Be There

Are we so consumed with the busyness of accomplishment in our lives that we’ve forgotten to take pleasure in the journey?

Often it’s easy to become so consumed with doing things to maintain a lifestyle that we forget how to live in the middle of those efforts. Our passion for pursuing health can lead us to being consumed by exercise regimens instead of taking pleasure in good health. Our pursuit of career goals can lead us to tunnel vision that eliminates the enjoyment of progress. We can pour our lives into church and working for Christ and never really walk with Him in a relationship. A deep passion for providing every opportunity for our family negates the simple joy of doing things together. The efforts to push ahead are valuable and shouldn’t be neglected, but we’ve missing something incredibly valuable if we just zero in on the perceived destination.

I think sometimes I’ve become so focused on doing that I’ve forgotten the value of being. Life isn’t just about the targets in front of us. While there is great satisfaction in achieving those goals our memories are made in the steps along the journey.

Conquered It

A year ago today my wife and I climbed Camelback Mountain in Arizona. We had "attempted" to climb it several years ago and didn't get very far before giving up. When we realized we would have the opportunity to challenge the peak again we took advantage of it. We packed our water and snacks, put our sunblock on, dressed appropriately, and headed up. A few hours later we stood victoriously at the top of a mountain which had previously defeated us. I attribute our success on this attempt to better preparation and improved physical fitness.

Climbing the mountain was a highlight of our year and a testament to our stubborn desire to succeed. I feel confident in saying we'll never forget that physical milestone and will always celebrate the completion of our goal. It's a reminder to me of what is possible if we are willing to be better prepared and to keep pushing onward even though the trail is difficult.

The Last Three

I've been out of commission on my normal running for the last five weeks due to an injury. I've written a few times about how disappointed I have been in the length of recovery time. It's also been frustrating to have a good rhythm of running knocked off course. I have been tracking my miles with an app for my iPhone and when I hurt my knee I was at 197 miles for the year. While that may not seem like a lot to some people, I felt it was a big deal.

I had actually been looking forward to hitting the 200 mile mark especially since it had taken me far less time than it did to reach the first 100. I was in a groove as an "actual runner" and was planning ahead for faster pace and farther distances. It was not until this past week that I felt comfortable enough to hit the treadmill and get those last three miles. I don't discount the distance just because it took longer to achieve. In fact, I appreciate those last three miles even more. It's making me reevaluate my approach and to think more carefully about how I treat my aging body.

I will still celebrate this mileage, but will also gain greater respect for the endurance and perseverance it will take to hit the next 100. I still hope it won't take as long to move forward as these last three did. I suppose that's a decent lesson for a lot of goals in life. Sometimes it will come easily and other times we'll have to be more patient to see the results we're looking for.

To Do

How do you measure the productivity of a day? It's fairly constrictive (and often disappointing) if it's only evaluated by the number of items checked off a to-do list. I need some of that in my life due to my personality, but I can't only determine my effectiveness this way.

Sometimes it's found in taking the time to have a conversation with a friend, stirring up thoughts through well-timed brainstorming sessions, a good run at the end of the day, and taking the time to help your daughter. These aren't "industry approved" measures of productivity, but I feel good about where they have led me today. Sometimes we've accomplished more than we think even when our to-do list doesn't reflect it.

Completion Percentage

See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord. Colossians 4:17

I wrote yesterday about the importance of doing the right work, but there's another important element to true success: finishing what we've started. 

There is a part of my Type A personality that thrives on the "check mark" in my planner. It's the satisfaction found in marking off tasks and goals and knowing that I accomplished something. At the same time, I have a list of projects that have not been finished and sit waiting for my focused attention. I don't enjoy the fact that things are not done, but it does make me reevaluate the necessity of including them on my agenda. If I'm focused on doing the right thing then I should also be focused on finishing what God has asked me to do. 

There is a great deal of obedience that is found in seeing something through to completion. Not only does it reflect our work ethic and character when we see things through, but it reveals our understanding of our purpose as God has given it to us. 

Moving in the Right Direction

I love my Franklin Planner. I was introduced to it by Don Meyer, then coach of the Lipscomb University men's basketball team. He was so hooked on them that he had his players use them as well. It has become a key part of my organizational strategy even as I've increased my technology usage. Part of this is my desire to keep focused on task lists and marching towards goals. Unfortunately, I have many days where my planner is filled out with unfinished objectives. My wife says suggested that I wait until the end of the day to fill it out and then just write in what I did that day. I might have a greater sense of accomplishment this way, but in reality wouldn't be moving forward.

This battle of working fervently and yet feeling like many things are unfinished raises a lot of questions. I can do a lot in one day but I am doing the things they really matter? Am I doing what can only be done today? Do my accomplishments move me forward in a way that helps me grow? There are always going to be things that move me sideways instead of forward, but I need to be focused enough to maximize my forward momentum. I have a vision of my preferred future and I realize that the things I do today will be part of the fulfillment of that vision. If I can't figure out how to leverage each day in the right direction, I'm only creating a lot of energy and movement and never actually going anywhere.