Welcome to “Athlos” a weekly blog which examines pillars of personal excellence and regularly brings together the worlds of Christian spirituality and sport.
Step One: Prospectively Plan
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps”-Proverbs 16:9
Step Two: Purposefully Ponder
The month of September begins the final third of the year. With eight months already gone and four months to go, there is still so much to look forward to no matter how the year has gone so far. Perhaps, like me, you have had to face a life-altering event like the passing of a loved one, a sudden job loss or a sobering health diagnosis. Now is a great time for reflection.
I invite you to purposefully ponder the year so far. Think. Evaluate. Assess. Contemplate. Ask yourself deep questions. Do this boldly with a willingness to face what your heart reveals about your journey this year. Whatever you discover, plan for the next four months with the goal of improving in just one area of your life. Keep it simple.
Let me summarize, then. Step One is to plan prospectively. While you can only live one day at a time, there is nothing to stop you from having clarity of goals for the immediate and short-term future. God will still be in charge, but he welcomes your diligence.
Step Two is to ponder with a purpose. This involves honest evaluation and an openness to answering questions such as: Have I made progress at work, at home or in my relationships in 2023? Is my character being refined through trials? Am I being attentive to the lessons life is teaching me? Is my pace too fast or do I need to become less hurried in preparation for the final third of the year?
By grace, September to December can be awesome. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. By the way, I have a special gift for you all, God willing, in the next blog. Stay tuned…
Step Three: Prayerfully Prepare
Step Three is to prepare to close the year with humble, faithful and consistent prayer.
If you were inspired by this blog, please consider sharing it with one other person today. To learn more about these and other related themes that promote the cultivation of an integrated inner self, read UNBEATABLE! which is available on Amazon in print and as an e-book.
This Post Has 2 Comments
Thank you Tyrone. I am very grateful for this reminder about alloeing the last few months in the year to count. Things that I had hoped to accomplish earlier in the year and didn’t, I still can accomplish. It’s ‘Never Too Late.”
Correct, Michelle. It is never too late to accomplish our goals, whether short-term or long.