Formulating Plans

In review of Proverbs 13:16 it says, “Sensible people always think before they act, but stupid people advertise their ignorance.”

Bottom Line:

Be wise and plan before you act, you’ll be much better off.

What this means to me:

It is wise for me to think before acting for sensible people act with knowledge and good sense.  Not thinking before acting will only show my stupidity. Goals are good, however if I’m going to make any traction toward them I’ll need a plan to get to where I want to go. Genesis 24 tells the story of Eliazar’s ingenious plan to find a wife for his master’s son, Isaac. Eliazar had two major obstacles to fulfilling this goal. Where would he find a wife for Isaac in his master’s homeland? And how was he going to find a high character woman without observing her long term? Eliazar had devised a predetermined plan to solve both of these problems. First, he went to a place where women gathered in those days, a well. He had much higher odds of finding a wife at that well than any other place he could have gone. And, he knew exactly how to get the type of wife he wanted for Isaac. He wanted to find a compassionate woman, so he looked for someone who would offer to draw up to 15 gallons of water for each of his 10 camels. That’s a lot of water! Eliazar didn’t fly by the seat of his pants to accomplish his goal. Instead he prayerfully established a plan, and, ultimately, he was successful. In doing so he proved what the Bible says in Proverbs 13:16: “Sensible people always think before they act, but stupid people advertise their ignorance” (GN). Good planning has three parts to it.

• Steps: I’ll need to establish how I’m going to get from where I am now to where I want to go. I often picture or diagram what it will look like when its complete. I then think backward as to what it took to get there (all the things that go into making it happen.) Then I write them down.
• Deadlines: Associate a date with every one of those steps I wrote down. A goal is a statement of faith as I say that I believe God wants me to accomplish my goal by a particular date.
• Schedule: Write those dates into a calendar. Don’t just hide it in a filing cabinet or up on a shelf. For me, what makes it to my calendar, is what’s important to me.

Studies show that only 5 percent of Americans have written down goals for their lives. Those same studies show that the same 5 percent are the highest wage earners in the U.S. Successful people set their direction and go for it. Unsuccessful people drift. Life just happens to them. They don’t have any goals. They don’t know where they’re going in life. At the end of the year, it will be just another year down the drain.I will develop a plan to reach my goals.