ACTIVATE YOUR DAY & WIRE YOUR MIND FOR SUCCESS: 30 … · But the best entrepreneurs learn to see...

ACTIVATE YOUR DAY & WIRE YOUR MIND FOR SUCCESS: 30 DAYS OF MOTIVATION


D AY 1

GREATER EXPECTATIONS“The only true measure of success is the ratio between what we

might have done and what we might have been on the one hand,

and the thing we have made of ourselves on the other.”

H.G. Wells

I love those passages in Scripture where Jesus teaches the disciples something, saying,

“I want to teach you to think differently about life.” They walked with Him for years, and

some of them didn’t learn everything they needed to know until after He’d gone back to

heaven. Yet, even though they were slow to learn, they still referred to themselves as His

beloved. Failure is just part of the process, and it’s not just okay; it’s better than okay. God

doesn’t want failure to shut us down. God didn’t make it a three-strikes-and-you’re-out

sort of thing. It’s more about how God helps us dust ourselves off so that we can swing for

the fences again. And all of this without keeping a meticulous record of our screw-ups . . .

Finding things and losing things is what the Bible is all about. God even seemed to

encourage it. He talked about losing your job, or even your life, if you want to find it. He

talked about losing your status to find real power. He shows that Jesus comes looking for

us because people, like sheep, have a knack for getting lost . . .

Things that go wrong can shape us or scar us. I’ve had some things go well in my life and

some things not go so well, just like you. More have gone well than have gone poorly, but

I’m not trying to keep score because I have a different way I measure those things now.

God finds us in our failures and our successes, and He says that while we used to think one

way about things, now He wants us to think another way about those same things.

And for me, I’ve realized that I used to be afraid of failing at the things that really mattered

to me, but now I’m more afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.

MARK SANBORN, The Potential Principle

REFLECTHow might the assertion that successful people view disappointments as proof

of progress toward improvement influence the way you face setbacks in your life?


D AY 2

FEAR AND DREAMS “How very little can be done under the spirit of fear.”

Florence Nightingale

Among the most common reasons cited for not starting a business are the worry that it

won’t succeed, financial concerns about giving up a steady income, and fear that it will

negatively affect a person’s work-life balance. In short, fear is the most common reason

that potential entrepreneurs decline to make a business move.

The fear that you’ll face difficulty if you start a business is legitimate. Difficult days and

sleepless nights will come. But the best entrepreneurs learn to see these obstacles as

opportunities. They crave the challenges instead of running from them.

Fear is what you should be afraid of. Someone recently told me that fear is a neutral

emotion; all that matters is what you do with it. But since fear is stealing so many hopes

from so many people, I’m not so sure that fear is any more emotionally neutral than love

or hate. Fear is a devious, dastardly deceiver. He whispers lies into our ears, wakes us

up from a good night’s sleep, and pours concrete over our feet. As I’ve said before, fear

steals more dreams than failure ever will.

Timid would-be entrepreneurs can’t let tomorrow’s anxieties steal today’s dreams. To erad-

icate your worries, you have to see the problem of a storm as the promise of a better future.

DALE PARTRIDGE, Launch Your Dream

REFLECTWhether you are launching a business or facing another challenging endeavor,

what can you do to prevent fear from stealing your better future?


D AY 3

WHO IS A TRUE LEADER?

“It’s not the position that makes the leader;

it’s the leader that makes the position.”

Stanley Huffy

When it comes to identifying a real leader, that task can be much easier. Don’t listen to

the claims of the person professing to be the leader. Don’t examine his credentials. Don’t

check his title. Check his influence. The proof of leadership is found in the followers.

I personally learned the Law of Influence when I accepted my first job out of college. I

went in with all the right credentials. I had the proper college degree. I had a great deal

of insight into the work because of the training given to me by my father. I possessed the

position and title of leader in the organization. It made for a good-looking résumé—but it

didn’t make me the real leader.

At my first board meeting, I quickly found out who the real leader was—a farmer named

Claude. When he spoke, people listened. When he made a suggestion, people respected

it. When he led, others followed. If I wanted to make an impact, I would have to influence

Claude. He, in turn, would influence everybody else. It was the Law of Influence at work.

JOHN C. MAXWELL, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

REFLECTWhat does it mean to be an authentic leader, and who are the leaders in your life

who embody the characteristics that Claude the farmer exuded?


D AY 4

IT’S OKAY TO STEAL“To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child.”

Cicero

. . . we create not in isolation but with the influence of others around us. So forget the flashes

of insight and every other myth you’ve heard. Creativity is not about being original; it’s

about learning to rearrange what has already been in a way that brings fresh insight to old

material. Innovation is really iteration. We learn from those who have come before us and

borrow from their creations to make things the world calls “original.”

As Picasso has been attributed to saying, “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.” Ironically,

there are others who have been credited for saying the same thing. Even a quote about

stealing is not an original creation.

