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Breaking Big Things Down into Small Pieces

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What’s the First Next Step?

We’ve been talking a lot about routines over the past several weeks. Like most things, it sounds great, but where to start? There’s already too much to do and not enough time. There’s no room on the list to add anything else.

No one ever said building a successful business would be easy. If they did … they lied.

Operating a business requires a lot. With so much to do, it’s common to get overwhelmed. My intent with today’s post is to help you manage that stress.

You’ve probably heard the saying, eat the elephant one bite at a time. This is a common idiom for breaking a large, daunting project down into smaller, more manageable pieces. By focusing on one small step at a time, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed.

I have a couple of sayings that I use to represent the elephant idiom from more of a construction perspective. One is to build the wall one brick at a time. Another is to move the mountain one shovel full at a time. Construction projects require a lot of pieces and actions to complete. They need to be broken down into smaller pieces.

Breaking big things down sounds easy enough, but it takes intentional action.

The other thing that can be discouraging is when big dreams don’t happen. When they don’t become reality, we give up. This is what happened to me. After working for years to accomplish my dream and it didn’t happen … I gave up. I concluded that I must have been wrong about this dream.

Then God got my attention with a board upside the head. Since then, I have been reading and learning. Continuing to build my business and my life one piece at a time. Don’t be afraid to dream big (Mark 11:23-24) because nothing is impossible for God (Luke 1:37).

Last week in the list of my daily planning, one of the things was Breaking Big Things Down into Smaller Pieces. Building a business or a life is like constructing a building.

Building starts by DREAMING – Dreams are big, vague things. We can see them in our head. This is where great things start. It is important to align these dreams with God, the Architect of our lives.

VISION is the next step – This is where the big picture of the dream begins to take shape. It’s like a blueprint. It’s where things can be tested to see if the dream is possible and how the pieces will fit together.

Now we need to set some GOALS – It’s been determined that the dream can be built. Now we need to set some goals. When do we want to have it completed? Based on this, when do we need to start? What is the budget? What’s it going to cost?

Nothing gets done without ACTION – This is where the rubber meets the road. Dreams are not accomplished without taking action. If anything is going to get done … we have to DO SOMETHING.

RESULTS are the dream becoming reality – This is where the hard work and planning come together. This doesn’t mean that the result is exactly what the original dream was. What it does mean is that if we had nothing, nothing is what we would have.

Start with DREAMS, turn those dreams into VISIONS, turn those visions into GOALS. A goal is a bite-sized vision. And a vision that is ready to go to work is a goal.

Big dreams can be overwhelming. Daily operations of a business can be overwhelming.

It’s important to do something. Take action.

It helps me if I focus on the FIRST NEXT THING. What is the one thing that I need to do first? I have a list that I go through as part of my routine:

  1. Start with prayer
  2. Get off my “BUT”, stop making excuses
  3. Put it on the calendar
  4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help (delegation / accountability / education)
  5. Take goals seriously (create a sense of urgency early)
  6. Maintain positive forward momentum
  7. Celebrate wins
  8. Don’t overthink it
  9. Break the goals down into brick size pieces
  10. Make goals about giving and not about getting
  11. Review progress regularly, and be accountable

This list helps keep me motivated. It reminds me to prioritize things and to focus on the first next thing that needs done.

Your list can be different. The important thing is to have a process or system to help you to break big things down into smaller pieces.

Focusing on one brick at a time is the way a big wall gets built.

What Does Daily Life Planning Look Like?

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And How It Fits in My Morning Routine

We’ve been discussing routines and how they help us get more done. How reading and learning is a big part of developing a good routine. And how I use journaling. Last week it was daily planning.

The first thing on Daily Planning is reviewing my Weekly Life Plan. That’s what we’ll go over this week.

What is a Life Plan?

A life plan is pretty much what it sounds like … it’s a plan for your life. This plan is going to look different for everyone, because we are all different after all.

My life plan is made up of the dreams and goals I want to accomplish in my life. Each year I review them and put together a plan of what needs to be done this year to keep me on track. I then break those annual goals down into quarterly, monthly, and weekly actions to achieve my goals.

The Weekly Life Plan is then reviewed daily.

Reviewing this helps me to get my day started off focused on who I am and what my mission is. It breaks the big goals down into small pieces that need done today.

Last week, I talked about how I do this by opening a scheduled event on my computer calendar. In the note section of that event, there is a list of things to do. Some of those have links to a OneNote page.

