SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS! ....YEARS OF DILIGENCE PAYING OFF!!

Year after year after year I've been pounding that rock, chopping that tree, hiking up that mountain... diligently working to "get on top of everything". For 10 years we've been doing the work of 5 full-time staff & 20+ volunteers with only 2 people and a couple occasional volunteers. Its been grueling. But persevering is one of the most rewarding pursuits in life. It makes the accomplishment that much more satisfying. Finally, after 10 years, I'm at the breakthrough! That rock is crumbling. That tree is falling. That summit is before me. In human terms, my 24-hour supply is very close to meeting my 24-hour demand. And more importantly HIS endless supply is overflowing the constant demand. Win & BIGGER WIN. This is such significant progress!! Living in a state of always being behind, always playing catch-up, always needing more time, always needing more help, of only being able to make very little steps of progress is BRUTAL. But it's not impossible. Nothing is impossible with God.

I'm always experimenting with new organizational structures to keep up with the constant demand. My newest approach is taking all my tasks & projects and categorizing them according to importance and due dates. Then I place them inside a storage clipboard pertaining to their due dates (This Day, This Week, This Month, This Quarter, This Year, This Decade, This Lifetime) and write them all down on a checklist on the front of that same clipboard. Every week I review all the tasks and adjust them as needed. And every day I review all the tasks in the This Week & This Day category to keep myself on track. So far it has been a very effective structure to keep all my tasks & projects nearby in one area while keeping the most important priorities front & center so they don't slip out of mind with all the new daily demands & new exciting opportunities that pop-up.

This approach is a mixture of a lot of trial and error through the years as well as reading several articles and a few books (like Getting Things Done by David Allen) that have exposed me to new ideas and better systems to trying to stay organized. One thing is for sure I have huge respect for anyone who attempts to run their own business. It's more than a full-time job; it's a lifestyle. The personal risks and personal sacrifices that business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit founders make in order to supply & serve are astounding. Most crash in burn within a few years. The success rate is very low. And the personal toll can be extremely high (bankruptcy, divorce, broken families, and on and on).

Today I'm praising God for the breakthrough that stands before me... and the significance it means. Thank You Jesus =)


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