This work we do is not making things out of nothing. Creative work involves pulling together

old ideas and offering new insights on them. In a word, stealing—that’s what creativity

really is. We do not create our way into becoming artists; we rob our way in. “You have to

steal,” actor Michael Caine once said. “Steal whatever you see.”

Today we have countless opportunities to borrow from our influences.

JEFF GOINS, Real Artists Don’t Starve

REFLECTIn the creative passions you are pursuing, can you identify one or two of the greatest

past influences and ‘steal’ something from them to apply to your own work today?


D AY 5

STARING DOWN DISCONTENT

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive,

and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Harold Thurman

While things were looking up on the spiritual side, the way I lived my day-to-day life—

particularly my work life—was really wearing on me. My smoldering discontent, quenched

for a while with spiritual water, burst into flames when I took an honest look at my work.

Early in my career, chasing a new client and landing the contract gave me a huge thrill.

And a nice paycheck, which I’d bank or burn through pretty quickly and then go out and

make some more. But now, when I closed a new gig, there was no thrill anymore. All those

client dinners; all that travel; all that work to earn the business, followed by more hard

work delivering what we promised.

The thrill of winning and making money had given way to a monotonous predictability.

Whenever I made a new presentation, I knew one of two things would happen: After the

company’s leadership team reviewed my proposal, they would call and politely tell me they

had decided to pursue other options. Or, more likely, we’d get the deal. Then I’d marshal

my team together to design the program and work our tails off to deliver it beyond their

expectations. We’d make a lot of money and then what? Do it all over again? Buy more

stuff? Take another vacation?

I was forty years old, and I had this haunting feeling that this was what my life was going

to be like for the next twenty-five years.

JEFF SPADAFORA, The Joy Model

REFLECTCan you relate at all to Jeff’s description of the monotony and restlessness

he experienced even during a highly “successful” phase of his career?


D AY 6

SOLVING A PROBLEM “Most business leaders don’t know how to talk about their company,

so we created a framework that helps them simplify their message, create great

marketing material, connect with customers, and grow their business.”

StoryBrand “one-liner”

In its purest form, a story starts with a character who lives in peace and stability. Suddenly,

that stability is disrupted: a bomb goes off, someone is kidnapped, or a disaster strikes.

The hero then sets out on a journey to return to the peaceful life they once enjoyed.

Customers are attracted to us for the same reason heroes are pulled into stories: they want

to solve a problem that has, in big or small ways, disrupted their peaceful life. If we sell

lawn care products, they’re coming to us because they’re embarrassed about their lawn or

they simply don’t have time to do the work.

If we sell financial advice, they’re coming to us because they’re worried about their retire-

ment plan. It may not be as dramatic or sexy as James Bond going to Q to grab the latest

high-tech spy weapons, but the premise is the same: our customers are in trouble and they

need help.

By talking about the problems our customers face, we deepen their interest in everything

we offer.

DONALD MILLER, Building a Storybrand

REFLECTWhich problems are you seeking to solve for the people you interact with either personally

or professionally in ways that could deepen their interest, trust, and loyalty?


D AY 7

ADDING—OR SUBTRACTING—VALUE

“It’s improper for one person to take credit when it takes

so many people to build a successful organization.”

Jim Sinegal, Costco

If you are a leader, then trust me, you are having either a positive or a negative impact

on the people you lead. How can you tell? There is one critical question: Are you making

things better for the people who follow you? That’s it. If you cannot answer with an unhes-

itant yes, and give some evidence that backs it up, then you may very well be a subtractor.

Often subtractors don’t realize they are subtracting from others. I would say that 90 percent

of all people who subtract from others do so unintentionally. They don’t recognize their

negative impact on others. And when a leader is a subtractor and doesn’t change his ways,

it’s only a matter of time before his impact on others goes from subtraction to division.

In contrast, 90 percent of all people who add value to others do so intentionally. Why do

I say that? Because human beings are naturally selfish. I’m selfish. Being an adder requires

me to get out of my comfort zone every day and think about adding value to others. But

that’s what it takes to be a leader whom others want to follow. Do that long enough, and

you not only add value to others—you begin to multiply it.

JOHN C. MAXWELL, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

REFLECTTo what extent are you making things better for those you are leading and influencing

them for good while avoiding the trap of becoming a “subtractor”?


D AY 8

RE-CREATING YOURSELF“I had been my whole life a bell, and never knew it

until at that moment I was lifted and struck.”

Annie Dillard

If we want to become artists, we are going to have to break some rules. We cannot do just

what is expected of us. At some point, we must break away from the status quo and forge

a new path. . . . There is this idea that artists are born, not made. The Muse kisses you on

your forehead at birth, and you spend the rest of your life creating magnificent work. But

the reality is that creativity is work, not magic, and those who buck the status quo are far

more likely to succeed.

The rules of the Starving Artist told us that if we weren’t born with a paintbrush in hand,

then we weren’t one of the special ones. But these rules no longer serve us. We need

something more than the well-intentioned “good luck” from our parents when sharing a

dream of writing a novel, becoming an actor, or launching a start-up. We need to know

our gifts are here for a reason and that whatever we did before now, we don’t have to stay

stuck here.

