Read Time: 27 Minutes
Full Disclaimer: This is going to be a longer post (the longest post yet). It is also the start of a sprouting seedling of a tree with many branches. My promise is that we will start at the roots and go limb-by-limb at some point in the future. I have also tried to break each section up into bite-sized morsels for digestion. Feel free to choose your own adventure and skim until you find a section that is speaking to you today. Then you can come back once you have applied and tested each principle.
Life Planning is a fanciful way of describing the methods by which we plan our life. Specifically how we set our targets or establish the goals, objectives, milestones, etc. Combined with parameters we set for ourselves, such as our core values, priorities, and so forth. Targets are the what you want to do. Parameters are the why you want to do it. Think of targets as negotiable, whereas parameters are your “non-negotiables.”
While we are not going to cover a Life Planning & Productivity Process itself in this post, the overarching process should look something like this:
- Set Targets & Parameters (What & Why)
- Translate into System (How)
- Breakdown Systems into Actions & Schedule (When & Where)
- Establish Feedback Loop for Continous Improvement
Stay tuned for a specific post on the process above as well as one for each of these steps. For now, we are going to be focused on the framework and methodology for how we ensure a process like this is godly.
“A man shall not be established by wickedness: But the root of the righteous shall not be moved…In the way of righteousness is life; And in the pathway thereof there is no death.”
Proverbs 12:3, 28 KJV
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
As a memory mechanism, we can call the framework here the SPACE principles. Or perhaps we should call it “SPA-CE”, because I hope that at the end of this you will have the PEACE of mind (SPA) and SEE (CE) the beautiful godly underpinnings of this process. 🙂
And even though the components of this framework are laid out in sequential or numerical order, you do not necessary need to always go in order. They are each part of a cycle (as always) or loop that you may already be employing in one way or another. Like all models, this should just serve as a reference guide for understanding and execution.
As you will see, it’s really as easy as 1-2-3 or A-B-C in each part of mental model. 😉
Several examples of application of these methods can be found scripture and godly literature alike. For example, when Nehemiah was going to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, he started with surrender and prayer (and fasting), like many of our leader-planners in the Bible (Nehemiah 1).
Mark Batterson, Pastor and Author of Win the Day talks about praying as a first step to creating Life Goals. Likewise, he teaches to take one day at a time. When the task seems too great, break up the elephant into bite-sized chunks – days work well for that. They are also mini-cycles, remember.
Similarly, Reagan Rose, on his site Redeeming Productivity, published an article about establishing a “Two Bar Strategy” (The Two Bar Strategy: How to Have Ambitious Goals without Overwhelming your Days). In this article, he discusses how trying to take on two much in the short term can actually serve as a detriment to God’s will for you. Instead, we should set lofty long-term goals (high bar), but reasonable and highly achievable short-term goals (i.e. weekly, daily, hourly, etc.).
Both are great reads, which I highly recommend taking the time to review as you dive deeper in this area. They will help provide color for many of the areas we will cover below.
The fact is we all need God and grace. And that extends to how we plan our life and our days. God did not intend that we are busy bodies, always focused on growth and the next big thing. But He knows how we are wired. And sometimes, we need an Egypt or wilderness…
And that is why we need grace days in our planning, and peaceful progress towards perfection. Though we may not achieve it in this life, we must always strive for self improvement for the glory of God. In other words, so that we may better love and serve Him and others.
I heard a good quote this morning from writer Leo Tolstoy:
There can be only one permanent revolution — a moral one; the regeneration of the inner man. How is this revolution to take place? Nobody knows how it will take place in humanity, but every man feels it clearly in himself. And yet in our world everybody thinks of changing humanity, and nobody thinks of changing himself. -Leo Tolstoy, Three Methods of Reform
Everything we do starts within us. And as you will see below, it can be a beautiful, poetic process, between us and God. Once we fix our internal systems, then we can operate more effectively and process the world around us.
“It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat.”
Psalms 19:5-6 NLT
“All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
1 Corinthians 9:25-27 NLT
“So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
James 1:4 NLT
Just as an athlete building a training plan, we need a plan for our life to work out our own salvation through fear and trembling. This is not to say we gain salvation, which is a gift given by our savior Messiah Yeshua. But we are entrusted that through our own reformation processes, we will take the time to go through trials, struggle and build our endurance of faith.