Here’s what Daily Life Planning includes –

  • Word of the Year – Reminder of what my word of the year is and its accompanying theme.
  • Current Decision of the Seven Decisions – This a one-line reminder of the current decision that I’m reading through.
  • My Why or Purpose – This is what I’ve been put here to do.
  • My Mission – This is what I’m supposed to do with my life, based on my purpose.
  • My Vision – This is the larger picture: seven years in the future.
  • My Core Values – These are the twelve values that are the foundation my life is built on. I read through the list to remind myself what they are.
  • Life Principles – These are overviews of the Seven Decisions from Andy Andrews book, The Traveler’s Gift. And the twelve principles from the book, The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant by Terry Felber.
  • Breaking Big Things Down into Smaller Pieces – This is to once again to remind me that big things can be accomplished, but not all at once.
  • First Next Step – This helps me to focus on the next thing that needs done.
  • Weekly Results – A checklist of the things that need to be done this week in the different areas of life.
  • Someday Goals – These are the big dreams I have for the future. This is a list of things that can be done to keep me moving forward toward these big goals. Some are really, really big.

These are the big things on the daily planning list. It is more of a perspective and direction for the day. The rest of the things are more specific to the actions that need to be done today to stay on track for the week.

If you would like to see what my daily life plan looks like or would like a template to you can create your own, click on the download links below. If you have questions about life planning and how to incorporate it into your routine schedule a free 30-minute consultation.

Mark’s Daily Life PlanDownload
Daily Life Plan TemplateDownload

The Next Step of the Morning Routine

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Reminders Are a Big Part of This

Taking control of your life requires intentional action. Having a routine is a big part of that control.

The past several weeks we discussed routines and their importance in being productive. Last week we focused on my morning journaling. My routine includes reminders …. lots and lots of reminders. People that have seen my calendar and lists think I may be going a little overboard, and maybe I am. But it helps me be more productive.

It’s too easy for me to get sidetracked and forget things without reminders.

These reminders are on both my phone and computer and begin to remind me as soon as they are turned on or activated. These events are all recurring and are scheduled for every day with no end date.

The calendar reminders start with my Bible reading and prayer time which is scheduled for 6:00 AM, the reminder is set for 15 minutes before. Second is journaling at 6:30 AM with a reminder 15 minutes before. Third is getting ready at 7:00 AM with a 15-minute reminder. This includes getting dressed, packing lunch, and other miscellaneous things that need to be done before leaving home. Then comes my daily planning at 7:30 AM, also a 15-minute reminder.

Daily planning is where review and planning begin. Up to this point, the day-to-day routine doesn’t change much.

Daily planning is on my Outlook calendar and after I finish getting ready I open the event. In that event, there is a place for notes where I have a written plan with links (denoted below as link) to different OneNote pages that are action lists.

Here is how that plan looks:

Review Life Plan – Take a few minutes to review the 2025 Weekly Action Plan (link) and get a perspective on scheduling.

Open, review, and process emails – Go through and decide what to do with them.

If it doesn’t require action, I can:

  • Trash it
  • File it for future reference

If it requires action, I can:

  • Respond if it takes less than a few minutes or add it to my task list to do later
  • Defer it by scheduling a time on my calendar to deal with it
  • Delegate it to someone else for action

Review to do lists – Both my Outlook task list (due today) and personal Action List (link) in One Note. Ask the question:

  • What do I really need to accomplish today? If it’s a really important task, move it to my calendar and schedule it.

Review calendar – Note appointments and review preparation that needs done. Look at today on the calendar and review items that need to have preparation done or scheduling revisions.

Review action lists – Review my major projects and categories, consider the next actions required in each to keep things moving.

  • Business Planning Action List (link)
  • Admin Action List (link)
  • Financial Action List (link)
  • Production Action List (link)
  • Sales Action List (link)
  • Marketing Action List (link)
  • Coaching & Consulting Action List (link)

Review delegated items – This is a list of items I have delegated to others and are important enough to track.

  • If something is overdue, or if I need a progress report, I send an e-mail and nudge the person responsible.
  • Put a note in the task itself that I sent a reminder.

I open this up and go down the list. Normally I can go through this process in 30 minutes if there aren’t too many things that deviate from the norm. Just like the journal that we looked at last week, I know that this seems like a lot. And it can be. But for me, it’s worth the time and effort if it helps me be more productive.