Re-creating yourself means letting go of who you were before and accepting a new

identity. It means walking away from what people said you should be in exchange for some-

thing better.


REFLECTIn light of the reminder that artists are made, not born, how might you approach your

work differently by embracing your identity as an artist with unique creative capacity?


D AY 9

THE ‘WHY’ OF LIVING“Everyone has inside himself a piece of good news! The good news is that

you really don’t know how great you can be, how much

you can love, what you can accomplish, and what your potential is!”

Anne Frank

Why do you do what you do? Why do you get out of bed and head to work and go through

life each day? One reason is habit, of course. Humans are habitual creatures who tend to

go through the same motions day in and day out. Another reason is necessity: workplace

compensation keeps our home life humming.

But let’s not forget purpose. Purpose is the ultimate answer to the question of why you

do what you do. Whether you know it or not, it’s the reason you exist, your raison d’être.

How many Americans each know their purpose? The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention says four out of ten have not discovered a satisfying life purpose. . . .

How can you create or discover the purpose behind your activities and endeavors? The

better you become, the better you will be able to fulfill your purpose. Only purposeful

achievement is ultimately sustainable. Otherwise you risk concluding, Since nothing

ultimately matters, why try?


REFLECTWhat role does purpose play in your thinking about the life you lead, the people you love,

the work you do, and the “good news” you are able to share with others?


D AY 1 0

YOUR VALUES d YOUR MARGIN

“The unexamined life is not a life worth living.”

Socrates

Margin in our calendars means having or creating extra time in our lives to do something

other than the things we are currently doing. The problem is that most people (my “2005

self” included) think creating margin is a matter of time management and delegation

strategies. Although some of that may be required in our journey toward joy, the real

challenge lies deeper in our hearts.

The problem with an efficiency paradigm toward margin is that while it helps us do what

we are already doing faster, it is not helping us get rid of the things we shouldn’t be doing

in the first place.

The best way to significantly build margin into our calendars is to go beyond the time

management approach and explore the personal values approach. The clearer we are on

our values, our priorities, and our calling, the easier it is to say no to things that don’t fit

the big picture of where we want our lives to go. . . .

When you have a compelling vision of the future, and you sense it’s God’s calling on your

life, it’s easy to look at your calendar and see the things that aren’t supporting the direction

you want to go. Saying yes to one thing means saying no to something else. It’s best to

acknowledge right now and forever that making truly important and big decisions in your

life will always involve some level of angst and trade-off.

JEFF SPADAFORA, The Joy Model

REFLECTWhat role do your core values and priorities play as you consider where to invest

time and energy while allowing room for margin in your schedule?


D AY 1 1

COURAGE TO BE HEROIC“This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow,

as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

William Shakespeare, Hamlet

At the beginning of a story, the hero is usually flawed, filled with doubt, and ill-equipped

for the task set before them. The guide aids them on their journey, rife with conflict. The

conflict begins to change the character, though. Forced into action, the hero develops

skills and accrues the experience needed to defeat their foe. Though the hero is still filled

with doubt, they summon the courage to engage, and in the climactic scene defeat the

villain, proving once and for all they have changed, that they are now competent to face

challenges and are better versions of themselves.

The story has transformed them.

This same character arc, by the way, is the arc for The Old Man and the Sea, Pride and

Prejudice, Pinocchio, Hamlet, Sleeping Beauty, and Tommy Boy. It’s the arc of almost

every popular story we can name. Why? Because it’s our story. Feelings of self-doubt are

universal, as is the desire to become somebody competent and courageous. And all of this

matters when it comes to branding our products and services.

A few important questions we have to ask ourselves when we’re representing our brand

are: Who does our customer want to become? What kind of person do they want to be?

What is their aspirational identity?


REFLECTHow does the “arc” of an uncertain character emerging as a hero speak to you about

your own story and the stories of those you live, work and do business with?


D AY 1 2

FACING OUR FLAWS“Know thyself.”

ancient Greek aphorism

Before you launch a start-up, you should pause and take a hard look at your weaknesses.

We often like looking through windows more than staring into mirrors, but our unattended

imperfections can often become fatal flaws for entrepreneurs.

Are you dishonest or manipulative, easily distracted or obsessive, a poor writer or reckless

money manager? There is no need to feel too bad about these flaws. Reasonable explana-

tions for their development may exist. But that doesn’t mean they should be ignored. As

Steve Maraboli said, “Just because your pain is understandable doesn’t mean your behavior

is acceptable.”

Enlisting trusted friends to help you identify your most dangerous flaws may be a good

idea. Give those closest to you permission to tell you the truth about what they see. If you

have a booger hanging from your face at an important dinner, a good friend won’t keep his

mouth shut. He’ll pull you aside and let you know that you have a bat falling out of the cave.