With good principles of life planning and productivity methods, we can work calmly through obstacles and overcome hurdles as they are thrown our way. And as we are sometimes our own worst enemy, knowing that we have the spirit of God (the Ruach Ha’kodesh) at our back, supporting us in every event, should provide some comfort.
Joseph was another living, breathing example of godly planning. He went through all the steps not only to save himself, but all of Egypt through listening to God via dreams, and application of godly wisdom. The execution of his plan had to be flawless, otherwise the grain would not last the seven years of famine.
Good plans and processes prepare us for the days ahead. Like any good business, we have to be focused on forming then improving these plans and processes, building a sound framework and system to utilize in this grand endeavor we call life.
Let’s dive in!
1 – SURRENDER: Submit to God before Getting Started
This should really be step zero. Because it is similar to the ground zero of your faith in God. Before you take any steps, you must surrender yourself and your life to God. If have not give your life to God yet, I encourage you and pray that you do this before proceeding any further.
God gave his only Son to die for us, so that we may be saved. Yeshua surrendered his life, so that we may have ours. It is only right that we give ours back to God. But the beauty of this is that God still wants us to live a long and prosperous life. He is not the God of death, but the GOD OF LIFE, reconciliation and redemption! He is the good father who only wants what is best for us.
A – Purpose (Our Foundation)
This is what provides the first piece of the puzzle, our purpose. Our purpose acts as the outline or corner pieces of our puzzle. Our purposes may each be different in terms of people, paths and passion. But each person’s purpose is fundamentally the same – “Fear God and keep his commands, for that is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Once we realize this, it is actually freeing. We can then work out the details, which is the fun part. But we should all be grounded in knowing our fundamental purpose here on earth. This is our strong foundation. And this is part of the Surrender.
B – People (our Pathway)
The second area of surrender is to others. When we think of surrendering, we typically think of defeat or people taking advantage of us or our weaknesses. But this is not at all what we are talking about here. Humility and vulnerability does not mean defeat. It means acknowledgment of a higher power and our place in the universe.
The fact is we need others. They are other parts of the godly body and children of God’s family. We need family. We need others. God puts others into our lives for a reason.
Others have the expertise and experience we don’t. Others have time and energy in areas where we don’t. Others have viewpoints and passions that complement ours. This is the value of midrashic discussion!
WE also need to relinquish control. We don’t have to micromanage everything to get things done and be productive. We need to utilize our teams, trust in our counselors, and do everything with humility under God. We need to build grace into our days and our lives, having mercy on ourselves as well as others. Let go and live. Listen to others as well as your heart.
“Under his control, the whole body is being fitted and held together by the support of every joint, with each part working to fulfill its function; this is how the body grows and builds itself up in love.”
Ephesians (Eph) 4:16 CJB
“Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.”
Proverbs 15:22 NLT
“Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.”
Proverbs 11:14 NLT
“So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.”
Proverbs 24:6 NLT
C – Passion (Production > Consumption)
We all have something we like to do. And to be productive members of society our Production or Output needs to exceed our Consumption or Input. That is net value added to society. And others need to realize value from our passion.
If your passion is video games, I’m afraid unless you are on the professional esports circuit, you are out of luck. Same goes for people passionate about binging shows. You get the point.
I’m not talking about hobbies, but rather gifts or talents of the spirit. What has God given you that you are good at and enjoy doing. Finally, ask yourself will people pay me to do this (i.e. do they derive value)? The intersection of all three of these areas, referred to as Ikigai in Japan, is where you need to focus.
You may be forced to sacrifice other things in your life to support your passion. I’m not talking about friends and family necessarily, but the majority of what you do must go to support your passion. And ensure that your passion serves others for the glory of God!
2- PRAY: Talk to God throughout your Setup Process
From the Initial 3 p’s of Surrender, we move onto prayer (the big P), but here there are the 3 L’s of Prayer. Prayer is a two way street. But as briefly mentioned above, let’s hear more about what Mark Batterson has to say about Life Goals and Prayer:
“_Setting goals is a spiritual exercise—it’s dreaming big, praying hard, and thinking long. Praying is a form of dreaming, and dreaming is a form of praying. It’s not outlining your agenda to God. It’s getting into God’s Word and God’s presence, and letting God outline His agenda to you. Prayer is the way we get on God’s wavelength. When a goal is set in the context of prayer, there is a much higher likelihood that it will glorify God. And if it doesn’t glorify God, it’s not worth setting in the first place! Make sure your goals pass the prayer test.”
