Often we sit alone, dreaming of an alternate reality we want to create. In a few minutes, we have our goal for the next 365 days, and we get to work. But notice the flaw. The plan is often vague, a cloudy image of ourselves seated by a lakeside sipping something colourful from a glass with ice and a little umbrella. Then we say "That's the bulls-eye!" This dream has more about the destination than the journey! So to make our resolutions more practical, we need to do a number of things. These are things I am doing for myself, and hopefully I will bring a better report for the next year!
1) Plan the steps in the journey, not just the destination. Consider, how will you get from point A to B to C?
2) Consult in the planning making process. Don't just consult on the execution! You may be trying to execute a flawed plan! Be sure you have the right skills, or help, for this goal. TO rely on simply thinking positive will be a positive mistake!
3) Put the plan through the furnace! Find the most ruthless (but honest) friend you can find to put it under the magnifying glass. Be ready to even reject the plan and start from scratch.
4) The harder you work on the plan, the less energy will be wasted on a flawed plan! After all, "If an ax is blunt and the edge isn't sharpened, then one has to use more strength" (Ecclesiastes 10:10).
So my resolution this year is to sharpen the axe, to consult more and collaborate more. There is nothing more frustrating that trying to chop wood with a blunt axe.
Then the rest is in the hands of divine providence!
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