, yet he persevered and so can you.

Rather than just ignoring your current situation and hoping it will just pass by, why not begin why planting a small seed, today?  Decide what you’re going to do and then take the first step toward achieving it.  If you’re unsure what that looks like, maybe it means just getting back to some of the routines you once practiced that were producing fruit.

Most of the time we know what we should do, it’s just a matter of doing it.

Sticking our heads in the sand like the proverbial Ostrich is not what the bible teaches.  The bible teaches us that the best time to get going is when we least feel like it.  In the words of an ancient wise man, “The best time to plant a tree was 100 years ago.  The second best time is today!

What if I told you I was going to give you something that cost me thousands of dollars?

To begin, imagine a helicopter.  As you know a helicopter is a collection of many different parts working together. The question is, what do you need to fly a helicopter?

There are, of course, the rotary blades.  No blades, no helicopter.

There is some kind of yoke to maneuver, as well as a seat.

There is a high performance motor of some sort.

We could go on listing parts, but that will do for now.

In my own experience, most of us like to soar above the earth like helicopters in search of something great.  I’ve learned it is very easy to be devoted to a single purpose.

For example, we may focus on growing our business for a long period of time.  Or we may focus on becoming successful.  The endeavor is unimportant.  The point is, if we’re not careful, something debilitating happens when we become obsessed with our objective.

Years ago, I remember talking with my mentor.  I was about to go on vacation, actually an all-work vacation, if there is such a thing.  My mentor noticed my preoccupation with work and my goals and commended me for being passionate.  Then, he wisely, asked me what I planned on doing other than my mission.  In fact, the things he suggested seemed unimportant at the time.

It’s easy to become so engrossed with our mission that we forget to unplug regularly.

Getting back to our introduction, there is part of a helicopter that many people forget about.  In order to have a successful flight, a helicopter needs a place to land!

By itself, despite its expensive parts and precision engineering, a helicopter cannot fly without a place to land.  Neither can you.

So, what is your R.M.D?

Your R.M.D stands for your Rational Meaningful Detachment.

These are the activities you engage in to unwind and let your soul catch up with your body.

As for myself I have many.  I enjoy walking outdoors.  Hunting.  Fishing.  Boatbuilding.  Writing.  Reading.

So what are yours?  Sit for a few minutes and write them down.

Maybe it’s been awhile since you engaged in any of those activities because your life has been moving too fast.

One common Rational Meaningful Detachment we all share is our homes.

While work is where we should be doing, home is a place we should be able to just be from time to time.  Imagine what our lives would be like if we never had the opportunity to rest and regroup?

Years ago, I asked a homeless man how he survived on the streets in the Northeast.  “I just stand on the street somewhere so I don’t fall asleep”, he said.  That was never God’s plan.

God has designed it so that we can work and play.  In the garden, Adam and Eve were to dress and keep the land before there was ever a curse.  Genesis 2:15 reads, “God took the Man and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order.”

While God expects us to work, He also expects us to rest.

However, there’s an epidemic.  Many people today are constantly working and never resting.  We see the effects all around us.

Families are blowing apart at the seams.  We use band aids rather than curing the real problem. The hospitals and institutions are full.  Crime is escalating…why work when you can steal.

You may never have considered work a sin, but it can be according to the bible. ^“Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don’t do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day. (Exodus 20: 8-11).

Work is a sin when we don’t rest as required.

And just as we earn a paycheck for working, when we disobey there are repercussions.

The repercussions come in the form of frayed health and nerves.  Sometimes they are eternal.

The good news is that Jesus came, lived, died, was buried and rose again so that we could have abundant life.

Better yet, he offers us the gift of forgiveness for free!  If it costs something, it wouldn’t be a gift.

Some of you are working seven days a week.  Stop it.  Right now.  That’s not God’s plan.

Remember, just like the helicopter, we need to land regularly.

Do you know why?

We need to refuel.  You know what happens when a helicopter runs out of fuel and we’re no different.

1.  One place you can refuel this weekend is church.  If you don’t have one, find one.  Call a friend who attends one and ask if you can go with them.

If you don’t have a friend to go with, invite someone else to go with you.  Take your family.