The most important thing is that you figure out what works for you to help you be more productive.

Next week, we’ll look at the Weekly Action Plan in more detail.

If you would like to know more about daily planning or building a routine to help you be more productive let us know in the comments or schedule a free 30-minute consultation.

Get Your Day Started Off Right 

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Your Morning Routine Should Be Where Your Day Starts 

Being out of control is one of the most helpless feelings we can have. I shared a little bit about my struggle with this last week and how reading and learning changed things for me.  

It was the realization that I had control over my decisions and how this control affected my life.  

Routines are a big part of that control.  

A couple of weeks ago I shared how my daily routine helps me get more done. This routine gives me clarity for the day.  

Clarity starts with knowing our “why”. Too often people drift through life without giving any thought to their why. For me, it is more possible to accomplish my “why” each day when I start with my morning routine. 

To prevent me from forgetting my routine, I use some different tools. One of my tools is my Outlook calendar. This tool has alarms that remind me to do the next thing. It also allots a certain amount of time to do each thing. These time limits are initially set by me and can be adjusted as needed.  

As shared in the previous post, my morning routine starts by waking up with a shower and some coffee. Then, I do my daily Bible reading. My first calendar reminder is reading my Bible and praying.  

Reading the Bible and praying may not be for everyone, but for me it’s my blueprint for life. As a builder I know that I can’t look at a blueprint for a building and remember everything by only looking at it once. I need to constantly go back and review it. The Bible is the same thing for me and my life.  

Next, I spend some time in prayer. This is my conversation with God–who is like the architect of my life. This time is me asking the architect about things that I need more direction and clarity about. 

The next reminder is for my journaling. 

My daily journal is a word document that starts as a template. It is broken down into several different reminders or questions to be answered. There are three sections, one for morning, one for midday, and one for evening. By setting reminders for these three times each day, it helps me to stay focused. I fill out one of these pages each day. 

Here is an example of the morning section of my daily journal template with explanations for each item: 

Day of the week: ______________ Date: _____________ 

Life Mission: This is my “why”. Once this is figured out it remains the same and doesn’t change much. There is the possibility that early on it may not be crystal clear and need some modifications. But after a few years have gone by, it won’t change much. 

Word for the Year: Having a word of the year is a fairly common practice. It’s one we do at our church. We randomly draw a word from a basket at the beginning of the year. I research the definition of the word and write it here. Then, I read it each morning. 

Scripture for the Year: This is a Scripture that supports the word of the year. 

Theme for the Year: This is a quote or saying that supports the word of the year. 

Seven Decisions: This is connected to The Traveler’s Gift–the book that had the most impact on the change in my life. In this book, the main character is lost and ready to give up when he goes on an amazing adventure that changes his life. On this adventure, he is given seven different documents. He is instructed to read one of them each morning and evening for twenty-one days. Then, repeat this process again until he has gone through all seven decisions. I do this as a part of my daily routine. 

Morning Revelation: This is where I write down my conversation with God and get things out of my head and on paper. 

Looking forward today I will: This is where I write down how I will live my day and the things I will work to accomplish. 

Things I get to enjoy today: This is where I remind myself to enjoy this life I’ve been given and the opportunities the day offers. 

That is the end of the morning section of the journal. We’ll look at the rest of it in a later post. 

The next part of my routine is more about planning ahead for the day.  

This is scheduled in my Outlook calendar and is more action specific. Next week, we’ll look at the things included in this and how it works.  

Being intentional with my life and business starts in the morning each day. 

If you would like a copy of my daily journal template, just let us know in the comments. If you would like more details about my daily routine or have questions about how to run a successful construction company you can schedule a free 30-minute consultation.  

A Routine is Something That is Learned

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Books Are a Good Place to Start

Last week we discussed how a routine can help us get more done. Too many times, people drift through life without any plan. They neglect to take control of the things they can control.

I know how this is. I used to feel this way.

Early on I had big dreams. Then when they didn’t happen, I felt like my messy life was just what I was stuck with, and I gave up on my dreams.

Then God got my attention with a board upside the head.

I’d never been a reader, but while recovering from the concussion I began reading. Most of the books I started with were ones that were either written by or recommended by someone that I was listening to on the radio or podcasts. I admired these people and what they had accomplished or experienced.

This was a turning point in my life.

