How Planning Keeps One from Forfeiting One’s Future?
A New Calendar View – Part 3
Don’t allow the caption, earn like an uncommon person, throw you off; it implies that we can earn more than most. While that’s true and you can, it’s not the focus of this lesson. Rather this is about how to use what you’ve earned and how you live during the earning decades in an uncommon way. If you put this decade-calendar into action as a plan, the money you earn will take a back seat to the life you’ve designed to live.
I’ve discovered that it’s how you use whatever amount you have that’s more important than how much you have. In other words, the sum total isn’t as important as having a plan for how you use what’s in your grasp. This phase of your life is about building a life worth living.
In the church world, there’s a saying and a belief that goes like this, the need comes before the supply. I guess you can say the same in the business world as well. The Bible says that God is a supplier and he supplies something called “needs.” [1] Notice I didn’t say He supplies what you desire. He is a supplier of a person who has a need. In order to get Him to move on your behalf, then you must have a need. In order to get funds for a business, you must have a business to fund. Try getting a house from God without placing a need before Him and see how that goes. Let me get back on track; the earning phase of life. Let’s figure out what it will take to get off the normal path for earning and onto an uncommon path with uncommon results.
Decade 4 (30-39): There is more to my life than just me.
Life viewed in decades can have a sobering effect on you. In my decade-4, I found out the difference between life and death. When you only live for yourself, you’re dead, but when you lose your life so that others can benefit, then and only then do you begin to really live. While decade-4 brought me the most challenges, defeats, and disappointments, it also brought me the most victories, wins, and successes I’ve yet to experience. In decade-4, the goal is not to earn for one’s self, but rather for those in which one is responsible. Responsibility is like having needs for someone else. A responsible person is one who has to respond on behalf of another. In decade-4, create a plan for living that’s totally focused on the ones you find yourself responsible for.
What has decade-4 taught you? Maybe you’re not there yet and that’s okay. Don’t be afraid to think ahead so that you can shape your current decade and alter your future in a similar way Marty McFly did in “Back to the Future” to clean up his. If you’re not there yet, what would you like your decade-4 to be like with regards to those you plan to be responsible for?
Let’s look at it from a different angle, like that of owning a business. This business owner is now responsible for her/his employees.
Writing a book, the author is now responsible to and for his/her readers.
Having a family, one is now responsible to the people in the family.
What’s your plans for responding in decade-4?
I’ve done simple teachings on planning and the easiest way I have yet to present it, is this. What would you like to see? Answering that question is how you start your plan. Once you have that answer, the next step is to simply figuring out what it takes to get there. What would you like to see in decade-4?
Decade 5 (40-49): I have a lot to offer my world.
I want this to sound as self-confident as it can. You have something to offer your world. While I am not at the end of this decade, I can say that this one has been the best decade ever. I owe that to what’s been learned from the previous decades and how we’ve built upon those decades. In decade-5, one is to earn not just for earning sake, but rather for what she or he has to offer his/her world. When you have nothing to offer your world, you need very little and under normal conditions, you’ll have very little. People who have much to offer their world have much. It’s just that simple. Before you get here, I would recommend you find something you can do or use to serve your world.
In “Back to the Future,” Biff figured out how to gain wealth and riches, but he had very little to offer his world and therefore his world had very little to offer him in return. What good is gaining the world and losing the very thing you intended to gain. [2] Planning for a decade-5 lifestyle in an uncommon way to live. Therefore begin with what you plan to offer your world. You know what’s sad is this; most people will go through life and miss the fact that they had what it took all along within them. They were waiting on their ship to come in, failing to realize they’d already set sail on a ship they’d failed to build upon. What are you planning to offer your world in decade-5?
Decade 6 (50-59): I’m right at the end of my earning tunnel.
In decade-6, a person needs to be aware of where they are in the plan. You see, when we take our sight off of the plan, and attempt to take steps without consulting the plan, the planning is in vain and the goal is forfeited. Most people don’t have a decade-6 plan. Why? Because it’s normal and most people follow the normal pattern. Don’t be one of those. Map out your plan and be specific with what you’d like to see in decade-6. The Bible says it this way, a person without a vision perishes. [3] A person who fails to plan, sets a course to fail where he or she had no plan.
Nearing the end of the earning tunnel should motivate you back towards what you’ve been planning. The goal is to see the success of the plans and dreams you’ve laid out. Don’t forfeit your plans by taking your eyes off the goal in the final stretch.
Decade 7 (60-69): I have all that I have.
At decade-7, you can’t go back and make up for what you don’t have. You can’t make up for lost time. It’s not that simple. You have what you have. This is good and this is bad. The goal here is to learn how to make the most of it. In fact, this is a good life lesson altogether. Make the most of what you have. Your life is yours and you’re the only one who can or has to be okay with that. What you have doesn’t have to define you. However, it is a good indicator of what you’ve done in life.
Don’t worry about what you have or don’t have. In decade-7, make the most of what’s in your hand. Hoping for more doesn’t change it nor looking back with regrets. Regardless, what you have is good enough to move forward. What would you like to have in decade-7? Spend your life working towards this.
Decades 4-7, are the earning phases of life. Without a plan for earning during each respective decade, no failure for what you longed to see in each is inevitable. Therefore, plan for your life so that you live one that’s uncommon to most. It sounds simple, but the truth can be summed up this way. It’s simple to plan, but it’s just as simple not to. That’s why most will not.
Question: what are you willing to forfeit because you fail to plan?
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Find out more about the Family plan here.[1] Philippians 4:19 NKJV, Bible.com, accessed April 19, 2022, https://www.bible.com/bible/114/PHP.4.19.NKJV
[2] Matthew 16:26 NKJV, Bible.com, accessed April 19, 2022, https://www.bible.com/bible/114/MAT.16.26.NKJV
[3] Proverbs 29:18 KJV, Bible.com, accessed April 19, 2022, https://www.bible.com/bible/1/PRO.29.18.KJV
All Scripture references used by permission, see our Scripture copyrights.
