All month long, we’ve been talking about planning. Having a great plan is critical to realizing your intentions because you take actions that matter.
It’s kind of like a road trip.
Decide the destination. Load up on snacks and great music. Gas the car.
What’s left?
Getting out of the driveway!
Wait just a second. Do you need to get some junk out of the trunk before you can get going?
This was Bethany’s challenge. She loved her small Indiana farm, but had trouble maintaining the place after her husband’s sudden death. Her children moved in and out for a decade, conveniently using her house as their storage space. She didn’t mind – she thought of herself as home base.
Everything changed when she needed a new furnace.
The tech refused to install it. “Too much stuff around the vents,” he muttered. As he quickly packed up his tools, he warned Bethany, “This house is a fire trap, lady.”
Bethany was sure her eldest son would be anxious to have his athletic gear and trophies from college. But her voicemails went unreturned.
Then she thought her daughter and son-in-law would pitch in. However, week after week passed as something always got in the way – deadlines at work, then a sick baby.
She started to panic with the first snow just around the corner. Suddenly, calm swept over her when she had a radical idea. Her master plan required drastic action.
A dumpster later, it was if she had a brand new house. More important, Mama had a brand new furnace.
The March series, Make the Turn, has shown how creation can be a lot like driving. We get to the journey’s end by executing our plan and making adjustments along the way:
The new season is the perfect time for a fresh perspective. Don’t abandon the high intentions you’ve set for this year. Fine-tune your plans and then make the turn to get where you want to go.
Are you unsure about what to cut loose? Here are three easy questions to consider:
Your plan, the “how”, is essential. It’s the difference between hoping for something and making it real.