I began reading more and more. Then I began implementing the things from these books and their authors. I was taking back control of my life. This doesn’t mean that I can control everything. What it does mean is that I can control how I react and respond.

Here are twelve of the books that have had a major impact on my life and showed the importance of taking control:

Reading these books helped me to see what was possible if I was intentional and did something rather than just waiting for the next bad thing to happen. Part of what I learned was how a daily routine was a big part of taking control.

Having a routine helps control life.

My routine has been developing over the past fourteen years and will continue to do so every year going forward. The important thing to remember is that learning is something that we should do as long as we’re alive.

Taking control of my life and business makes me a much happier person than I was when I felt hopeless. Some things from these books are included directly into my daily routine, some are more peripheral.

We’ll go into more specifics of how these books are connected to my routine next week.

Wouldn’t You Like To Get More Done?

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A Daily Routine Can Help You

Over the past several weeks we’ve been going through the Hero on a Mission online course. This is one of the courses offered by Business Made Simple University designed by Donald Miller. These online courses are great for helping small businesses.

I’ve taken this course before, but to reinforce my business, I’ve gone through it again as a refresher. The Hero on a Mission course shows the importance of having a life plan and incorporating it into your daily routine.

Routines are regular procedures, chores, or duties done at specific intervals. We are creatures of habit and routines will happen to some degree (even if they are unplanned). The key is to not let your routines be unproductive or random.

A routine requires intentional action.

Too many people live their lives mired in regret. They leave things up to fate, wondering why their life feels so meaningless. We shouldn’t give fate control over our lives.

Having a life plan and routine for implementing that plan is how you can take control. An intentional, daily routine will help you focus and stay on track.

A routine can be as simple or as detailed as you want it to be. We’re all different and what works for one person may not work for another.

I’m a detailed person and I like having control, so my routine is a little too intense for some people. My routine is broken into three parts: morning, midday, and evening. The morning actions help me get a clear plan and focus for the day on the things that are the most important to me. The midday portion is a break from the chaos and a recentering. The evening is an opportunity to look back at the day and review.

I use a combination of an Outlook calendar and OneNote action lists for my daily routine.

My daily routine overview:

Morning routine – I start my day with making a pot of coffee and taking a shower to wake up. Then I read my Bible, have prayer time, read the Traveler’s Gift Daily Decision, journal, pack my lunch, review the plans for the day, check emails. Then I review the day’s action list, my calendar, and the action lists for business planning, administration, finances, production, sales, and marketing.

Midday routine – This routine is shorter. It involves eating lunch, watching or listening to something educational, reviewing the Scripture of the day, and journaling.

Evening routine – I review the weekly action plan, the day’s action list, the calendar, and the action lists for business planning, administration, finances, production, sales, and marketing. I read the Traveler’s Gift Daily Decision, check my emails, journal, and pray.

This is a brief overview of my routine. Next week, I’ll break it down into more detail, the tools I use, and how I use them.

Do you have a daily routine?

Whether you’re looking to improve yours…

or would like to create one…

I can help.

Set up a free 30-minute consultation and let’s get started building your daily routine.

How to BUILD a Well-Balanced Life 

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Like Everything Else, It’s a Choice 

Last week we discussed being busy. It’s easy to find ourselves with too much to do. There are just so many important and fun things that need done. This leads to burnout. 

It’s all too common for people to get burnt out. 

I’ve seen this happen a lot over the years. One place this happens as much as any is in the church. There’s no work any more important than that. When we have a desire to help it can take over our lives … and burnout is the result. 

I know this, because I’ve been there.  

This is why it’s important to BUILD a well-balanced life. 

Finding and maintaining the balance in everything is one of my core values. Finding and maintaining balance is what keeps a busy life from crashing.  

Balance in life is more than just two things. It’s not like a set of scales with one thing on each side. Life is full of a whole lot of things. Life balance also doesn’t mean an equal amount of time and energy spent on each to the things. 

I see BALANCE as a large platform centered on top of a small point. Without anything on the platform, it is level. When one thing is placed on top of the platform near the center, things go pretty well, and it stays relatively level.  

As more things are put on the platform and things begin to be crowded out from the center, it starts to get heavier at different areas. This causes the platform to lean. If one heavy thing–or too many things–are moved too far from the center, the platform will tip far enough that things will fall off.  

Keeping things on the platform is all about weight and location. 

