Time and Direction

“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.”

Zig Ziglar

“My direction? Anywhere. Because one is always nearer by not keeping still.”

Sebastian Faulks, Engleby

“A well-trained mind directs circumstance.”

Toba Beta, My Ancestor Was an Ancient Astronaut

I feel grateful to be home.  Yesterday was a difficult day in some respects, but I got a nice surprise at the end of the day and I fell asleep feeling peaceful and content again.  I’m also happy because when I was feeling less than peaceful and content, I chose to sing worship songs or listen to instructional material in order to keep my mind as clear as possible. 

At one point I was feeling pretty tired and down and I almost turned off the audio book.  Then I remembered that I wanted to be determined no matter what I was feeling and I kept listening.   I’m glad I did.  I probably didn’t hear as much as I would have liked, but I got something out of it just from having it on.

I was feeling pretty tired when I got home and I didn’t really have much to say.  On top of that, I’m ahead of schedule on my goal of 25 blogs for this month, so if I wanted to, I could take the night off.  But there was something a little too convenient about that argument that made me suspicious.  So I kept writing, at least for a little while.

I didn’t have a lot to say when I started writing this blog last night.  I was reminded in Steven Pressfield’s Do the Work, that this battle is new every day.  That’s helpful to remember because then I don’t feel so frustrated or surprised when I keep fighting the same battle.  I also know the solution is the same every day – start writing.  That’s the only thing that dispels fear, confusion and uncertainty – I do my work.  I don’t talk about it; I do it.  Nothing else will do.  Nothing else will make me feel better.  I just need to write.

So here I sit, trying to bang out a few more paragraphs or at least a few more words.  Sometimes this is just hard.  Other times, though, it’s a privilege.  I’m lucky to be doing this.  Here’s why:

·      Being in Purpose gives my life direction.

·      It gives me structure.

·      I get to participate in something miraculous.

·      It builds my self-esteem.

·      It builds my esteem for God.

·      I know I have contributed to the world.

·      I’m creating a body of work that will (hopefully) bless others.

·      I’m creating a body of work that will survive me.

·      It feels like a better use of my time.

·      Every time I do my work I learn something about God, myself, life or how to get better at my work.

·      It’s fun (most of the time).

Time, of course, is the crucial element.  While none of the following thoughts are original, here is what I have learned about time:

·      It’s more precious than money.

·      It’s more precious than anything except love.

·      What I’ve wasted I cannot get back.

·      The only way to redeem wasted time in the past is to not waste time in the present.

·      One of the most effective ways to manage my time is to have a vision for my life, for this year and for each day.

Managing my time is still one of my greatest ongoing struggles.  I’m looking forward to implementing some changes in my life and creating long-range goals that may help me.  I’m excited about today.  I’m excited about my life.  I feel very fortunate that I can still Get Started and Keep Going.  Since I have started these blogs, I feel like my life has moved in an upward trajectory in many ways.  I’m more focused than I’ve ever been.  I’m also more conscious of where my deficits are and I am looking for ways to address them. 

That is one of the gifts of Purpose – it creates self-improvement because the person I am when I am in my Purpose is the person I want to be all the time.