What do you want? Why don’t we have what we say we want? The Bible tells us that “we have not because we ask not… and when we ask our motives are wrong.” (check out James 4: 1-3) So on one hand, we’re too afraid to ask… or too ashamed, too prideful or too something. On the other hand we have selfish motives for the things we do ask for. But once we move beyond being too afraid to ask for what we want and asking with wrong motives, there are other reasons which mostly boil down to this - we don’t have what we say we want because we don’t do what is necessary to get what we say we want.

Life is not magic, though there is a mystical element to it. However, we can’t just say “hocus pocus”and exect what we want to materialize before our eyes in a great flash of light and puff of smoke. No. We have to work. To get from point A to point B there are specific steps that must be taken. Many of us don’t have any goals - no vision for our lives and so we cannot fulfill anything. For those of us who are able to develop goals, there’s still another piece of the puzzle - strategy.

This has been a tough one for me. I’ll use myself as an example… I love to write, have published my first book and am working on several manuscripts. One of my weaknesses is time management and as a result, I’ve missed the deadlines that were set for finishing the new manuscripts. I’m always complaining about not having enough time, but is that truly the case? I’ve got the same 24 hours as everyone else and I’ve met some people who do more in a day than I do in a week!

So what do I do? I’ve finally set some new goals - to be done with the manuscripts by a realistically set date. But what’s my strategy to successfuly complete these goals? I need to make time to get them done. If I sit around waiting for time to open up… well you know how that works. If I want to be successful, I have to start being honest and take a true look at how I spend my time: sleeping, eating, watching television, job, etc… Needless to say, it hurts when I realize how much time I waste on sleeping and watching television.

Now at this point I want to introduce a concept that you may have already heard before: ‘Spending vs. Investing.’ When we spend money, we usually get something in return that will only last us for the moment (fast food for example). When we invest money, we increase our resources that yield a larger return over a longer period of time. Which has the greater benefit?

Having said this, ask yourself, “Do I spend or invest my time?” According to statistics, the average person spends 3 hours a day watching television. Sometimes I spend more. What about you? But instead of spending that time, why not invest it in something that will yeild greater results? If you miss our favorite show, the world will not come to an end. You could tape it to watch later - during a scheduled time of relaxation. What could you get done if you turned your television off a few nights a week? What about your commute to work? Can you get something useful done then? What about when you’re using the bathroom? Yeah, it sounds a bit disgusting, but that’s a good time if you’re going to be using the facilities for 20-30 minutes. What about your lunch hour at work or school? There are so many opportunities to use our time better - if we look for them. You see where I’m going with this.
It all boils down to what’s more important to us - working now so we can play later? Or wasting time now so that later we are forced to work because all of our resources were spent instead of invested? You’ve heard the old addage, “It’s easier said than done.” Yeah, things won’t always be easy to do, but don’t let that stop you from improving the raw materials that God has given you. There’s also another saying, this one my pastor says often, “We make time for the things we want to do.” The things we really want to do… we do - no matter how hard they may be. That is a fact of life.

So, what do you want? What goals have you set for your life? What will you do to attain them? It’s a New Year!

Let me know what you think.

-Allen Paul Weaver III-

Filed under: Self-Help • Spirituality

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