What She Said
Resolutions, routines, one, two, and five year goals–all the ‘best laid plans of mice and men’–are hot topics this time of year. But what happens when all that goal-setting goes awry? What if you’re working hard and seeing no success? What do you do when obstacles fall into your path?
Many experts would say to keep pushing, overcome, press on, and to never, never, never give up. And, much of the time, they’re right. Perseverance is, indeed, a quality more of us should develop. But it’s not always the best course of action. Pushing ahead against all obstacles is sometimes the dumbest thing we can do. Ordering every minute of our day, looking at our weeks and months as sequencial markers of our successes, planning our lives years in advance, doesn’t allow for one big thing: The God Factor.
The God Factor says…
1. Embrace the White Flag: Hitting the same wall again and again and again? Maybe it’s time to move on. Maybe it’s a sign that you’re on the wrong path. Maybe admitting defeat is the first step toward finding out what you’re really supposed to be doing.
2. Embrace That Small Voice: You know, the one that is whispering, “Try that class on eco-friendly web design.” The one that says, ever so gently, “No, not that, this…” The one that is nudging, directing, hinting. When you hit major resistance, listen carefully: What is that voice saying to you?
3. Embrace Your Inner Simon Cowell: When you’re yodeling a half pitch south of the note and Simon says that you’d be better off knitting belly-button lint than singing, don’t do what you see on TV and start bawling that he’s a fool and doesn’t know what he’s talking about and that no matter what, you have dreams and are going to make them happen. Simon knows his stuff. And, hard as it is to hear, he’s giving you the best gift of your life: Honesty. Who’s being honest with you about your gifts, or lack thereof? Are you listening or are you insisting they are wrong?
4. Embrace Your Inner Child: Trying to get published, get a record deal, secure that job, learn the piano, or finish that degree? Maybe that resistance is telling you something. Back up, start over, get into the sandbox and play for awhile. Toy with other ideas, wild ideas, ideas you never thought of before. Maybe what you thought was a dream to be published is really a dream to have your fingerprint on something. Maybe art or dance or volunteering at a rescue mission is more your thing. Stephen King spent six weeks walking the roads of Maine trying to sort out a plot problem. One day it came to him, just like that. Just like it might come to you if you give yourself the chance to play in the sandbox.
5. Embrace the Unknown: Have you ever thought that maybe God wants different things for your life than you want for yourself? Plans and planners give us ‘security’ and the illusion that we are 100% in control of our lives and our futures. But the unsettling truth is, we’re not. Sometimes holding tightly to our well laid plans, keeping our noses to the grindstone, and starting ‘with the end in mind,’ just keeps us stuck because we’re not making any allowance for divine intervention. What if letting go of control invites into your life the kind of direction you’ve been looking for?
It’s scary to let go of our plans. It’s scary to let God be God. But, last time I checked, He’s a pretty insistent fellow. And He wants the best for you more than even you want it. So, if you find yourself hitting your head against a brick wall, give your planner a day off and tune into the God Factor. It might be just what your 2012 needs.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares Yahweh, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
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