Getter' done!

My wife and I love dreaming big dreams about our future, and about what God is doing in our lives and in our family. Not only do we like to think about our work and our goals for projects etc… we like to dream about vacations, events we want to be a part of and special trips we hope to take. One of the realities we have observed is this: If we don’t put those things on the calendar, they rarely come to be.

A couple of months ago, Traci and I had the privilege of teaching our couples’ small group at church. It’s a class of 12-15 couples that we enjoy being with every Wednesday night. Back in November, we were given the chance to teach two of our weekly classes.

During those two sessions, we talked a lot about goals and dreams, and about this idea of getting them on the calendar. Well just a few days ago I was talking with my pastor and he told me, “Kori and I bought our books.” I asked what books he was referring to, and he talked about the books that would prepare them for their dream vacation 2-3 years out. They’ve put it on the calendar and now they can start preparing to enjoy it, and watching to see what God will do in the weeks and months to come as they steer towards this special trip.

But this idea of putting a date on the calendar isn’t just good for vacations and dream trips, it’s good for goals and plans etc… For example, after coming back from a conference in California, I knew it was time for me to tackle a challenge, both physical and mental. It would be easy to put this activity -- running a 1/2 marathon with my wife -- on the “to-do” list that would never quite finish. Mind you, me not running a 1/2 marathon is a to-do list item I wouldn’t mind leaving unfinished!

However, since I know this run means more to me than just completing a physical challenge (it is symbolic of theme God has put in my life) I had to put a date on it. My first half marathon is on the calendar for October 5th; Traci and I will be running together (along with a couple of other friends who will be running both the 1/2 and the full marathon). The date brings a certain urgency and expectation to the commitment.

What do you have on your dream list, goal list or to-do list that needs to get put on a calendar? Want to multiply the success rate of that particular event? Then don’t just put it on calendar, but announce it others, too. The extra accountability creates even more potential for you to experience success.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Are you pursuing some great plans in your life? Check out Project Nehemiah from the Overboard Bookstore. It’s ON SALE for this month (only $8.99), and includes free shipping!

3 Goal Setting Principles

On Friday, I plan to release my 2013 goals. In light of that, I wanted to offer you three thoughts about goal achieving from the life of Nehemiah.  

Nehemiah was a Jew, displaced from his home in Israel, living with the king in the capital of Susa. He was the king’s servant (cupbearer), but he longed to be home in Jerusalem. While serving in Susa, Nehemiah’s brother and some friends show up for a visit and to deliver bad news. Jerusalem is a mess, its walls are gone and the gates have been burned to the ground.

Nehemiah’s heart breaks at the news.

From that point on, Nehemiah goes to work. He gathered supplies. He surveyed the project. He rounded up workers. He fought opposition. He rebuilt the wall. He accomplished his goal.

Here are three take aways from Nehemiah’s project:

1. Motivation: Before you set a goal, be sure you establish the why behind the goal. Why do you want to generate more income? Why do you want to develop that particular habit? Why do you want to improve your marriage? Why do you want to pursue that job? Your motivation behind your goal will have a significant impact on your ability to achieve it. You don’t have to go very far to realize Nehemiah’s motivation: To please God, and to create a great testimony of God’s power and His ability to keep His promises. What are you being motivated by?
2. Prayer: Most of chapter one is a prayer request. As you read Nehemiah’s story, you find he prayed repeatedly for God’s help. If you want to see your dreams and goals come to completion, make sure you bathe them in prayer.
3. Work: I think a lot of people of faith make the mistake of believing that once they’ve prayed, the work is done. Certainly prayer is often neglected, but don’t forget to work! In God’s great plans, He has chose to work with us and through us, not just wave the magic wand and accomplish what He wants. He could, but He chooses not to. Not only did Nehemiah pray, and pray often, but he worked hard.

