Year End Review 2018

Looking back over the year, former procrastinators, here are some of the lessons that have most helped me do what needs doing when it needs doing.

• “Comfort is the emotion that has deceived us all.”
• Spend no time in the City of Good Intent – content with the idea of what I’ll do someday but taking no action.
• My greatest impact could be in areas I feel are mundane.  Life-changing character growth and influence take place in the daily duties of life.
• Instead of instant gratification (procrastination), choose the thing I want more than temporary relief. Choose  the work/rest/play.
• Pause to be refreshed by moments of pleasure – little valves that relieve pressure and increase joy.
• Sometimes fun takes extra work.  It’s worth it.
• Completing at least one thing every day propels me forward.
• Let resurrection power direct my daily thinking. Refuse to use excuses.  Remove rose-colored glasses that keep me from seeing reality – the time I actually have, what’s priority, etc.
• The Lord, a friend, a counselor can help release the weights of unforgiveness, broken relationships, pain, crooked thinking that drag me down and feed delay.
• Straying from the path of action occurs naturally.  I must constantly make course corrections.
• Priorities are the most important things for me to do – a limited number of essentials.  Establish routine to accomplish priorities, the bowling pins I want to knock down at the end of the lane.  Routines are bumpers that keep my ball in the lane so I hit the pins.
• Routine is a gift of time, energy, and peacefulness to myself and those around me.  Lack of routine is my greatest time waster and energy drainer. When I drop routine, I drop priorities.  Keeping routine with its priorities makes it less likely I will take on too much.  It helps me avoid putting things off and being overwhelmed.  It leads to accomplishing the most important things. I can use priorities and routine to move God-given dreams into my regular week.
• When I invest in fewer things, I make significant progress in the things that matter most.  Make trade-offs.  Not “How can I do both?” but, “Where do I want to truly invest?”  Choose.
• Remove the plank from my own eye.  I can change more than I’ve admitted.
• Move at a pace that lets me recognize God’s grace, express gratitude, and show generosity.  Hurry and piled up obligations create a stingy spirit in me.
• Calculate work days needed for a project and days actually available; plan realistically.
• Margin allows more time for tasks and in between tasks.
• Misplaced worship creates stress.  Worshipping Jesus relieves stress.  What do I worship?

What lessons have most helped you do what needs doing when it needs doing?