Our lives are like this platform. God has balanced our platform perfectly on this point and given us the responsibility of keeping it there. The difficult part of this obligation is the number of things we get to choose to put on our platform.  

The choices are endless. There is spiritual, family, work, friends, fun, community, etc. Each of these areas are full of an endless number of specific things that we can put on our platform. Some things carry more weight than others. As we go through life the things we have on our platform will, and should, change. 

FINDING AND MAINTAINING THE BALANCE is a responsibility given to us. Will we be perfect at it? No. Can we learn and get better at it? YES!  

If you want to BUILD a well-balanced life, then you need to do something. A well-balanced life doesn’t just happen. 

Here’s an acronym to help you BUILD a well-balanced life. 

B is Being Aware – A well-balanced life starts with being aware of the problems that come from being out-of-balance and that it’s even possible. 

U is Understand – It is the mental grasp or comprehending of something. It is the knowledge about a situation, how something works or what it means. You need to understand what balance is and what it takes to get it. 

I is Intentional Action – This is the most important.  If you don’t do something, nothing will change. This is where most people get hung up. To this point, everything sounds great. Intentional action requires ACTION.  

L is Learn – This is the step that will take the longest. Construction of buildings isn’t instantaneous. You don’t show up on a job site your first day knowing everything about building. You come back the second day and LEARN more and the third and the fourth. And years later you have LEARNED how to build. And you will continue learning for the rest of your life. 

D is Delivery of the Dream – This is where all the hard work pays off. It’s where you can still be very busy, but your life is balanced. You are in control of the things you say yes to … and the ones that you say no to.  

It feels really good to be in control of your life and your business.  

Building a well-balanced life include a well-balanced business. To help with this we have some business BUILDing tools, systems, and services that can help you. If you have questions about getting your business balanced you can schedule a free 30-minute consultation.

You Have More Control Than You Think 

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Take Control

It’s Up to You to Take Control

We like being in control of our lives, but most people feel like they aren’t. I contend that we all have more control than we think we do.  

it starts with you to taking control

Control doesn’t mean you control everything that happens. It means you confidently move forward with your goals and priorities, understanding that there are things that happen that are beyond your control. 

This means that you are clear about who you are and what you want. It requires you to take intentional action.  

You have the superpower of choice, but you have to use it. 

This control starts with being aware that this is possible and understanding what it is and how to get it. Then you have to decide you want control and take intentional action to get it. 

Here are 11 small intentional actions that will help you get control: 

  1. Clarify your core values and beliefs – Chasing other people’s dreams will pull you in a million different directions. Taking control of your life requires you to be clear on what you want. 
  1. Identify internal vs. external motivations – Internal motivators come from within – those dreams that fill you with passion and purpose. They’re determined by your own values and goals.  External motivators come from outside of yourself. They refer to the goals and expectations set by your parents, partners, friends, or community. They can also be standards set by society that you feel pressure to live up to. 
  1. Create a vision – Visualization fills your mind with a picture of what you want your life to become. 
  1. Believe that you can: Overcome limiting beliefs – Most people have an internal dialogue. Many times, this thinking comes from an earlier part of your life. It’s that voice of a parent who didn’t give you enough praise, or that kid in school who was always waiting for you to mess up. 
  1. Take personal responsibility – Regaining control of your life means finding the balance between what you can and cannot control and taking responsibility for the things you are responsible for.  
  1. Let go of what you can’t control – God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can’t change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference. 
  1. Respond instead of reacting – You can’t control everything. But you can control how you respond. Don’t react to situations without thinking first.  
  1. Unpack emotional triggers – Self-awareness will help you manage your emotional reactions. When you know your fears and identify situations that make you feel anxious you will be better prepared to control them. 
  1. Make a plan of action – Many people get stuck talking about their dreams and never do anything about them. Often we’re waiting to feel inspired. The truth is, inspiration comes through action. 
  1. Implement a daily routine – Daily planning helps you get and stay focused on what matters to you the most. It helps keep you on track, removing opportunities for getting caught up in unimportant tasks.  
  1. Know when to take a break – Control doesn’t mean cramming in as many tasks as possible in one day. You need to create a balance that works for you.  

Implementing these eleven things will help you take control of your life and business.  

It’s up to you to take control! 

Over the past few months, I’ve written a lot about taking control of your life and business. Here are some of those posts:  

If you would like help finding solutions for taking control of your life and business schedule a free 30-minute coaching consultation.  