(If you want to read more about Nehemiah’s life, pick up Project Nehemiah from our bookstore)

So what is the motivation behind your 2013 goals? Are you praying about them? Are you willing to work hard for them? Don’t let 2013 pass with more unmet, unfinished goals in your life. Instead, follow the pattern of Nehemiah and chase your dreams.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

p.s. My wife and I are starting 2013 with the 100 Day Challenge program. Until January 14, we are still taking on teammates who want to chase their goals and dreams. Through us, you can save $50 off the program, bringing the cost to under $100! Click HERE for more information and for access to three videos that will inspire you to start 2013 fast, so you can finish strong.

The election is over

The election is over. While much of the election didn’t go as I had hoped and voted, part of me is thankful to be moving on. After months and months of political ads, water cooler debates and facebook posts that almost lured me into foolish online debating, I’m ready to let the winners gloat, the losers forecast doom and for the impact of this election to take effect. Not one of us really knew the outcomes of these various elections, and truthfully none of us really knows the impact they’ll have on today. Or tomorrow. Or next week...

I’m usually a pretty good sleeper, but for some odd reasons, on Tuesday night after the election, I woke up at 4:15am and couldn’t get back to sleep. I took a few minutes to browse facebook. (I think I do this as a test to my self-control -- to see if I can withstand the temptation to add my own foolish comments to the countless foolish comments flying across my iPad screen.) After catching up with the insomniac crowd, I watched a recording of presidential hopeful Mit Romney give his farewell speech.

He was classy. I’m sure he was hurting, and he had to be exhausted. Unlike his opponent, Romney didn’t have the thrill of election day victory to revive his spirits. His speech was short, and he had one line it that really stuck out to me. There are just two words I want to pull from it: “Inspire others.”

The Overboard Life is meant to be lived in such a way that others are inspired to discover their own God-designed greatness. This isn’t me focused self-help mumbo-jumbo or name it/claim it feel good theology. Instead, it’s about living in the culture around us in such a way, that others are truly inspired by our words and actions. And more importantly, inspired to seek the One by whose grace our inspired living flows.

My second, and most recent book, is on the life of Nehemiah. And I realize that one of the reasons I’m so drawn to that story is that Nehemiah’s Overboard living inspired others to live the same way. He lived in dark political times (no, I’m not comparing our times to his!). He was taken as a prisoner from his homeland to go and live in a foreign land, and he was stripped of everything he had once possessed -- including living in proximity with his closest friends and family.

Despite the climate of oppression under which he lived, Nehemiah chose to live an inspiring life. With God fueling his passion, Nehemiah took on a task of utmost importance and others were eager to jump in and follow. Probably thousands of people could have stepped up to lead the project Nehemiah tackled, but none of them did. None of them were willing to take the risks, to ask for help or possibly to cross the social/political barriers that Nehemiah did. None of them were willing to inspire others to live the extraordinary life of grace.

As the wall-rebuiling project neared completion, Nehemiah’s commitment to finish was pressed to the limit. He was given ample reason and opportunity to stop but he finished the task well. The results speak for themselves, as the massive project was completed in 52 days, the identity of a nation was restored and the fear of God was a reality for those nations that opposed Israel.

Nehemiah’s inspired leadership ultimately led people back to God -- those who worshipped God, and those who didn’t.

Whatever side of the political spectrum you land on, one truth remains: your freedom to live an inspiring life hasn’t changed. If Nehemiah could do it within a context of political tyranny, how much more should we do it if we live in a relatively free country? So I choose to follow Nehmiah on this one, and I want to inspire others. I want to handle political victory and defeat in a way that inspires people to seek my God. I want to blog and write in a way that challenges people to live remarkably in close relationship with their Creator God. I want to be a husband and father that inspires my wife and kids to take risks and to chase their God-given dreams all the way to the finish line.

Will you choose to inspire someone else today? Will you choose to set a course for your life that is bathed in grace, and not rooted in a social or political context? I have strong opinions and feelings about this year’s voting here in America. But I have stronger feelings and opinions about how my life should be lived out regardless of who lives in the White House. Neither Obama nor Mit can add one quality to my life that God hasn’t already blessed me with. And with what God has given me, I choose to inspire others, that they too might be led back to God.

So go ahead and take the plunge -- life is always better on the water!