I love the clear sky on a dark night. From our home we can see Orion some of the year. My family can sometimes be found laying on the sidewalk in front of our home looking up at the stars. There is something that happens as I pause and look up at the big dipper, little dipper, north star, and even the planets. Somehow, the problems of this world seem to fade as my mind looks into the universe.
What does the universe have to do with planning our week? Let me give you one thought! Details.
One verse in Genesis that always makes me smile is this:
“God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night. He made the stars also.” Genesis 1:16
I smile on the last part. “He made the stars also.” The rest of the chapter tells us of many other details of God’s creation. All of it was to create the perfect environment for the most important of all creation…people.
While the stars represent a blip in Genesis chapter 1, they also represent an immense amount of detail.
I am glad God made the stars “also”. They are beautiful! The universe is like the frame of God’s picture. The details are immaculate. The stars create the necessary background for God’s creative portrait. The planets and the sun begin to point us to the awkward planet we call Earth. At the center of the portrait is humanity. The stars, beautiful and mystifying, are simply the background of God’s creation of you and I.
Each Sunday we are taking time to plan our week. I encourage you to consider that your goals that require the greatest amount of detail, are likely the frame to a much more important portrait. Make time for them, and pay close attention to their details, but remember that the people around you should be the central theme. When working on your goals it is okay to appreciate the beauty and detail of the background.
Remember, your goals are best achieved when they serve the needs of others.
Here is our layout for planning a successful week:
- Begin this week with a goal – What is something meaningful you need to do this week to introduce something into your current situation or reality?
- Ask God to help – The One who created the universe has offered to help you and me with anything we need. Who knows what God might speak into your situation?
- Plan and Block – A goal not the same as a plan. Consider what needs to take place so that you can accomplish the goal. Look at your schedule this week and block time specifically for doing those things. Protect that time. Accept no interruptions.
- Flex and Change – There will be new things along the way, and the need for change is inevitable. Embrace change and be flexible.
- Create and Present – Introduce your creation. This might mean to put something on display, to embrace a new routine, or to see a situation or issue from another perspective. Bring others into it. Let others appreciate the wonder of what you created.
- Admire – Like a refrigerator on Mother’s Day, take the time to look back and admire what you were able to accomplish…big or small. We should look back on our creations, and say “it is good.”
- Rest – After you admire what you created, take time to rest. All new creations bring new opportunities, and challenges. It did for God. 🙂 In the end, we will find it was worth it.
Comment below: How does it change your goal planning process when you realize that everything we do is done best when it relates to other people?