Weaknesses in your personal life will often bleed into your professional life. So once you’ve

identified your greatest weaknesses, work to eradicate them from your life. If you don’t,

they may come back to haunt or hurt you. What you don’t know actually can kill you—or at

least keep you from being a successful entrepreneur.

DALE PARTRIDGE, Launch Your Dream

REFLECTAre there any flaws (personal, business, or otherwise) that you would benefit from

identifying, facing head-on, and working to eradicate in your pursuit of success?


D AY 1 3

FIND YOUR INFLUENCERS“If there hadn’t been a Sam Phillips, I might still be working in a cotton field.”

Johnny Cash, on the Sun Studios producer in Memphis

So how do we seek out the influencers and tastemakers who are all around us? We begin by

finding the people who are already investing in others, who have wisdom and experience,

and reach out to them. Finding a patron is a lot like finding a master: we put ourselves in

the place where opportunity happens, making sure we have developed our craft so that

we do not waste the person’s time. When we knock on their doors, we need to be ready

to receive what they have to offer.

Most likely, we will not find these patrons far off. Often, they are in our own backyards,

down the street, or around the corner. Sometimes they are even in our day jobs. Other

times they are the relationships we may be neglecting, the loose ties with friends and

acquaintances that could lead to a breakthrough. We just need to recognize them.

This begins by acknowledging the age in which we live. Today we don’t have to wait to

be noticed. This is a time when it’s possible to make your own breaks and set yourself up

for success—if you are willing to do the work. Share your competency with those who can

help your work spread. Look for opportunity instead of waiting for it. Allow yourself to be

taught and molded by those who come, and you will find your patron.


REFLECTIs there anyone in your life you could call upon to support and encourage

your creative work as a “patron” on your path to growing as an artist?


D AY 1 4

LEADING WITH INTEGRITY“Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.”

Bill Bradley

To lead effectively, you must have a sense of what kind of leader you are. . . . Although

most leaders tend toward one style or the other because of their basic personalities or

backgrounds, leadership style is not set in stone. Every leader is capable of learning and

adapting in order to build a Great Team.

In particular, great leaders must consider not just their own leadership styles but the styles

their teams need in order to be very successful. Any team can perform to standards with

adequate leadership. But for a team to shatter expectations and become great, the leader

must set the tone. Leaders must understand the importance of whom they are leading but

also know which approaches work best to create competitive advantages—and be able to

adapt their own tendencies to provide what is needed.

Regardless of style, every leader must understand and be willing to implement certain

leadership basics. First, they must establish cultures that hold all team members account-

able for the outcome of collaborative efforts while also allowing them to participate by

providing ideas.

Second, they must make sure that there is consistency between their expectations for

others and their own actions. At the simplest, most practical level, this means that a leader

who demands that employees be on time must set the tone by being on time as well. If

employees are expected to put in extra time at critical moments, the leader must work

overtime too. Leaders who take these basics to heart will be in a better position to develop

their teams for ultimate success.

DON YEAGER, Great Teams

REFLECTWhat leadership basics do you seek to live by,

and what tone do the leaders around you tend to set?


D AY 1 5

POSITIONED FOR GROWTH

“The people who make it remain teachable all their lives. They keep trying to see better.”

Erwin McManus

Carol Dweck is a psychologist who has identified two different mind-sets that people

possess: a fixed mind-set and a growth mind-set.

Those with a fixed mind-set believe that genetics primarily determine abilities; that is,

intelligence and talents are inherited more than developed. As a result, these people fear

failing because doing so makes them appear in their own eyes as incompetent, or worse,

unintelligent or talentless. A fixed mind-set thus severely limits the ability to learn.

In contrast, people with a growth mind-set believe they can always get better through

learning, work, and practice. They aren’t discouraged by failure, and they analyze errors so

they can learn from them. Regardless of how good they’ve become, they believe better is

always possible. In my work, I often come across both types of mind-sets. . . .

Growth begins with a mind-set that better is not only possible, but also achievable through

hard work. If you don’t believe you can improve—no surprise here—you won’t. You’ll stay

in your comfort zone, where you will be limited by your own thinking. How comfortable

is that?


REFLECTIn what ways could maintaining (or pivoting toward) a growth mind-set

benefit your life and your current circumstances more than a fixed mind-set can?


D AY 1 6

BRIDGING THE SACRED-SECULAR DIVIDE

“And because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and

they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers.”

Acts 18:3

This is how Christians can live powerfully in the world. If we see ourselves as ministers

of God right where we are, then powerful transformation can occur when vocation and

mission join hands.

Vocation and mission were never meant to be separated. We have to abandon the old

paradigm of dividing the sacred from the secular because everything God has made is

sacred, and that includes our work. Some might ask why we are polishing the brass on

a sinking ship of culture and society. If it’s supposed to get worse before God comes

back anyway, why mess around with trying to bring God’s kingdom to the earth? Well,

despite all the theological differences out there, we believe God has called us to occupy

until His return.

