THE ESSENTIALS OF MOVING FORWARD 2

THE journey of life usually has to do with how we handle time and change. Understanding time and change are key in moving forward in life.  Time is that commodity that cannot be stored for later use.

Change is that constant in life that is absolutely inevitable. Nothing is permanent, everything changes with time. The secret to moving forward is learning how to manage time and change. Time is always moving and change is always taking place in all spheres of life. To effectively move forward at different seasons or stages of our lives, we must plan for change and how we use our time. In fact, success largely depends on vision, perspective and a plan. Planning is important in the context of maximising time and change.

Where there is no planning, visions and dreams are inevitably destroyed. Planning protects us from unnecessary future emergencies and helps us to create behavioral, relational and financial structures for the future. Every human being has the capacity to plan their future. God has given each one of us the gift of imagination. We must use it to project and plan our individual, marital, relational, communal, economical, educational and national future.

Planning is like a road map into the future. Without a map, one could easily get lost in the various complexities of the journey of life.  A plan is the road you chose to take towards your destination. A plan can be adjusted anytime in the context of purpose usually due to distractions, obstacles or obstructions; yet without altering your purpose in life. Marital failure, moral failure, professional failure, emotional breakdown and financial failure could be obstructive, but never give up on your dreams in life. Rise up and plan again.

Planning helps us apply purpose and meaning to our time. Every area of our lives must be regulated by planning around our time and managing change. Planning helps govern our future. We usually like saying ‘only God knows the future’, yet we can create the future by planning. God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above that which we could imagine or plan, but there must be a plan on how we use our time, resources and gifts. People who plan will always major on what’s major, and refuse to focus on petty or minor things.

Planning your life will protect you from time wasters and energy zappers. Planning is a sign that we believe and have hope for a better future. Farlex’s Dictionary defines a plan as, ‘an orderly or step-by-step conception or proposal for accomplishing an objective.’  A plan is an intended or proposed course of a series of actions leading to a preferred destination in life. Moving forward in life demands that we learn how to systematically arrange things in all spheres of our lives in order to maximise our time.

Since vision and dreams are accomplished in time, planning and managing time is key to a successful lifestyle. Effective people usually periodically investigate where their time actually goes. Then they cut out unproductive demands and activities from their time. We must all learn how to record time, manage time and consolidate time through discipline and self control. Systematic time management requires that we ask ourselves diagnostic questions;

What is going to be affected if this particular activity is not done at all? If the answer is nothing, then it would be wise to remove it from our daily activities. Is it possible to do this activity later and not now?
What is on my daily activities that could be done by someone else and not always me?

What are the time wasters I have allowed in my life because of lack of a systematic lifestyle?
 Am I attending to many unnecessary functions, e.g parties, weddings, concerts etc?
To ask yourself such questions without being afraid to be exposed to the truth is a sign of maturity, desire and passion for change.

Moving forward demands change. The Dictionary defines change as, ‘to cause to be different. Change cannot be effected without laying aside, abandoning certain thought patterns, habits or leaving a particular lifestyle for another. Change is an inevitable process which we must all embrace in order to go from one phase of life to another. The inability to initiate and manage change is actually an indictment to most, religious, corporate, business, and political leaders. Progress at any level will always demand change in the way we think, speak and do things.  Reliance on past experiences and embracing outdated methods has a potential of stifling creativity and innovation in individuals, communities and nations. Doing something just because it has always been done that way is a hindrance to positive change.
It is said, ‘it is insanity to keep on doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results.’ Leaders must initiate, plan, and effectively communicate change in order for communities and nations to move forward.  In order to make progress in life, we must think and be intentional in whatever we do. Spirituality should not be an excuse for foolishness.

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