Make A New Plan, Stan

Woke up hungry this morning. A tough first impression for my Monday fast, going to lean on God all day long.

Today's blog is about vision and planning, two things that I can struggle with from time to time. God is flooding me with thoughts on this topic, even as I sit here and type, so I'll try to stay focused and manage all of them. Let's start with this one:

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..." --Proverbs 29:18

With no vision of what we are seeking or a plan of where we are going, our actions are fruitless; we are twisting in the wind, so to speak, no matter what area of our lives we might be discussing. Vision and planning is crucial to our fitness lives, our professional lives, and our spiritual lives, and they are undeniably linked. Our vision is empty if it lacks a plan on how to achieve it, and our plan is useless if it has no vision as its basis. Former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst Herm Edwards says, "A goal without a plan is a wish," and he is right. If we have a goal and don't attach a measurable, achievable plan to it, then we really are just wishing that something will happen for us.

Having said that, I also think that sometimes we spend too much time in the planning phase and not enough time in the doing phase. It's a delicate balance, but some people spend so much time and effort on planning out what they are going to do that they never actually do it. They read books, attend seminars, hold meetings and conference calls, all in the name of learning and collecting information they never put into action.

And so, the takeaway: What is your vision for the life you want, and how do you plan to get there? If you want to get into better shape or have a more fruitful spiritual life or build a more enjoyable career or family life, what steps will you need to execute to have those things? Take a look at what plan best suits your desired outcome, and once you have your plan in place, act and go for it! Your better life is waiting.