Preparation

Thoughts on Preparation from John Maxwell's book "Talent is Never Enough"

Spectacular achievement comes from unspectacular preparation.

No matter your circumstances, resources, or natural talent, certain things are always within your control – your ability to work harder and smarter than anybody else.

You can maximize your time if you know what you want to accomplish.

Maxwell: Every day, I read and file quotes, stories and idea starters. Every month, I draw upon those filed resources. Every year, I use some of those lessons to write new books. My productivity comes more from my preparation than anything else.

Many people believe that their greatest barrier to opportunity is having one, but the reality is that their greatest barrier is being ready when one arrives.

My personal favorite: If you believe that your success tomorrow depends on what you do today, then you will treat today differently.

Preparation does not mean master of the facts. It does not mean knowing all the answers…it means putting yourself in a better position to succeed.

If you don’t accurately evaluate where you need to do and what it will take to get there, then you’re like to get into trouble.
Find the right target
Assess the distance
Know the conditions
Know what it will take to get there

If you want to take your game to the next level – personally, professionally, relationally, or recreationally – you need to find someone who is better than you to help you with the preparation process.

You have to be able to see yourself doing it with your mind’s eye. If you can’t imagine it, you probably will not be able to achieve it.

Chchchanging

We're moving. Again!!?!? There - I said it before you got the chance! Yes, we've moved a lot in recent years and I've heard it all. "You must be an expert by now", "Can I use ink this time when I write down your new address?", "What! Again?".

I want to say this is the last time. I hope it will be. My desire and plan is that I won't move again - for a very long time. And I am excited and I do believe we will see our plans come to fruition and we will stay. And stay. Be connected, grow deep relationships.

What was behind all that moving? In hindsight, not always the best choices. But a wise friend says, "No one makes a bad decision on purpose". Thank you for that grace. Some of the moves were reactions. Like the time the senior pastor who was our friend and my boss and our pastor had inappropriate feelings for me...and told me. We moved. Following that was the grief and the depression and not knowing how to feel better, and we moved again. Another year+ later we came to Arizona for a fresh start. To the high desert in Kingman, which translates to brown earth, wind, dust, small town and people with no teeth. Had to love that. Being dumped in a church and left to figure it out with no support. And we had a good run there actually. Made a couple of my best friends. Left thinking the grass would be greener somewhere else. Not true then, it usually isn't. Tried a couple of really far-fetched places, sideswiped by Wes' cancer, got stuck, and finally, we move to Gilbert.

Not the land of greener grass and endless opportunities. It's the place we decided will be home. The place where we are choosing to dream big, plan well, move forward and have the life we long for. Connection, fulfillment, fun. We know it will bring new challenges but we are much stronger and wiser and not so easily wounded. We have been through a lot and are not ready to give up on having "the life you've always dreamed of". We welcome your visit.

Faith Without Action Would be Hopeless

My earlier post about the frequency with which I have been using "hopefully" regarding my circumstances, desires, plans and future has led to a couple of good conversations. Perhaps "hopefully" is shorthand for "I'm doing what I can, in faith that this is where God is leading and He will bless our efforts and we will see these outcomes."

Listening to a recent cd by speaker Jim Rohn I heard this: "Faith uninvested in labor is wasted." Faith is a good thing, depending of course on what you have faith in. But I'm talking about my faith in God, my belief that the bible is the true Word of God and on that foundation I placed my faith.

But faith that circumstances will change and will result in a desired outcome, by itself, is likely to disappoint. Faith without action is wishful thinking or happy thoughts. The book of James says faith without deeds is useless.

As I use the word - hopefully - I am stating that because of my faith and the actions I am taking as a result of my faith, I have every reason to hope and believe that the desired outcome will occur.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 We continually remember before God our Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by HOPE in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Thong

Tonight I went to a "sculpting class" at the health club. I typically work out in the morning and try to do two of these weight lifting classes a week. I missed the one I usually attend so instead of trying to motivate myself through my own work out, I tried the evening class.

Six or so people are in the room when I arrive and I set up my step and gather my weights. Marissa won't be here. She's the regular teacher and I've worked out with her in the morning. She's pretty good. Tonight - we have a substitute.

I was given the impression she is a new teacher. That's okay, I thought. I'll be gracious even though she is out of sync with the music, performing movements that are not safe and is not at all challenging or motivating. About ten minutes into this I am ready to leave. I don't want to be rude. I don't want to be mean. If someone were to ask, I would suggest she get some coaching from a more experienced teacher.

Fifteen minutes in and I am not only convinced she is a new teacher, I am wondering if she ever attended a class before. At 20 minutes we get our mats, put them on the bench and do tricep dips, extensions, and an overhead press. One set of eight. Then we rest. Then repeat. Which wouldn't be bad if we were using more than 5 lb. dumbells. These classes are geared toward lighter weights and high reps. By 25 minutes I decide I need to refill my water bottle. Then came squats. Eight of them, then rest. She decided we needed something to help us stay balanced so we put our steps upright. No one needed anything to balance with. Whatever.

It was nearly 30 minutes into the 60 minute class and I'm saying over and over "You can waste my money, waste my food, waste my stuff --- I can get more. But don't waste my time!"