A – Listen (Actively)
I’m a firm believer in that God regularly speaks to righteous believers. We just don’t always hear Him. And I’m not talking about hearing voices or dreaming dreams like Joseph (necessarily). I’m talking about actively listening for His voice.
Active listening is different from just listening, because it involves our whole body in action. We put down any distractions. We engage all of our senses. We may hear with our ears, but we listen not just with our ears, but with our eyes, nose, hands, and mouth. We listen with mind, body, heart and soul.
But how can this be? How can you listen with your other senses and your entire being?? What kind of craziness is this? Don’t worry, just bear with me.
_Active_Listening is more about perception. And we perceive others (including God), with all of our senses and all of our being. If you are just trying to hear God, sometimes you won’t see the signs (sometimes literal) that He sets before you. If you are active listening, you will notice the arms folded of your spouse as they discuss a topic at work. You might even notice their eyebrows turning up and feel the vibrations of their foot tapping the ground.
Active listening is about being present. And only if we are completely present, will we perceive everything God is trying to communicate to us.
B – Learn (via Loops)
But listening is only part of prayer. For the perception to mean anything to us, we have to do something with it. Even if the action is just to seek deeper understanding.
For me, what I heard and learned recently from God was the power of numbers – specially 37 and 73 (this is another great study). But then it took action from my side to look deeper beneath the surface. And that’s when it really happened – I started seeing these numbers everywhere. That is a small example how God is everywhere if we look, but this also how prayer works.
Then, we have to go back to God to listen more. When He speaks to us, He does it in loops. Read the scriptures. Every prophet or forefather gets just enough information that is needed for the next action. Think about Abraham. If He told him everything at the beginning, it would have defeated the purpose or value of Abraham showcasing his faith. His word is a lamp, but a lamp works to light your next couple steps.
Listen – Learn – Listen. This is the first loop.
C – Love
The last part of the loop of prayer and third ‘L’ is Love. This is the most important. If we are only talking to God to learn or to achieve our life goals, we are missing the point. Our God is the God of Life and Love. He loves us and that’s why He created us. Sometimes we forget this crucial point.
We were not born to be busy. We do a fantastic job of keeping ourselves occupied. And this is visible in both business and life.
But the point of this whole thing we call life is LOVE. If we miss the message here, we miss the boat. He wants to live with us forever. We are going to become part of His Kingdom! How cool is that!
So next time you pray to God. Keep the three ‘Ls’ in mind. Be present. Be prepared to act. And ensure that the greater purpose of your conversation is LOVE.
3- ACT: Pursue Wisdom over Outcomes
If you have read any posts on this blog, you know that we cannot proceed with any discussion or framework without discussing obedience or action (just take the learning section above!). And there’s a reason why we are so prone to avoid these topics. For one, dreaming, planning and thinking are fun, action and results are hard. But the reward only comes with the action and results. Likewise, a “no rules, just right” approach to life might be fun for awhile, but the short-term reward of acting freely normally comes with a long-term consequence. Think about any late nights you have had recently…
And that is why it is crucial to pursue godly wisdom first, and above any worldly outcomes. We talk about this ‘Seek First’ concept here in an article entitled Seek First the Kingdom of God (Developing a ‘SEEK FIRST’ Mindset). But the point is that it is not just a chronological framework but rather a framework of prioritization and life management.
Wisdom, in an of itself is a prioritization tool and framework. It is like knowing all the options and prioritizing the best one, most of the time perhaps without knowing all the details. It helps us apply our knowledge and understanding because it is the ‘dot-connecting,’ ‘big picture’ kind of stuff.
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Matthew 6:33 NLT
A – Obedience
Obedience is two-fold. On the one hand it is following God because we love Him. But on the other hand, it is following a written, proven system – in fact, it is thee only one that has stood the test of time, a holocaust, and every other horrific way the oppressor has tried to do away with our beloved Torah, the Word of God.
It is both a relationship map and life manual. If we pursuit it and the knowledge it contains above all else (yes, that means your daily goals), then everything else will fall into place. And don’t just take it from me, read up on scripture, and try it for yourself!
It also helps to ground us, keep us humble and put things into perspective.
“See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword — it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart.”
Messianic Jews (Heb) 4:12 CJB
B – Ownership
Ownership is a key aspect of accountability. We can either be owners or victims. In the same light, we can either be winners or losers. And winners find solutions, losers find excuses.
It is the same way when we encounter any problem in our life. Do we act like a victim or do we own it and take action? Do we complain to God? Or do we pray for wisdom and insight as we scour the scriptures for a solution?