It’s Never Too Late to Learn

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You CAN Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

You’ve probably heard the saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks“. This means that it is very difficult to teach someone new skills or change someone’s habits, especially when they’re older. This phrase is often used to express the challenges of altering deeply rooted behaviors or learning new concepts. It is not typically about actual dogs, rather it reflects human experiences concerning change. 

We’ve been talking about how to build a better construction business and the tools and systems to make that possible. The importance of knowing who you are and your core values. This can seem like a lot of work. Especially with the limited time available in the construction industry.

Younger construction companies get a rude awakening when they find out how much they didn’t know about running a business.

I thought I knew everything I needed to when I started my construction business over forty years ago. Boy was I wrong!

I got to a point where what I thought I knew … I didn’t. I gave up and accepted that this mess-of-a-life was just the way things were. I needed to accept it and just continue through the rut. And I did, until I was smacked upside the head.

This event changed my life.

There were nudges that I became aware of before the accident that were a part of this change. I was listening to talk radio programs that were speaking to what I was feeling. These included things like Dave Ramsey, Michael Hyatt, Donald Miller, Andy Andrews, etc.

These guys seemed to have figured out how to get out of the rut and I was intrigued. One of the things these guys all had in common was…

The importance of reading.

I had never been a reader up to that point in my life. I saw it as something that required time that I didn’t have. But after the accident, I felt as though I had been given a second chance. Listening to them and what they were sharing resonated with me.

It’s like they knew what I was going through and had a way out of the rut. And the way out was learning. And a big part of learning is reading. It was clear to me. If I wanted things to change I needed to learn, and learning required me making a decision to do it.

Before then I had given up on learning. Learning was for kids in school. As an adult there wasn’t anything else that I needed to know. Boy, was I mistaken!

I’ve learned more since I decided to read than ever before. Learning is something that should never come to an end as long as we are still alive.

Learning is a choice!

Learning will lead to a better business and a better life.

Don’t become an old dog. It’s never too late to learn. If you would like to learn how to BUILD a better business and life for yourself, schedule consultation to get started.

How to Organize Your Daily Plans

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Getting Your “To Do” List and Calendar to Work Together 

As is normal, early in a new year there is a lot of focus on being better organized. Looking for new ways to get more done. This has been a topic that has come up in several conversations over the past few weeks. At the same time, there can be a sense of despair, knowing that you’ve been trying to be better organized over and over without much success.  

We all have way more on our to do lists than there is time to get them done. The days come to an end and there’s still things that need to be done and we feel like we’ve failed. 

Last week, we discussed the importance of taking the first next step. It’s about breaking big, overwhelming things down into small, manageable pieces.  

Ultimately, it’s not going to get done if you don’t do something. 

I know this feeling of wanting to do more and not having enough time to do it all. Then we beat ourselves up, frustrated that we didn’t get more done. 

The question is … what are you going to do to change this? 

I don’t know what you’re going to do, but here’s what I do. 

I have a long, long list of things that I want to do. This list covers big dreams I want to do someday like: remodeling and adding on to our home, keeping my truck in “like-new” condition, having a lifted 4×4 project truck, owning properties, having a second home in the mountains. Keep in mind that when these big things are broken down into more detailed lists, each list is pretty big.  

Then there are the lists of everyday work and life. Like spiritual, family, vocation, financial, personal, church, community. Just like the someday lists, these lists are made of more detailed lists. 

How am I ever going to get everything done? 

For me the lists are great. It helps me to keep track of the things I want to do so I don’t forget something. This, however, does not get them done.  

To get them done, I have to do something. But what do I do first? How do I know which things are the most important? 

The answer to this question comes down to choice. You can choose what is the most important to you. This is where I align my thoughts with God’s. What is it He has put me here to do? 

Now that I have a prioritized list, this still doesn’t mean there’s enough time to get everything done. We are limited in the amount of time we have. 

For me, this is where the calendar comes in. People that see my calendar are shocked at how full it is, the detail, and the color. 

I take things from the to do list and plug them into the calendar. I estimate the time I think it will take and schedule accordingly. Sure, things don’t take exactly the time scheduled, but it’s a place to start.  

This is where being flexibly rigid comes in. This is the act of organizing the most important things around the unpredictability of life. 

Next week, we’ll go deeper into the details of how my list and calendar work together.