Okay, I'm a workout snob. I have been doing this in some form since Jacquie Sorenson started dance aerobics and I was in my early 20s. I've done them all - low impact, high impact, step, kickboxing, salsa, body sculpting, yogalates, pilates, power yoga, boot camp, spinning. I want a work out - I want to be challenged and I want the instructor to have at least a bit of potential to appear to be working harder than me. It's not happening tonight and I need to get a good workout in.

Finally, we're going to do some squats and lunges. Ahh, I thought, I can get through this. I'll go my own pace, use a heavier weight - this will work. And it might have. Until I saw her lime green thong....just put me over the top.

Hopefully

This morning after Wes and I spent some time talking I thought about how many times I thought or said "hopefully". Hopefully we will meet new people to invite to church; hopefully we will make friends with some couples; hopefully we will have great neighbors when we move; hopefully Wes will pass the Bar exam and hopefully he will have a great job with good income and benefits or start a practice that again, hopefully, takes off and is more lucrative than anything we have experienced in the past. Hopefully we get out of debt in the coming 12 months, repay our savings and have money for a down payment on a house. Hopefully.

So am I hopeful or wishing? Is my hope based on something other than, "gee these things would be nice"?. Hope based on nothing concrete is just a wish. Hope based on something solid has some basis to it.

Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

How do I know if my hope is based on faith? How can I be certain? Does God need to "speak" to me and confirm it? Do I just claim it in faith? This is what we need; what we want to have happen and what we are working towards. Is that based on faith? Do I have a reason to be certain that even though I do not see this right now and have no idea how it will come about - that all of this is not just wishful thinking?

I value your comments and input. I believe this is what is going to happen and we are working toward it. Am I crazy?

High Priority

The seemingly small activities I engage in every day become my life. Same for you. When I think about that, I mean really think about it - it's kind of scary. This is my life, right here, right now. Not in a few weeks or months or years when I attain some goal. But now. So if the day to day isn't fulfilling, it stands to reason that the lifetime isn't going to be much better.

Having values and priorities and knowing how to really incorporate them into every day life is something I am just now learning how to do. It's part of the coaching I'm doing. Developing daily disciplines which, over time, become habits that result in the outcomes I am looking for.

Like meal planning. For years I have attempted and given up on meal planning and grocery shopping with a list. Saturday I asked Wes to make a dinner meal plan for one week. He did. We went through the fridge and pantry, made a grocery list and off he went. Three days in a row we have had good food and less stress.

This may not seem like much to you but good health is a high priority for us. Eating food that is nutritious became even more important last year when Wes was undergoing BCG treatment for bladder cancer. We were advised to get the sugar out. Avoid processed foods. And we have - Wes especially. But after our initial enthusiasm it was hard to think of what to eat, shop for what we would eat, prepare what we wanted to eat, and then eat it.

So meal planning isn't just about planning tomorrow's dinner. We are making one of our priorities real by planning nutritious food that tastes good and is easily available in our home.

Wes has responded well to his cancer treatment from traditional medicine and the immune support treatment from the naturopathic doctor. We both look and feel better. My mood swings are not nearly as erratic since eliminating most sugar and processed foods. I have more energy.

I am beginning to grasp that having a value and incorporating it in daily living doesn't happen by chance. Doing what we can to contribute to our good health for the present and the future is important to us, and now, we have a tool for making it practical as well. This might not seem to relate to anything particularly spiritual on "the grace journey" but hang in there with me - I think it will.

Coach Tammy

Not many people know this but I am a participant in an activity called life coaching. I have engaged the services of Coach Tammy for her expertise working with people like me...people who have more ideas and projects than they know what to do with. I have gotten so frustrated with myself because I suspect I am smart, talented, capable, have good ideas and the ability to see them through. But I get sidetracked. I have a problem with too much structure and being able to make the commitment to see long term projects through. I probably quit too soon on some of the more important "projects" I've been involved with. Smaller projects aren't so much a problem. It's not the desire to make a pillow or quilt that never gets off the ground. It's the big picture - basically, how to have a fulfilling life.

I need help identifying my goals and a strategy to accomplish them. I have lots of ideas and dreams. But which of those are really where I should be investing my time? That's part of the coaching. And once I identify a goal, I have to identify what gets in my way and why. Then, overcome that. Naturally, nothing is ever as easy as it sounds.

Right now I am working on some organizational and planning skills. It's basic, but that's where I am. A good question that came up in our conversation on Wednesday was, "What do you want your daily / weekly life to look like?" The truth is, whatever happens on a daily or weekly basis is my life! So how I fill each day matters. Knowing what to fill it with affects not only my short term satisfaction, but long term fulfillment.

I find I am learning a lot and actually have hope that I can fulfill my God-given purpose. I will use my gifts and talents and abilities and shape a daily and weekly life that - at the end - I won't look back on with regret. I won't be asking, "What if I had pursued that?"

Tammy's website is http://www.renaissanceminds.com/. What made me know she was the coach for me is her understanding of people wired like me - what she calls the Renaissance Mind. If you go to her website you can find that description on the right side of the home page. It was with great pleasure I gave a copy of the article to Wes. "See", I told him, "I'm not ADD - I'm just wired differently than you!" Frankly, what a relief to find someone who understands and will teach me to use my renaissance mind to my advantage instead of allowing it to be one of self defeat.