The fact is that there is nothing new under the sun. And thus all of God’s wisdom that He has chosen to share are in His scriptures. And we have no excuse today – the device you are reading this on is a portable Bible if you use it that way!
For those who thought this article was going to be a “get of jail free card” to plan your way to greatness, I’m afraid it’s more of a wake up call to act your way to wisdom. So wake up to the call of God’s word and pursue wisdom!
“What has been is what will be, what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there something of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It existed already in the ages before us.”
Kohelet (Ecc) 1:9-10 CJB
“So I turned myself and my thoughts to know, search out and seek wisdom and the reasons behind things, also to know how foolish it is to be wicked and how stupid to act like a fool.”
Kohelet (Ecc) 7:25 CJB
C – Odyssey
The cool thing about this thing called Life that God created is the fact that the pursuit of wisdom is an adventure. Focus on the journey, not the destination. Learn from your mistakes. Love and forgive. Then move onto the next challenge.
It’s the greatest game anyone could have ever imagined. Of course mankind has created their own games to escape reality from this one, but the fact is that there is only one game that matters.
But if we view this game as a gift, as an opportunity to serve God and others, it becomes an exciting odyssey that we embark on daily. It becomes more about being a little bit better of a human being each day. Less about worrying about the world and what others have, and more about how you are bettering yourself and others for the glory of God!
How cool is that! 🙂
So take action. But pursue wisdom over the outcome. Breathe in the excitement that it is to be alive.
4 – CONSISTENCY:
Now, if we aren’t already having fun on this journey through methodological frameworks, here’s where the real fun begins. Or where the rubber meets the road (as I like to say).
For any habit to stick, for any seed planted to take root, for any improvement to occur, consistency is the key. Slow dripping of water erodes stone. And continuous watering of the smallest of seeds (read: mustard) produces a magnificent tree or flowering bush.
And are we not here to produce fruit?
So before you go further, stop and think about recent initiatives that have failed. And then ask another question…were you consistent in your action?
A – Reputation (Identity)
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits speaks of the concept of identity when it comes to habit-forming behavior. He talks about habits effectively forming your identity, eventually becoming part of the person you become:
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.” – James Clear, Atomic Habits
While the Bible doesn’t necessarily take a deep dive into habits themselves and how they formed, it does say a lot about the concept of one’s deeds and their shem (שם). Shem, which also means name, actually has much deeper connotation than simply what you call someone. In fact, many Jews only refer to God as Ha’shem or THE NAME.
Outside of the obvious significance of this, shem tends to refer more to one’s reputation. And now coming full circle, doesn’t one’s reputation have a lot to do with the fruit they bear…! Whether that fruit be children, acts of kindness or philanthropy, or changing the world for the better (even in the smallest sense), one’s reputation is about the legacy they leave behind.
Life is about consistent steps in the direction of our legacy for the glory of God. And to quote a well-quoted astronaut, “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
10 leaps for God anyone…?
B – Ring (Environment)
Another big aspect of action is the environment we keep. This is worded intentionally strange for effect. Because while we don’t necessarily choose our environment, we spend a lifetime crafting or creating it. Or even 10 minutes tidying it up, depending on our habits and behaviors.
The Hebrew word for keep is Shamar (שמר). And note that the first two letters are SHEM (topic for another day)! Nevertheless, Shamar also means to guard or protect. It is the same word used for “keeping the Sabbath holy.” This sense of protecting or guarding our environment is truly critical. Think about it in terms of creating guardrails or boundaries around your spaces – both physical and in time. If we never guard ourselves from outside interference, we will never get done what we need to do. What God created us to do…
In the same way, we also pick our friends, we pick where we live, and we pick our jobs. We create the life we live. If you don’t prioritize and create your life, then someone else will.
Lastly, there is a well-known concept that we are the average of the five or so people with which we spend the most time. Think of this as your ring of trust (or fire) depending on the circumstance. While not everything is in our control, we cannot be victims in our life. God created us in His image, and that means being ‘mini-creators’ and productive human BEINGS. So be. Be is an action word.
“My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
Proverbs 4:20-23 NLT
One parting thought on this though before you move on…it is important not to compare yourself to others. This will only cause strife. But if you surround yourself with greatness, you will be great. If you surround yourself with godly people, you will become godly. So stay focused on what is good, and what can sanctify you, bringing yourself one step closer to God in your relationship every day.