I promise you that whatever church you attend, the people who are there will be glad to see you.

2. Plan to attend regularly.  Not just once.  Regularly.  Weekly.

Church isn’t a man made idea.  It’s a God idea.  God knew we would need a place to meet regularly to stay on course and be encouraged, so he instituted Church.

This lesson cost me thousands of dollars to learn while pursuing a doctorate, but it’s yours for free.  May God bless you richly as you pursue your Rational Meaningful Detachment!

“So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.  Hebrews.” 10:22-25

When you have two children, you can play man to man.  More than two and you have to play zone.  As if that’s not difficult enough, there’s a new challenge.

Distractions.

Remember the pastoral days before cell phones?  Just you and nature or whoever happened to be in front of you.  You could change your oil in peace or bake a cake without being dinged.

I’m so glad cellphones weren’t around when I was a teenager.  It was bad enough not having a girlfriend, let alone worrying if I was going to get dumped via text.   My zit production was bad enough without that kind of stress looming over head.

Back in those days the only ones who had cell phones were C.E.O’s.  And the phones they had were the size of bread loaves.  When did we all become C.E.O’s?

While those days aren’t gone, something has changed.  There came a day when we found that we could do lots of things at the same time.  We could drive and talk on our phones or read a text.  We could read a book to our child and look up the latest deals in the market place when and if necessary.

But it’s more than our phones now.  There are distractions everywhere.  Go online for a few minutes and there a thousands of different rabbit trails.  They know what you like based on your searches and advertise the items in the margins.  You can go online today to find out what the weather is going to be and end up buying a kayak!

By now, perhaps you’re beginning to realize the dilemma.  There are so many alluring exits in our daily travels that we’re having a hard time reaching our destinations.

Here are some thoughts on focusing.

F: Find a system that works for you.  Personally, I’ve found that when I lock my cell phone in my car for hours on end, I can’t be distracted by it.  While that might sound harsh, find a system that works for you.  Go cold turkey.  Start by taking baby steps.  If hours on end sounds too long, lock it away for an hour or two.  Whatever you do, find what works for you.  Turn off your notifications.  Silence it during sleeping hours.  Once you find your system, tweak it and change it.  Learn from your mistakes.

O: Opt out on being part of the crowd.  We all want to be loved.  The problem is we can’t love everyone at the same time.  Oprah says she’s got a lot of money.  And because she has lots of money, she gets a lot of requests from people who want her money.  She says that while she can’t give money away to everyone, she can give away some here and there.  You’re not Oprah.  You only have a limited supply of time and energy.  Don’t try to keep everyone happy.  They’ll find you sitting in your cubicle drooling all over yourself.  Opting out of the crowd doesn’t mean you don’t care. It means you care enough for those you love to devote yourselves to them in such a way that they know they are your number one priority.  Don’t be a cellphone zombie.

C: Craft a vision for you and your family.  Part of the reason we’re so distracted is we don’t have a long term vision.  Take some time and try this exercise.  Begin by imagining what you want your children and/or family to remember about you.  Many people do this.  What do you want your epithet to say?  Then ask yourself what you want your grandchildren to remember about you.  Then your great grandchildren and great great grandchildren.  If that doesn’t help, ask yourself what you want to remembered about you one thousand years from now!  Once you can answer that question, the distractions will melt away.

U: Use your phone to create.  In the world of production, there are really only two types of people, producers and consumers.  My personal vision is to ‘create good things, beautiful things, in the lives of others and their families’.  The problem is it’s so easy to just consume all of the good and beautiful things other people have created.  You don’t have to write a novel or write a blog to be creative.  Start small.  Text your spouse during your break and tell them you love them.  Call one of your friends on FB who appears to be struggling.  Post something that is going to add value to the lives of your followers.  Start by making one call a day or one post.  Encourage one person.

S: Soar.  As you begin to take back parts of your life, your whole life will improve.  Don’t go through life being distracted left and right.  Focus on the moment.  Wherever you are, be all there.  By taking a few minutes or hours to take a bird’s eye view, you’ll develop an Eagle’s eye focus on what needs attention.  Reflection and observation are two of the most powerful tools to help you get back on track and start flying toward your dreams again.