Occupy is an offensive word—it’s not defensive. It moves in and takes over. Wherever God

has placed us, we are to occupy (business, government, entertainment, media, marketplace,

and so forth) for God’s glory and the good of others. And when Christians stand in their

proper place of responsibility as ministers of God, we achieve His supernatural authority

in the gates of our city.

It’s time for Christian entrepreneurs to begin to recognize they are ministers of the gospel,

and they can live powerfully in the marketplace advancing the kingdom of God. Our

destination is God’s kingdom, our vehicle is God’s work, and our fuel is God’s love.

DAVID AND JASON BENHAM, Whatever the Cost

REFLECTTo what extent are your faith and work life separate, and how could this passage

challenge you to view your “vocation and mission” as more interconnected?


D AY 1 7

A LASTING INHERITANCE“For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart

with which he has toiled under the sun? For all his days are sorrowful, and his work

burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.”

Ecclesiastes 2:22-23

You may not appreciate hearing it, but Solomon is simply saying aloud what we all know

to be true. Build what you want; save what you might; put it in the bank; liquefy it into

stocks and bonds; drop it into real estate; place it anywhere you choose. You only control

your wealth for a season, and then it’s out of your hands completely. As you draw your last

breath, you withdraw your grip on all that you have labored to build under the sun. It’s a

matter for others now.

Solomon is not telling us to forsake our children or to deny them a reasonable inheri-

tance. The same man writes, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children”

(Proverbs 13:22). Providing for our loved ones after our deaths is part of our Christian

stewardship.

No, his message here is that the accumulation of wealth doesn’t produce anything that

endures through time and eternity. Leaving our loved ones too much might be worse than

leaving them too little.

French novelist Gaston Leroux, creator of The Phantom of the Opera, was almost destroyed

in this way. When his father died suddenly, leaving him with a fortune of almost one million

francs, Gaston abandoned his career and relaxed into a dissipated existence of gambling

and pleasure in colorful Paris society. Within a year he had squandered his inheritance—

another sadder but wiser prodigal.

DAVID JEREMIAH, 31 Days to Happiness

REFLECTWhat are some ways to balance our mandate to steward (and pass along) our wealth wisely

against the knowledge that wealth is fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying?


D AY 1 8

DEFINING WHAT’S AT STAKE

“Where’s the beef?”

Clara Peller, for Wendy’s

Stories live and die on a single question: What’s at stake? If nothing can be gained or lost,

nobody cares. Will the hero disarm the bomb, or will people be killed? Will the guy get the

girl, or will he be lonely and filled with self-doubt? These are the kinds of questions in the

minds of a story-hungry audience.

If there is nothing at stake in a story, there is no story. Likewise, if there’s nothing at stake in

whether or not I buy your product, I’m not going to buy your product. After all, why should

I? Simply put, we must show people the cost of not doing business with us.

In the eighties, the fast-food chain Wendy’s effectively asked America, “Where’s the beef?”

The implication was that their competitors weren’t using enough meat. So what’s at stake

for choosing another brand over Wendy’s? We might get stuck with a wimpy sandwich.

Likewise, Whole Foods has built an enormous industry helping customers avoid the conse-

quences of overly processed foods, and more recently Trader Joe’s has come along to help

customers avoid the consequences of Whole Foods’ prices. Brands that help customers

avoid some kind of negativity in life (and let their customers know what that negativity is)

engage customers for the same reason good stories captivate an audience: they define

what’s at stake.


REFLECTHow can asking the question “What’s at stake?” help you in considering potential

opportunities, crossroads, and tough decisions, whether in your work or personal life?


D AY 1 9

INSTANT FULL-TIME MINISTERS

“I don’t think it has occurred to many Christians that God has strategically

positioned them [in their current vocation] to affect their culture for Him.”

Dr. Tony Evans

. . . by 2010, we had one hundred franchisees, nearly thirty full-time staff members, teams of

contractors, and several other businesses that were getting off the ground. The tool in our

bag—entrepreneurship—had brought influence into the lives of hundreds of people. Most of

our days were spent developing people, mentoring and training them for success—not only

in business but in life. As we led them spiritually, according to the principles of the Bible, we

realized they became much more productive professionally. But we still struggled with the

thought that we had gone into business and not ministry.

It was at that time we sensed God speak to our hearts, saying, Whoever told you that you

weren’t in full-time ministry? You’ve been in ministry all this time. Everything began to click in

our minds. Back in 2003, we were rerouted into business instead of ministry, so in our minds

we weren’t ministers—we were businessmen. But God was reminding us of our identities as

His ministers right where He had placed us. All these years we had been leading our people

spiritually—much like a pastor “shepherds his flock”—and feeling guilty that we were building

a business and not growing a ministry.

We then discovered something very powerful: if the fruit of the ministry was pouring out of us, then

the fuel of the minister was inside of us—it didn’t matter where we were placed or how we got paid.

We mistakenly thought that if we didn’t work at a church or a Christian nonprofit, then we

weren’t ministers. But that wasn’t true. God began to show us that we were His ministers the

moment we asked Christ into our hearts. And no matter where we were or how we got paid,

we were to be on mission for God—for His glory and the good of others.

