Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 161 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.
Life Is Like a Whirlwind
Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 161 of our Trek, and yesterday we looked at why life is like a mouse. Today and throughout this week, we will be presenting a series of short wisdom stories. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.
We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This episode is being released on Sunday, and Paula and I are in Ft. Myers, Florida, to visit Paula’s aunt for a few days. Beginning Tuesday I will start back focusing on each day’s podcast as we will remain at camp for a few days as we dive back into the commentary on the book of Proverbs.
Today we will hike on the Whirlwind Trail where we determine the importance of prioritizing the most important tasks each day.
Today’s story is…
Life Is Like a Whirlwind
Run, run, run, and then run some more. It is so easy to be in a hurry today darting from one thing to another gaining little ground in any one thing. For a lot of us, our lives are a whirlwind of activity with household tasks, work, all of the messages on our latest technological device that seems to be attached to our hip, and piled up work to catch up on. It never seems to stop.
In the past, you probably heard about establishing priorities and labeling these Priority A, B, and C where A is the most important and had to be done right away. It seems that most of us have forgotten this rule. However, recently, I watched a video online and was reacquainted with the absolute necessity of establishing priorities and not allowing oneself to become distracted by the myriad of information coming at us at full bore. The real challenge is to be able to control the extraneous demands coming to us demanding our attention.
But, when it is all said and done, there are reasons to set priorities on a daily basis. If you do not, you will see yourself flitting like a hummingbird from flower to flower or a project or demand and on to the next without getting anything marked off the major to do list.
An example of planning and prioritizing is found in Proverbs 24:27, “Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.”
If you haven’t set your daily priorities for quite some time, maybe a suggestion or two would be welcome.
The easiest and simplest of ways and still one of the most effective is to start to record your major priorities for the day on your calendar. This can be done on your iPad, iPhone, tablet, or any other electronic device, but some prefer to record it on a physical calendar with a pen. Whichever way works best for you, it is best to put it into place immediately. Some science seems to indicate that initially using a physical calendar and pen lets your brain understand the connection you are making, and it is this conscious connection that makes your note more effective.
The real challenge comes next, and that is to remove or ignore all other events, issues, or demands for your time or attention that could knock you off your track. This is not to say, however, that there might not come along a much more urgent request from a superior. If this happens, you obviously must attend to it, and the request becomes your focus. However, what was left uncompleted before the new request must be put back on the top of the list as soon as your requested action is complete.
The Apostle Peter instructs us to prepare even our minds in Chapter 1 verse 13, “So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”
Focus is the key to accomplishing what is necessary. It’s an easy word to spell. It contains only five letters, but it is probably one of the most powerful words there are to move forward with confidence and expected results. One definition for focus that comes from a fellow podcaster and friend is: Follow One Course Until Success. As much as possible, prioritize and stay on task.
Today we looked at why our Life is Like a Whirlwind, but we do have control of the outcome. We do not need to be blown and tossed if we plan, prepare, and focus. The lessons that we can learn from each other are valuable, so encourage your friends and family to join us each day and come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy. For the next few days, we will explore some more short wisdom stories.
That will finish our podcast for today. Remember to listen to your daily dose of wisdom on Wisdom-Trek.com, or subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Spreaker, or YouTube so the episodes will be downloaded to you automatically each day. Please share Wisdom-Trek with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.
As we take this Trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!