C – Rhythm
Finally, consistency needs a rhythm, something we can dance to! There’s a reason that morning routines get so much airtime. They create micro-rhythms within our days. Habits are only as good as the cue, triggers and responses that entangle them. A cue such as waking up is a pretty clear daily action that can trigger us to drink a full glass of water. This hydration can lead us to some floor exercises or making coffee for our wife. Actions leads to action. Inaction leads to…well you get the point.
Some rhythms we create are so ingrained, we don’t even realize they are there. Just think through your day for a minute. What jumps out as a rhythm.
Coming back to our dance, every dance needs a sequence, every beat needs a drum (or rest). Just like our environment, we are the creators of our rhythms, which all together encompass our life rhythm.
So let’s dance!
“A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.”
Ecclesiastes 3:4 NLT
5 – ETERNITY:
Eternity is a long time. In fact, it exists outside of time, as God does. For us, time is linear. For God, time exists as He wills and constructs it. Take a minute for that to settle in…
When we zoom out to that scope, our worries and anxiety around timing should melt away. God sees all because He created all. If He created all, doesn’t that mean He has the ability to do anything with His creations. And if He knows the end from the beginning, doesn’t that give us some peace of mind that all will end well?
And remember…God’s timing is perfect, whether we see it or not.
““I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.””
Jeremiah 1:5 NLT
““Remember things that happened at the beginning, long ago — that I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. At the beginning I announce the end, proclaim in advance things not yet done; and I say that my plan will hold, I will do everything I please to do.”
Yesha ‘yahu (Isa) 46:9-10 CJB
“And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.”
Revelation 21:5-7 NLT
A – End in Mind (Begin with the End in Mind)
So if He knows the End from the Beginning, shouldn’t we begin with the End in Mind?
This was also one of the 7 Habits for Highly Successful People that Steven Covey brought forth in his world-renown bestseller. Coincidence? I think not…
Interestingly enough Covey is also referring to keeping our own mortality in mind. Morbid as this may be, it does send the signal that we only have a limited time in this life, so we need to spend it wisely.
But how cool is our God that He gives us eternal life so that the stresses of this can melt away. That we can have an eternal state of mind. Calmly working towards our first purpose (pun intended) in this life, to serve and glorify Him.
Although, serving Him means not wasting our time on meaningless worldly pursuits. And while this doesn’t mean not working at all. It means being good stewards of the time given to us. It means allocating our limited time in the best, most glorifying way. To quote Stephen Covey:
“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction. It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busyness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it’s leaning against the wrong wall. It is possible to be busy – very busy – without being very effective.” – Stephen Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
The Torah or His Word gives us the direction. And if we choose, God will direct our steps. Always remember that God exists outside of time, so our end is only the beginning of much much more…should we choose wisely.
“Adonai directs a person’s steps, and he delights in his way.”
Tehillim (Psa) 37:23 CJB
“In all your ways acknowledge him; then he will level your paths.”
Mishlei (Pro) 3:6 CJB
“When Man Plans, God Laughs” – Not in scripture.
B – Examine (Cycle of Reflection)
A major part of eternity and God’s plan are the many cycles which encompass our lives and seemingly linear timeline. The reason why cycles are so important is not only to give contrast and rhythm to our lives, but also to showcase the power of reflecting on the different parts of the cycle. To understand this power, we have to see the ups and downs, the highs and lows, the sunrises and sunsets. Each day holds a powerful reminder and ‘reset’ opportunity for each of us.
“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have 24-hour days.” – Zig Ziglar
These 24 hour cycles enable us time to work, time to rest, time to eat, and perhaps most underrated, time to sleep and recover. This time to sleep not only serves as an underlying mechanism of healing and inspiration, but also as a good model and foundation for other areas of our life. It is a period of ‘forced reflection.’ We have to stop and think and do nothing else. Otherwise we will not fall asleep.
This window of reflection, albeit small, can show us the exponential power of taking the time to think, examine ourselves, our day, our lives. And we can take the time to reflect at any time throughout the day. Perhaps even through a ‘reflection snack’ during a mid-afternoon walk.
If we take the time to truly reflect, and examine how certain things or the trajectory of our life is going, we will be amazed at the course corrections and rhythm fixes that result. We may even take a full 180 turn in some areas…
“Let us examine and test our ways and return to Adonai.”
Eikhah (Lam) 3:40 CJB
C – Envision
Sister to our friend Examine, is our friend Envision. She is a wonderful tool of wisdom. If we make the time to reflect, we will embrace the time to envision. It is called godly imagining like we have covered in previous posts. It is a powerful method used wisely.
