Friends, greetings in Jesus Name! Today I will be sharing with you on what I title, “If You Aim at Nothing You Hit at Nothing”. In life you must have goals you are aiming at. Meaning, you must be purposeful. If your life lacks direction, you are heading nowhere. If I may ask: Did you set a goal for this year? If you did, are you following through to achieve it or have abandoned it along the way? Success in life – be it finance, health, academics, sport, or any other thing – doesn’t just happen. Really, you “make happen” what you focus on. Doing so requires a choice to make. Presently, I am reading a book titled, “The Power of Focus”, by Jack Canfield et al. According to the authors, “Life doesn’t just happen to you. It’s all about choices and how you respond to every situation. If you are in the habit of continually making bad choices, disaster often occurs. Successful people don’t drift to the top. It takes focused action, personal discipline and lots of energy every day to make things happen. Your everyday choices ultimately determine whether you end up living with abundance or living in poverty.” No wonder the Almighty God said in Deut. 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live.” You should know that being – rich or poor, healthy or unhealthy, fulfilled or unfulfilled, happy or unhappy – all are a product of choices we make in life.
Like a joke we are about entering the last quarter of the year 2018. In a few months’ time, the usual Merry Christmas and Happy New Year goodwill messages will be filling the air. It’s at this time many begin to look back and ask themselves: What have I achieved? While watching the finals of the FIFA World Cup in Russia, my first son asked: Dad, are you done with that book you have been writing? I felt a knock on my head because I ought to have finished the book. It is a 13 chapter book, and I had written 11 chapters, with just 2 chapters to go. Then I replied my son, no! Really, I was so challenged by his question. You know what? I swam into action, and by the special grace of God, the book is almost done. Listen, until you arise and get challenged to do what is needful, nothing gets accomplished. You see, to be successful in life, there is a thin line between hard work and slothfulness. Successful people are diligent. They do not only work hard but work smart. Their time is so precious to them. They know that every minute counts towards achieving a goal. Thus, they shun every opportunity to engage on any meaningless discussions or activities that would not yield positive results to their lives. Really, successful people make careful choice of friends they relate to, places they go, leisure activities to engage, the kind of books to read, and what they watch on television.
Unfortunately, unsuccessful people are not guided by such principles or values because they do not set boundaries for themselves. To them, anything goes. They are easily swayed off the right path of life. For this simple reason, they keep working but have nothing to show for their labor. Now, let’s take an inventory of your life goals for 2018. If you are on track, I will say “kudos”, but if not, there is still opportunity for you to catch up in this few months left. The bible declared in Habakkuk 2:2, “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that reads it”. Your vision or goals in life must be well written and spelt out.
Below are golden rules or steps to follow in achieving your goals before the year runs out: State clearly and specifically a goal you would like to achieve. Why do you want to achieve this goal? If you succeed in achieving the goal, what will it do for you? What would you consider to be a moderate success? A good success? A tremendous success? Be specific. How much do you want to achieve this goal? How will achieving this goal contribute to the accomplishment of your lifetime goals? What price will you pay to achieve this goal? Are you willing to pay it? Estimate your chances of achieving this goal. What will happen if you aren’t successful? Can you live with it? List the major sub goals involved in achieving this goal and assign a target date to each. What obstacles stand between you and successful completion of this project? What can you do today that will start you on the path to achieving this goal? Remember, “With God all things are Possible” (Luke 1:37). I see you succeeding, rejoicing and celebrating. Hallelujah! You are blessed. Have a fantastic week. With love, Elvis!