Nothing can undermine your effectiveness quicker than distractions.  The good news is that the more you begin to focus, the more your distractions diminish.

Some people put blinders on their horses to keep the horse focused on the task at hand.  It’s not cruel.  It keeps the animal on track and focused on the task at hand.  I don’t know about you, but I need blinders sometimes.  There have been too many days when I haven’t experienced a sense of satisfaction because I’ve been distracted.  How about you?

Although I enjoyed my job most of the time in High School and college, there were times I didn’t.  While everyone else was enjoying their weekend, I was schlepping crates of milk from the back cooler and stocking the shelves.  In the process, you had to pull all of the old milk from the back of the shelf and put the new stuff in the front.

Sometimes I stocked the Frozen section.  Nothing is more embarrassing than having zits and wearing a red smock and being seen by the other kids in your class, while filling shelves with frozen pizzas.  Usually they just snickered and kept walking.  Occasionally they’d acknowledge me with the wave of a hand.  I might as well have had a big ‘L’ tattooed on my forehead.

Soon after I stopped working for Grand Union in 1995, they offered an incentive.  It wasn’t much, just a couple thousand dollars, but as a young college student I could have used it.  It would have been fun to take the summer off and sleep in until noon everyday, all the while having disposable income.

But then there’s foresight.  That moment when you decide to keep moving forward come sink or swim.  It’s what separates the wheat from the chaff in the world of success.  Be it determination, fortitude, call it what you want, there’s something to setting your course and pressing on.

I decided to do that recently.  The path I was on was pleasant and fulfilling, yet I decided to strike out for new territories beyond my comfort zone, professionally.  Again, there was no buyout.

But there was buy-in.  I bought in to the idea that it was something God wanted me to do.  That was enough, always has been.  Sometimes what doesn’t look good on paper, makes perfect sense otherwise.  Sometimes the best thing is a change.

However, when the newness and excitement of your adventurous decision wears off, you’re left to figure out what you have to do to get out of the quicksand you’ve jumped into.

In my case, there were new hours, new days off, new people.  At times I felt like I was in a video game looking for shortcuts and secrets.  Occasionally there were hidden treasures, but most of the time there was a lot of struggle.  It’s a real challenge when you go from total competence to relative incompetence.

Some of you know exactly what I’m talking about right now.  You struck out in a new direction and sometimes you find yourself looking back over your shoulder.  You think about going back to the place and time where things were predictable.

Here are a few lessons I’ve gleaned 60 days into my new journey.

It’s going to be o.k!  If you’re like me, you need to know that right now.  One time I went camping with my Dad and his friend for the weekend.  We rode on the back of their motorcycles and pitched tents.  We were young and it was pitch black the first night.  Us kids were alone in the tent and the darker and later it got, the more sure we were that there were bears outside the tent getting ready to eat us.  I’m older now and I’m not scared of bears.  A lot of crumby things can happen, yes.  But you have to keep fear at bay and your faith intact at the same time.  Imagine how the men and women of the bible must have felt while going through their heartaches and trials.  It’s going to be o.k.  I promise.

Learning is fun!  When you attempt new things, you learn new things.  Your circle grows and so does your knowledge.  You meet new people and they teach you new things.  Sometimes what to do and other times what not to do.  You learn their stories and fears and insecurities, philosophies, viewpoints and more.  In some cases, they share exciting and innovative life strategies with you.

Your circle of influence grows!  As you meet new people, you’re impact grows.  Likewise, these people help you connect with their friends and networks.  The choice is yours, you can remain living as a big fish in a small pond or you can become a small fish in a big pond.  There used to be an old pond down behind the farm I grew up on.  It was full of Catfish.  The problem was they were all stunted.  None of the fish were over 4 or 5 inches long.  Sure you could catch a ton of them, but nothing huge.  They were so small because they had no choice but to remain in the small, overpopulated pond they lived in.  A pond with limited supplies of food and opportunities for growth.  You’re not a fish.  The choice is yours when it comes to pursuing new ventures.  You don’t have to stay in the pond, there are oceans out there!