We can envision His Kingdom. We can envision our lives as part of that preparation and service to His glory. We can envision the plans God has for our lives. It is like working through a puzzle in our mind. The picture becomes clearer the more time we spend with God. And we pick up the pieces along the way.
It helps us connect the dots between each of the components of godly life planning highlighted above. It serves to collect the breadcrumbs and turn them into a glorious feast.
To be honest, I struggled with this post at times. Probably much like you, due to the length, array of topics, etc. And many people struggle at work each day, because they lack a vision of where they are going. Without a vision, the work is meaningless. And most people then get frustrated or simply give up. Not even out of any malice necessarily, it is just because we are human. Our souls crave meaning and depth. That is why, according to Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, leaders must provide “Vision, Structure and Clarity.”
In the same light, we are the workers and creators in our lives as discussed. We need a godly VISION or a vision from God. We need to live and breathe His word to get that Vision. We need to spend time in prayer. When we EN-vision, we EN-capsulate our lives in Him. Then our vision and our purpose becomes clear, and we get a spark of motivation, that godly spark to light the world with our actions.
There’s a reason and intentionality behind this section of envision actually being at the end…wait for it…and you go! That’s right – it’s a cycle! This takes us back to the beginning where we need to surrender!
“Where there is no divine vision people cast off restraint, but blessed is the one who keeps Torah.”
Proverbs 29:18 TLV
“focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame; and He has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2 TLV
“This book of the Torah should not depart from your mouth—you are to meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will make your ways prosperous and then you will be successful.”
Joshua 1:8 TLV
Summary
For those looking for a concrete, simple process to follow, I hope you weren’t too disappointed. This wasn’t clickbait or a redirect. This was an “intentional grounding” (a pun for my American football fans). I pray that you have gained some understanding in the fundamental practices highlighted above, because these are the key areas to focus on before we go down the road of a fixed or deterministic process.
Remember the SPACE acronym discussed above and remember it is a cycle:
- SURRENDER – Surrender your life to God and Yeshua our Messiah; this is our North Star for our Purpose, Passion and People that we rely on throughout our journey.
- PRAY – Actively listen to God to learn and LOVE. God is everywhere if you seek Him hard enough. Prayer is a conversation, a two-way street.
- ACT – The most fulfilled life comes not from worldly success and superficial outcomes, but by aligning deeper with God and His agenda through His Wisdom. Spiritual achievement trumps physical achievement every day. It also lasts much longer…
- CONSISTENTLY – God values faithful, consistent small steps over rapid transformations or quick fixes. So get started small today! God created the effects of compounding!
- ETERNITY – Begin with the end in mind and know that there is a Kingdom awaiting us! Remember He exists outside of time. But we must operate within our constraint.
As you start to master these fundamentals, you will find that you can apply them to vast areas of your life. And while they will be crucial to succeeding in life planning and realms of productivity, they may just end up growing branches of their own in areas of application only dreamed. 😉
“He said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light.”
Daniel 2:20-22 NLT
Takeaways to make a way…
- Everything is a cycle, even fundamental practices behind life planning.
- The SPACE framework is about cooperation with God’s will, rather than command and control over one’s self.
- Life planning starts with alignment to God (surrender, submission) rather than strategic planning or targets.
- Faithfulness means ordinary consistency rather than dramatic breakthroughs.
- God values quality over quantity, depth of wisdom and obedience over superficial actions and outcomes.
- In the same light, God values wisdom and obedience over “success.”
- We are called to examine and yield our desires to God, we might just be better for it…
Further Study with your Buddy…
For further reading on Obedience and the godly paradox, read LOL (Love -> Obedience -> Love
If it’s more mindset techniques you are after, learn how to develop a Seek First Mindset: God’s Plan Part 2: SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of God
For more spiritual fundamentals, read Supercharge your Spiritual Strategies (5 ways to to use NLP for godly purposes)
Questions for Reflection…
- Have you truly surrendered your life to God?
- What piece of wisdom can you take from above and immediately apply it today?
- Are there other applications you can think of (i.e. areas of your life and/or at work)?
- What does godly productivity look like to you?
- What time have you carved out or set aside to pray each day?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Check if it changes after spending time with God…
- What do you need to submit or yield to God today?
godlyyy 
Lots of great information and applications for making our journey the best it can be to glorify our Elohim! Thank you!
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