Routine.

I love listening to the stories of people who people consider ‘successful’. What they did to get where they are, how they deal with setbacks, and so on. When listening to their stories, a number of similar themes come to the surface. One theme I consistently hear from people who are arguably the best in their field is that most of them have a routine. What they do day in and day out is consistent and disciplined. Sports figures, entertainers, CEO’s, coaches, writers, pastors, housewives, etc. the really great ones have an almost religious routine in their daily lives. I don’t think that’s something we should ignore. A great leader once told me that it’s not the big steps forward that create success as much as it comes from doing the right things day in and day out. You don’t win a marathon race going from zero to twenty six miles in one day. What big goals do you have right now? What steps can you take on a daily basis that will bring you where you want to be? Start doing those things today.

Progress.

Making progress is very rewarding. You set that goal, work incredibly hard, face all the resistance, and make noticeable progress. Maybe you graduated from that class you were taking. Maybe you received the promotion at work. Maybe the romance is rekindled in your marriage. Maybe you successfully completed that project. Progress feels great. There are two primary things I’ve discovered about making forward progress. One, celebrate. Celebrate that win. Have a party. Reward yourself and those who were a part of it. Enjoy the moment. Be thankful. Two, don’t camp out. After enjoying the moment step back into the struggle and keep moving forward; too many of us just camp out and stay at the point of our last victory. Now that you’ve graduated from that class become the best in the world in your field. Now that you’ve rekindled the romance in your marriage create a little heaven on earth in your home. Now that you’ve completed that project tackle another project with a higher profile and more impact. Celebrate progress, you earned it. Don’t camp out, move on.

Struggle.

It feels like anything worth doing contains an element of struggle. Maybe I was in the wrong line when the talents were handed out. Maybe I was born on the wrong side of the tracks. Maybe….STOP! If we believe that we are victims, we’ll act like victims. When we strive for something more, we choose to turn around and paddle upstream. Each of us has different abilities and talents. Each of us will face different levels of struggle. I think Jesus talked about this a time or two as well. Are you reaching for more? More impact on your world, more unity in your family, more advancement in your career? Then you know what I’m talking about. To advance we struggle. Lean into it and when you are facing struggles you are more than likely headed in the right direction.

Uncertainty.

Yesterday I had to drive in heavy fog. Visibility was only about one hundred feet. That’s not much when you’re humming down the road in moderate traffic. The cool thing about this low lying fog is that when I drove into it I could see another hundred feet down the road. Life is that way, isn’t it? We can only see so far down the road. We can’t predict what the future holds. All we can do is responsibly navigate through what we see. When we do that, the next ‘one hundred feet’ will become clear. Are you living with uncertainty about your future? Welcome to the planet. Go ahead, drive into the fog. Navigate through what you see and the rest eventually becomes clear.

Care.

When was the last time your schedule was interrupted because someone needed your help? What’s their name? That someone who just needs somebody to talk to, to understand them, to give them a hand? When our time is all our own and there is no demand on us to help someone else, we are either real selfish or too comfortable; probably both. One of the best antidotes for complacency, loneliness, and a lack of fulfillment in our own life is to reach out and invest ourselves into someone else. It’s not easy. It’s not convenient. It’s not even fun sometimes. That is not the point. We were created to care for one another. Where are you giving back? Who are you caring for?

Coach.

Who is your coach? Let’s face it; we don’t have it all together. If you and I are going to do anything great, we need help; we need a coach. I think a good coach is someone who inspires us to pursue the cause and embrace the challenge, invests in us by helping us to be successful, someone who pushes you and I to leave it all on the field. They tell us what we need to hear, when we need to hear it. I have the privilege of having some great coaches in my life. Do you have a great coach? If not, do whatever it takes to find one. Find someone who has been where you want to go. Find someone who knows what you don’t. Find someone you respect for their character and their accomplishment and ask them to coach you. The payoff for you and those around you is huge.