Maybe you know what you need to do to be successful. Maybe you know how to do it. (If not, you can certainly find out!) The question then becomes, “Will you do it?”
Most people won’t.
Sometimes the investment is more than we are willing to risk. Sometimes we hesitate because we are not sure that’s what God wants us to do. Sometimes we let other folks hold us back. We may even need to conquer some fear. And the list goes on…
Even if we have the money, we’re over any fear, and God has led us in a specific direction, we can certainly make all kinds of excuses. Can’t we?
All things being equal and out of the way, what is at the root of the excuse? Why won’t we do it? And when we do, why do we go forward for a short while only to fall back into complacency?
I think most folks chase success for a while, but then they either give up, get distracted, lose focus, or else life just seems to take over. If it involves a special project that no time can be found to do, sometimes the ambition to achieve is lost. Then it’s often hard to regain that passion to do it.
What can be done?
You will be more willing to chase success when: you are more organized (Part 1); you know that it has become a necessity (Part 2); and you are motivated (Part 3).
That seems fairly straight forward, but how exactly do these things interconnect with success? How do we avoid complacency and make the most of our opportunities?
Get Organized! –
We were created in the image of God. Our God is not about disorganization. He doesn’t forget where He left things. He doesn’t create what He doesn’t need. He doesn’t get tired thinking of how He is going to fix the clutter.
Instead, our God is all about order. He created time. He created day and night.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Genesis 1:3-5
He created dry land.
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:9-10
Step-by-step, He prepared the earth for us before He created us. Then, He created Adam.
Now, consider the types of things we do.
Have you ever sat and thought about something you’d like to do, but you’d have to move a bunch of stuff to get to something you’d need before you could do what you wanted to do? Then, maybe you decided that by the time you got everything pulled out and situated it would be too late to do what it was you wanted to do in the first place? Have you ever then decided it would be easier to pass than to go through all of that because, after all, you weren’t even sure that what you needed was where you thought you’d left it? … I have.
When you are organized, you won’t waste time looking for things, and you will finish tasks faster because you will have what you need at your disposal.
Have you ever bought something that you didn’t need because you’d already bought it? It’s okay with canned food. You’ll eat it eventually. But I did this with a sewing pattern!
Being organized will also help you save money because you won’t buy what you don’t need.
Have you ever had too much stuff in a room? Right now, I am trying to reorganize my office. In reality, I need a bigger office, but I’m determined to make the space work. However, just thinking about it makes me tired!
Clutter can be overwhelming! It’s a true energy zapper!
As you can see, being more organized can save you time, money, and energy!
LIFE APPLICATION
The challenge is to ask yourself if you willing to get organized now that you can see how being more organized can help you to be more successful.
As it was once put to me, everybody can get organized. The trick is staying organized. Situate things where you won’t have to move them any more often than absolutely necessary. Group like things together, and keep work flow in mind as you do this.