How are you constructing your life?
Make no mistake—you are building something. The question is will your work stand the test of time.
Best-selling business author, speaker, and leader Jim Collins offers insights from years of research. But his principles apply to much more than corporations. His concepts can be put into practice in the social sector and even our personal lives.
Collins poses three questions which if carefully considered and thoughtfully, truthfully answered can open your eyes and help you move from “good to great.” Here’s my paraphrase:
1. What’s your passion?
2. What’s your talent?
3. How do you fuel your fire?
If you want to build to last, it makes no sense to construct a life you don’t like. To work a job you hate. To romance, then marry someone you don’t love. To waste your time and energy doing mundane tasks that produce no satisfaction. Those are the building blocks for disaster.
Moreover, what good is talent if it’s not honed? Skill is the result of practice. But practice doesn’t make perfect; it makes permanent. Doing the wrong thing will never make you good at anything. And it certainly won’t make you great. But practiced discipline and a willingness to examine all that you think you know will set you apart.
Finally, what drives your passion will hone your skill. But you’ll never achieve greatness—never be head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd, the person others look up to—until you recognize your weaknesses. You need help; everyone does.
President Ronald Regan often voiced the idea that, “You can get a lot done if you don’t care who gets the credit.” Because of this he surrounded himself with people who knew more than he did about those things he knew little about.
Regardless of whether you’re leading a nation, a company, a group of volunteers, or your family, you’d be smart to take time to look over the materials you’re working with to ensure that what you do will be built to last.
Want to learn more? Visit http://praisechapelkingman.podblaze.com to hear a sermon by Senior Pastor Howard Pennington or any of our pastors or guest speakers.
