Where Do We Go From Here…
It’s tough to believe that we are already one month into 2018. Sometimes when I think about how quickly time seems to go by I get down on myself. I wonder if I am accomplishing enough. Or if I am spending enough time with my family. I am wondering if what I am doing now is moving me toward the man I want to be and the life I want my family to have. How do you know? Sometimes I wish I could jump into the future, just to sneak a peek at how something turns out. Since we cannot do that planning is out next best option. I love the idea of planning. I really do. But when it comes to carving out time for planning and actually putting pen to paper, my consistency is a little embarrassing.
Planning takes time. It takes practice. And most of all, it takes a vision for your future. Without a vision for the future, you don’t have a destination you’re planning on reaching. I work with this company called Younique. Younique’s chief goal is to help people find and follow their God-given purpose. It is a pretty powerful moment to see someone realize they were created for something and catch a vision to that end. I love it when someone is able to connect the things they are naturally good at with God’s plan for their lives.
One tool we use in Younique Journey is a Bucket List. If you don’t know what a Bucket List is, it’s basically a list of all the things you want to do before you “kick the bucket.” Will Mancini (Younique’s founder) has some great information and direction on how to create a Bucket List for yourself. Many people have found that this tool can be much more than a lifelong “To Do” list. Psychologically, something happens to us when we create lists. It feels like we are already accomplishing something just by writing it down. And we are! How can get you get somewhere without first planning?
One thing that really helps in this Bucket List planning process is asking the right questions. “What do I want to do before I die,” is not a very powerful question. However, “What do I want to be remembered for,” is a much more powerful question. Questions that take the focus off of us and draw our attention to helping others and thinking past just our lives are much more exciting. Instead of talking about selfish tasks and trips to make us happy, we are talking about legacy! What do you want to be remembered for after you are long gone? What do you hope is your greatest contribution to your family? Community? World?
For tasks that are massive, break them down. The average American will live to be about eighty years old. That’s 4,160 weeks. That means on your thirtieth birthday, you have 2,600 weeks left (on average). If your goal is to share the Gospel with 10,000 people in your life (after you turn 30) you only have to share the gospel four times a week to pass that number just before your eightieth birthday. I know that’s a lot of math, but it illustrates the value in making the most of the time we have left through planning and living intentionally. A Bucket List is a great place to start this planning process, and it will help you cast the vision for a future you are truly excited to pursue.
This week, try to carve out some time to start your bucket list. Then review it on a regular rhythm. This regular review is key to building some of these things into your life and consistently pursuing your goals.
I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes about planning:
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
-Abraham Lincoln
Kyle Purcell is a counselor based in the Conway, Arkansas area, specializing in helping those who struggle with shame and other kinds of relational issues.
(501) 358-7607 Ext 104
kyle@riversidecounseling.com