We are midway through the first month of the year. I continue to reflect on goals and plans for the year. Recently, I took a day away to set some goals for the year and ways in which I hope to grow. On my time away, I took a post blog post by Michael Hyatt that resonated with me a while back. In the post he advocated putting aside days in your calendar for intense growth such as going on retreats and improving skills in a compressed amount of time. Exposing ourselves to intense experiences helps us go further faster.
As I was taking a walk, I thought about Hyatt’s suggestion. At the same time I was thinking about Jim Collins description of the 20 mile march in his book Great by Choice. Collins says that great companies are very disciplined in their approach to setting goals. They neither stretch themselves too much or challenge themselves too little. They find the sweet spot. So which is the right approach? Intensive Times or disciplined, consistent efforts?
As is so often the case, both are true. Growth and success come from occasional intense efforts and daily disciplined investments in the right accounts.
When it comes to spiritual growth, I have found intense, compress expeirnces very important to my relationship with God. Intense retreats or time away can accomplish some things in our spiritual lives that we could never on our own. When doing youth ministry, I would see kids connect with God on a much deeper level at conferences and work camps.
With family, week or two week vacations are so important. They create experiences that help bond us together. From the focused time together we allow more time for conversations and laughter that get squeezed out in daily life.
On the other hand, intermittent intense experiences are not enough to sustain faith or any relationship. Daily and consistent deposits are necessary. Prayer and acting on what we discover in prayer, slowly changes us into the men and women God has created us to be. Talking with my wife on a daily basis, interacting with my kids in small ways builds our relationship and builds our family. Improving in any skill simply takes disciplined effort on a daily basis. You can’t write well or play the piano or get good at a sport just through some intense times. You need daily practice.
So when setting our goals for the year, we have to look to see if we have both a plan for a couple of intense periods of growth or investment as well as putting time in our daily schedule for skills and relationships we want to cultivate.
Do you have some times of intense growth planned for the year? Vacations, conferences, workshops? What are the habits you need to put into your life to grow in the year ahead?
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