DAVID AND JASON BENHAM, Whatever the Cost

REFLECTWhat difference does it make to see yourself as a “minister” of God’s love, grace, and truth

wherever you work, whether or not you are in an explicitly “Christian” vocation?


D AY 2 0

ACTION NOW, MOTIVATION LATER“We generate fears while we sit. We overcome them by action.”

Dr. Henry Link

You may hear people saying all the time, “Take action!” “Do something!” “Do better!” We all

know how difficult it can be to get someone to make a move, especially ourselves.

But how do you get yourself—or anyone else—to do it? Let me give you a hint: it’s defi-

nitely not a question of motivation. Why? Because motivation is a myth. Believe me.

You cannot motivate people to do any one thing. Even yourself. Never try to motivate

yourself or anyone else to increase productivity. Instead, do the opposite: Increase your

productivity, then the motivation will follow.

We are always trying to get ourselves to find a better or more efficient way to do things

instead of getting ourselves excited to do better. But when we actually do better, we get

excited, and the cycle continues!

ROBERT D. SMITH, 20,000 Days & Counting

REFLECTDoes the idea that productivity leads to motivation, rather than the other way around,

seem counterintuitive to you, and how, if at all, have you seen it play out in your life?


D AY 2 1

HOW YOU CHOOSE TO SEE

“Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it.”

Irving Berlin

In a world where so many feel powerless, wouldn’t it be great to be in control? Well, you

are—or you can be—if you understand the nature of perspective and are willing to harness

its authority.

Your perspective is yours alone. You own it. No one can change it or diminish it without

your permission. You were created with free will. YOU can CHOOSE how you see things.

While others see a certain circumstance as the end of the road, you can decide it is only

the beginning. You have no doubt heard that one’s perception is one’s reality, and that

is often true. However, if you intend to live a life of great influence and rich reward, it is

critical that you understand the difference between perception and perspective.

Perception—how a situation is perceived—has to do with what one decides the facts really

are at a given moment. Perspective, on the other hand, has to do with what one decides the

facts of that moment mean in terms of direction toward one’s ultimate desired destination.

Perception concerns what is. Perspective concerns our ability to direct what happens

from that point forward according to our interpretation of what is. Perception can provide

an accurate understanding of a particular event in a specific moment, but by itself—used

without proper perspective—it can lead to cynicism and hopelessness.

Only by adding proper perspective to our perception of a certain situation can we begin to

effectively shape the future of our choosing. This is, in fact, the very reason your perception

and your perspective about something should almost never be the same.

ANDY ANDREWS, The Little Things

REFLECTWhich differences between perception and perspective resonate most with you, and

what choices could help you to sharpen either or both of those traits in your life?


D AY 2 2

LEADERSHIP THAT EMPOWERS

“Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to

serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45

A few years ago at a Lead Like Jesus teleconference broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, Ken

asked his cohost, the well-known pastor and author John Ortberg, “Why would you travel

all the way across the country from your home church in Menlo Park, California, to teach

people that Jesus is the greatest leadership role model of all time?”

Ortberg, a gifted storyteller, smiled at the audience and said, “Let’s assume for a moment

that two thousand years ago you were a gambler. I know a number of you don’t like

gambling, but bear with me for a moment. Let me ask you, who would you have bet your

money on to last: the Roman Empire and the Roman army, or a little Jewish rabbi with

twelve inexperienced followers?” Everyone smiled as John went on to say, “Isn’t it inter-

esting that all these years later we are still naming kids Matthew, James, Sarah, and Mary,

and we call our dogs Nero and Caesar? I rest my case.” . . .

Clearly, Jesus’ leadership was effective: His church exists today; the Roman Empire doesn’t.

Put differently, the important thing about leadership is not what happens when the leader

is present, but what happens when the leader is not there. As a parent, it’s not too difficult

to get your children to do what you want them to do when you’re hovering over them. But

what do they do when you’re not there?

A business leader deals with the same issue. You can’t micromanage your people’s every

move, much less their every thought or idea. So great business leaders today empower

their people to bring their brains to work and make good decisions on their own. When

given this opportunity, those people tend to be fully engaged in their work.

KEN BLANCHARD, PHIL HODGES, PHYLLIS HENDRY, Lead Like Jesus (Revisited)

REFLECTHave you ever thought of Jesus as a great leadership role model, and if not, why not?


D AY 2 3

FINDING GLORY IN WORK“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,

not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance

from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Colossians 3:23-24 NIV)

Often we need reminders that work is good. It is an activity in which we can experience

joy. It is not just a grim grind, a necessary evil, or a heavy-hearted means to pay the bills.

From the beginning of Genesis, we learn that work is service. It is for the common good,

and it retains this intrinsic value, albeit tarnished. God is interested in our work, he loves

us for sticking at it, and he rewards us (although not necessarily financially) when it is

done well. Work is the place chosen by Christ himself where we spend the majority of our

time on earth.