Your confidence will grow!  Remember the first day of school?  One poor kid I went to school with peed his pants every day before he got on the bus.  He’s been dead now for many years now.  He crossed over the median on a highway into oncoming traffic while being chased by the police.

New places, especially school, can be frightening.  You have a new locker that’s hard to find and you pray everyday to crack the combination and find all of your classes.  In the hustle and bustle your books sometimes get knocked out of your hands and lie sprawled out all over the floor.  The good news is that as time goes by, your confidence grows.  Slowly but surely you learn your way around and the new sights, sounds and people become familiar.  Relax.  You learned new environments in the past, and your going to assimilate with your new environment.  One of these days you’re going to be able to give the new kid on the block a tour and show him the restroom so that he can put on fresh pants.  Or not.  Point is, as your confidence grows, you’ll be more likely to embrace fresh opportunities in the future.   The more you do, the shorter the learning curve becomes and the more potential you have.  The lessons and experience you’re gathering now will prove helpful in the future.

Your appreciation for the world we live in will grow!  You’re going to find out that wherever you go, there are new people to meet and new places to see.  And if you stay positive, you’ll find beauty all around you, no matter where you go.  The good news too is that wherever you go, God is the same.  Yesterday, today and tomorrow.  And he’s created an amazing world.  Whenever you get discouraged, just look up and when you do, you’ll find out that the view of the sky is the same no matter where you go.

My Dad used to take us fishing with Fibber McGee, a friend of his and when we asked Fibber why we weren’t catching as many fish as he was, he always said the same thing, “You have to hold your face right!”  I remember wondering what he meant for years, he’d never tell us.  Then one day I realized what he was saying.  It was a flash of lightening.  He was saying, “Whatever you do, keep a great attitude!”  You have to believe before you receive.

I don’t know what you’re going through right now, but I do know this.  Regardless of what it is, if you keep the right attitude and stay positive, things are going to turn out just fine.  It all goes back to the Law of Reaping and Sowing.  Keep planting good seed and good fruit will follow!

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”.  Galatians 6:7

As a child, by the time I rolled out of bed, my Grandfather was usually coming in for breakfast after milking the cows!

This past month I focused on developing the habit of waking up at 5:30 a.m. every morning.  The results were amazing!

The quality of your morning routine dictates your whole day!

More than becoming a morning riser, my specific goal was to launch each day in such a way that the rest of the day was amazing. I kid you not, this was one of the most incredible months of my life!

It all began after discovering a book called ‘The Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod. His book emphasizes 6 practices every morning. Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing (writing). S.A.V.E.R.S.

It’s not a race. At first, it was a bit regimental. But that was my own fault. I would set the timer on my iphone for a period of time and then try to accomplish each step. You’ll soon learn that your morning routine becomes stressful rather than enjoyable when you do it this way. There is no hurry.

You’ll develop incredible energy reserves. In fact, I regularly have the energy to enjoy 17 and 18 hour days as a result of this new routine.

You’ll develop a habit that will provide lifelong returns. Arnold Schwartzenegger’s Dad took his children on day trips and required them to write reports about their experiences. The hulking figure you see today was no accident. If you study his life, he is one of the most self-disciplined people in the world and that discipline has allowed him to develop into the man he is today. All of your healthy habits snowball over time.

You’ll see the world differently. Even the army knows this. They insist soldiers make their bed first every morning. The beds are then expected. Why? Having a great day begins with a sense of accomplishment from performing one simple task well. When your morning routine changes for the better, your whole world changes and you begin to see it in a whole new way!

Amazing things happen! The first morning I implemented this routine was one of the happiest days of my life. After completing my routine the first day I can truly say it was a miracle morning. I spent the rest of the winter day hiking under an Ultra-Marine Blue sky in the Adirondack mountains of N.Y with a sense of peace I had not experienced in a long time. Last night I was invited to watch the Liberty Flames baseball game from a sky box in Lynchburg, Virginia with an world-wide expert in the field of counseling and his family! God is good….all the time.

You’ll stand out in the crowd. As you begin to feel better about yourself, others will feel better about you too! In the words of Dr. David Black, a leader is someone who when he says he’s going fishing, people don’t yawn and walk away. They want to go too. Your self- discipline will begin to ‘stick out’ and people will be drawn to you. Chances are they may not even know why, but they will.