Yet I have spoken to many people whose energy levels and desires to achieve a fixed

purpose are frequently at odds with the often-boring nature of what the workplace offers.

Quite a lot of work is humdrum, administrative, and tedious. How do we cope?

Michael works as a manager on a farming estate. He loves the countryside but struggles

with the day-to-day repetitive nature of his work. “It’s not my dream job, Ken,” he told me,

“but does that mean it’s not right for me?”

My advice is simple: strengthen the core and the chores will become bearable. At the

core of each of us is an identity secure in Christ, which leads to an ongoing, unbroken

relationship with him. Out of that relationship we are convicted, not once but daily, that

we have the talent to fulfill our God-given callings. This is why and how we do what we

do. Relationship is what holds us together.

KEN COSTA, Know Your Why

REFLECTHow might today’s reading help you as you face times of work that are

especially challenging, frustrating, tedious, or tiring?


D AY 2 4

OPEN YOUR HANDS“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Proverbs 2:6

How important it is, then, to keep God in the middle of our bank accounts, our possessions,

and our portfolios. Picture your hands out in front of you, cupped together, palms up. In

your open hands are all the things He has entrusted to you—money, cars, a home, furniture,

everything. All of this is His gift (James 1:17). We are the stewards, and faithfulness is our

charge. That means our hands must never close over the gifts, but remain open so that He

may use them as required—and refill our hands.

The human impulse, of course, is to “clutch and clench”—to close our fists protectively. We

then find ourselves facing limited resources. How can God fill us when there is no opening?

And as long as we cannot loosen our grip, we cannot enjoy what is there. With open hearts

and open hands, however, we understand that God lacks no resources and neither will we.

The more of Him we discover and enjoy, the more we find available.

Our hands joyfully open wider, and He gives from His infinitely generous heart. It is not the

gifts that bring the joy, but He Himself; the gifts are simply His creative expression in telling

us how much He loves us. And we agree with David: “You will show me the path of life; in

Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

DAVID JEREMIAH, 31 Days to Happiness

REFLECTTo what extent is God “in the middle” of your money and possessions,

and is there any area where releasing your grip and opening your hands

to his provision could bring more peace and joy to your life?


D AY 2 5

A COACH WITH CLOUT“If you show people the problems and you show people

the solutions, they will be moved to act.”

Bill Gates

Great Teams are often led by visionary leaders who are sponges for information and

knowledge and who depend on their high levels of knowledge or specialized sets of skills

to guide their teams. These are the Expert leaders. Experienced in nearly every aspect of

their professional spaces, they have immense clout; those in their presence are motivated

to listen because their expertise is so vast.

In the corporate world, Bill Gates was an absolute Expert as the chairman, CEO, and chief

software architect of Microsoft Corporation. From 1976, when the company was founded,

through 2014, when he left as the company’s chairman, Gates charted Microsoft’s product

strategy by aggressively broadening its product range.

Microsoft Windows, his most famous multipurpose operating system, was a worldwide

sensation and made the company a household name. And though Gates’s leadership style

was known to have ruffled a few feathers, it is ultimately responsible for making Microsoft

the dominant tech giant it is today.

DON YEAGER, Great Teams

REFLECTWhich visionary leaders have inspired you most (and perhaps continue

to inspire you) in your vocation, relationships, and other areas of life?


D AY 2 6

GOOD VS. BEST“Choose always the way that seems the best, however rough

it may be; custom will soon render it easy and agreeable.”

Pythagoras

Choosing your perspective will also help you see the difference between what will work

and what is THE BEST. One of the most valuable lessons you can possibly learn is that those

two are rarely the same. In a time of crisis most people are so desperate for an answer that

they will shove any answer into the situation without proper regard for its timing or value.

Choices and decisions made by intelligent people will usually work in some way and to

some degree. THE BEST answers in a situation, however, often contain an element of timing.

In addition, I would urge you to notice how often intelligent people assemble facts and then

make their decisions based on those facts. Actually, it’s what most people do because it

produces results that work (in some way and to some degree).

Contrast that method with how wise people deal with the same types of situations. You’ll

quickly notice that they also assemble the facts. But instead of making a decision based

solely on the facts, wise people first break down those facts and apply a healthy dose of

perspective. That perspective allows them to choose THE BEST course of action and set

everything in motion at the very best time. . . .

Perspective about a situation creates calm. Calm leads to clear thinking. Clear thinking

yields ideas and helps one discern the difference between problem areas and opportunities.

Clear thinking also pinpoints perfect timing. And all of this leads to the answer you will be

confident is THE BEST.

ANDY ANDREWS, The Little Things

REFLECTDo your decisions tend to be influenced more by the set of facts you have assembled,

or by evaluating those facts as they are illuminated by the light of perspective?