You’ll start to dream again. If you’re like most people, there’s someone you’d like to meet in your lifetime. Maybe it’s a famous musician or a ‘movie star’, or perhaps an athlete. You can’t rewind the clock and tomorrow’s not here yet but you can start dreaming right now! You have to decide what you’re going to talk about when you meet these people. Otherwise when you meet them, you will not be able to capitalize.

Dreams really do come true! If I told you all of the things that happened this past month, you probably wouldn’t believe me. It really has been amazing!

The most amazing part is that I have fallen in love with getting up and seizing the day and you can too! I realize you’re ‘busy’ and you have a lot on your plate right now. But there are only so many hours in the day. If we don’t carve out time to do the things that really matter, our lives pass us by and we miss out on all that God has for us.

If your old model isn’t getting you the results you want, why keep using it? Don’t just tweak it or improve it incrementally, try something new. This model really works. The important thing is to find what works for you. Customize it. Tweak it. Maximize. 30 days from now you have the potential to be a whole new person.

Don’t get discouraged. No, it’s not going to be easy to begin with, but after awhile it will come as naturally as walking or riding a bike. There is an uphill battle and you will have resistance, but in time, what was once hard will become easier.

Here are three action steps:
1) Design a curriculum that works for you the night before. Think about what you want to accomplish this month and then decide what steps you have to take. Write the plan down on paper.
2) Set your alarm and make it so that you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Once you’re up, leave your bedroom a.s.a.p.
3) Drink a glass of cold water as soon as you wake up.
4) Have your materials ready so that you can begin immediately.

An app by definition, according to dictionary.com is: an application, typically a small, specialized program downloaded onto mobile devices. Fancy words, for a really cool tool that can be used repeatedly to help you achieve excellent results (my own words).

Before there were digital apps, there were written ones in the form of pen and paper. This is that kind of app (for now- I’m sure it will morph into much more!).

I’m super excited about this app because it will prayerfully be the first of many! It’s an app in that it is a short, concise blog post that can be accessed and used repeatedly. At this moment, it seems there is no limit to the potential for this type of teaching.

In reality we are busier than we’ve ever been. These apps are powerful because they can be accessed and implemented quickly.

Introducing the Mental Clarity and Proposal App!

As a leader, it is important that you are clear on the direction you and those you lead are heading. As legendary teacher Howard Hendricks taught, “If theres mist in the pulpit, it will be foggy in the pew.” As a leader, it is imperative that you think and teach with clarity.

There are 5 questions you must answer if you are going to ask those you lead to commit. This idea came about as the result of a question asked by a friend who asked me to clarify a post I had made on Facebook.

The Five Questions.

Who? As you plan your work, it is important to think about who you want to join your team. This is a vital step for those who practice the art of delegation. Before others commit, they want to know who else is going to be working on the project.
What? This is pretty obvious, but it is important to know ‘what’ you plan on doing. You also need to describe your project or objective clearly! The people you lead will not be able to perform the necessary tasks unless they have a clear mental picture of your objective.
When? In the words of Andy Stanley, “Everything has a shelf-life.” When will this project start, how long will it take and when will it be completed? Until you can answer these three questions, you’re not ready to go ship. If you want to be really prepared, calendar the steps necessary to complete the project.
Where? I know what you’re thinking. Pretty obvious. Nevertheless, this is an important part of planning. Determine the where of your project before you ever discuss it.
Why? – In the words of Gail Hyatt, “People want to know the why behind the what.” You may have the greatest idea in the world, but people want to know the purpose before they are willing to fully commit.

Bonus: How? I worked in the construction business for many years under different Foreman. Each Foreman, was in charge of completing the same project. However, they each had their own formula and approach to the work. Admittedly, some were probably more productive than others. At the end of the day, each project was completed. Taking that idea a step further, be open to the ideas and strategies of those you lead when it comes to designing a project. Some of their ideas are probably going to even better than yours!

Step 2: Create Your App! Write these 5 questions in your journal or design a template on your computer. You now have a simple, yet powerful tool that will help you design and implement new and exciting ideas as they arise!