D AY 2 7

THE GRACE-ZONE OF YOUR CALLING

“Jesus once again addressed them: ‘I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles

around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.’ ” (John 8:12 MSG)

What we need is a calling. Those who see their work as a calling experience a rich integra-

tion in their lives. They sense a purpose, a direction to their activities. Work has intrinsic

meaning, rather than being simply a means to an end. They feel that their whole person-

alities are flowing in and through their work. In many ways this is precisely what the Spirit

of God does in our lives. When we are flowing with the Spirit, we are cooperating fully

in our God-given callings. We are operating in that grace-zone where everything we do

seems to come naturally.

Far from being detached or self-centered, those who are “going with the flow” of their

callings are highly motivated to enjoy what they are doing for its own sake. They love their

work, can manage inevitable tensions that arise, and are welcomed by their colleagues,

who sense something beyond the usual cash or career objectives.

As I have searched for my own grace-zone over the years, I have been constantly reminded

of the words of Paul: “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the

whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of

their lands” (Acts 17:26). God is not just interested in nations, of course. For individuals,

too, he has marked out the times and the territories of our lives.

Sometimes our callings will be a daily grind. But there will also be times of rich reward—

periods of our lives when we are living in that grace-zone, feeling the Spirit of God flow

through us and into the world.

KEN COSTA, Know Your Why

REFLECTWhat do you make of today’s reminder that God cares not only about

the arc of history and the nations of the world, but also about you, your specific calling,

the purpose of your work, and the “times and territories” of your life?


D AY 2 8

NEVER WITHOUT HOPE“Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.”

G.K. Chesterton

Hope can be learned. Hope is the by-product of seven key factors that combine in a

powerful way to make hope grow and thrive. . . .hope is fed by encouragement and killed

through discouragement. Hope is not some unreliable sensation. Feelings are inconsistent.

They come and go. Wishing is not hope. Positive thinking is not hope. Goal setting is not

hope. Hope is something you intentionally build into your life. You do that by putting into

practice seven hope-building factors.

Regardless of how much we build it, or how little we utilize it, hope remains constant,

undiminished, and always available. Hope is a forward-facing confidence. Maybe you’ve

been in some places or gone through some years where the best view is in the rearview

mirror. But hope has no hindsight. We never hope backward. We always hope forward.

Hope connects us to our future and determines that future. We cannot last even a second

without hope (Romans 5:4–5). Without hope, we would not walk outside or take even one

step into the unseen world ahead of us. Hope is the expectation of good to come.

RAY JOHNSTON, The Hope Quotient (HQ)

REFLECTConsidering that “we cannot last even a second without hope,” what are the places in

your life where hope is hardest to sustain, and what could infuse them with a fresh dose?


D AY 2 9

OUR MODEL LEADER“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together,

with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders,

Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ ”

John 20:19

When, for instance, Jesus first took on His disciples as “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19

ESV) and sent them out, He provided some specific instructions about where to stay, what

to wear, and what to do. But the disciples grew and matured over time: soon they weren’t

enthusiastic beginners who needed specific direction, and Jesus changed His style

accordingly. At the end of His ministry on earth, Jesus was able to issue to His disciples

this general directive: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

As Ken and Phil began to study the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—as well as

the book of Acts, they became fascinated with how Jesus transformed twelve ordinary

and unlikely people into the first generation of leaders of a movement that continues to

affect the course of world history some two thousand years later.

In fact, Ken and Phil soon realized that every idea and truth about leadership they had

ever taught or written came from the Bible and was evident in how Jesus led His disciples.

Followers of Jesus have more in Jesus than just a spiritual leader; we have a practical

model of effective leadership for all organizations, for all people, for all situations.

KEN BLANCHARD, PHIL HODGES, PHYLLIS HENDRY, Lead Like Jesus (Revisited)

REFLECTWhat is your perception of Jesus as a leader of His disciples and followers,

and what makes Him a “practical model” for us in our lives and careers?


D AY 3 0

DON’T WAIT FOR INSPIRATION“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

Walt Disney

I always feel better after I do what I am supposed to do, not before. Beforehand, there

is always a little bit of nervousness and hesitation, along with thoughts like, What are

people going to say? and, Can I do this? But afterward, I always feel great. I’ve accom-

plished something.

Exercising is a prime example. I have never wanted to work out in my life—but I am always

glad I did. What about being creative? I have a close friend who is a successful author. He

says he hates to write—but he is always elated once he has written. Sound familiar? We

know what we are supposed to be doing, but when we wait for that motivation to come

ahead of time, it never does.

The reason is because we have it backward. Psychologist William James believed that

we don’t sing because we’re happy; we’re happy because we sing. I really love this idea.

Believe it and sing! In the shower if you have to. Sing while you do something, and infuse

it with joy. It beats waiting around for inspiration any day.

ROBERT D. SMITH, 20,000 Days & Counting

REFLECTIs there any project, career move, or personal goal that would inspire you if you took a step

toward it today, rather than waiting for inspiration to propel you to take action?

ACTIVATE YOUR DAY & WIRE YOUR MIND FOR SUCCESS: 30 … · But the best entrepreneurs learn to see...

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