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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.

What’s the First Next Step? 

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Breaking Big Things Down into Little Steps 

Over the past several months we’ve been talking about building a successful construction business. We’ve compared it to an actual building. You need to know what it is you’re building, what kind of ground you’re going to build on, and why it is you’re building.  

Clarity of what you want to build and having a plan is critical to success. 

Then comes the hard part … if you’re going to get it built, you have to do something. Making a decision and then taking action is hard. Especially when it involves something as big and overwhelming as building a business. 

This is the place where most people fail. 

So, how does one move forward when faced with a large, daunting project? 

You don’t focus on the huge, intimidating thing. Instead, you break it down into bitesize pieces. Then you start by taking the first next step.  

I closed last week’s post by talking about how I chose to incorporate The Seven Decisions into my daily routine and how something as small as a butterfly moving its wings can lead to amazing outcomes. 

I use my computer for keeping me on task each day. This next section is part of my daily routine. I use OneNote to organize and track these things. 

After I read through the decision for the day, I read through the overview of all seven decisions.  

Next, I step back and think big. Why am I here and what is it that I’m supposed to be doing? 

Being a believer in Christ, I remind myself that it’s important to not be afraid to dream big (Mark 11:23-24) because nothing is impossible for God (Luke 1:37). 

 This is followed by the illustration below of how I can turn those big dreams into results:

DREAMS   →   VISIONS   →   GOALS   →   ACTIONS   →   RESULTS 

Start with Dreams – Turn Dreams into Visions – Visions into Goals 

Goals are bitesize Visions 

“A vision that is ready to go to work is a Goal” 

ACTION – I can only do ONE thing at a time, what will it be? 

If I’m going to accomplish the big things, I need to remember to break them down into small ACTIONS.  

At this point, I read through a list that I call the “FIRST NEXT STEP”. This list starts my day off in a proactive mindset. By reading through this list daily, it helps me to incorporate these things when I start something new or switch from one project to another.  

FIRST NEXT STEP:

  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 process helps me make big things doable. Sure, it takes time to incorporate this into my daily routine. Ultimately, it comes down to making a decision. I can choose to do this or do something else. But for me the time spent is worth it.  

    The same process isn’t going to work for everyone. This is where you need to decide if you just want to roll the dice on the outcome of your business or if you want to take control. 

    Breaking big things down and taking the first next step makes big things doable. 

    Ultimately, it is up to you to do something different to get a different outcome. Or you can just keep doing things the way you are.

    A Successful Business Starts with a Decision

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    The Question Is: Will You Make It?

    Last week we discussed my “aha” moment when I was recovering from a concussion. This revelation involved reading The Traveler’s Gift, a book written by Andy Andrews.

    In the book, David Ponder felt like a failure at forty-six years old. He had lost his job as an executive at a Fortune 500 company. Then he lost his part-time job working at a hardware store.

    He felt like a failure!

    Until he had an extraordinary experience that revealed the power of decisions to succeed in business and life.

    Before my accident I was at a place in my life that was nothing like what I had expected it to be. I had some big dreams when I was younger. I was going to be farming thousands of acres. Own a successful construction company. Have a nice, big, new home. Be driving new cars and trucks.

    Then, thirty-five years later, none of these things had happened. I did own a construction company, but it wasn’t anything more than a minimum wage job. I had conceded that this was the life I had and there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

    I had accepted the fact that I was a failure.

    Then came the accident. I believe it was God’s way of getting my attention and telling me that things could be different. I really connected with David Ponder’s situation in The Traveler’s Gift.

    I was where he had been. He took the lessons learned in his journey through time and the people he met and implemented them in his life. He had the power of choice, and he used it.

    Here is an overview of the seven things he was shown and implemented that changed his life:

    THE SEVEN DECISIONS

    1. The Responsible Decision

    I accept responsibility for my past. I control my thoughts. I control my emotions. I am responsible for my success.

    “THE BUCK STOPS HERE.”

    “If decisions are choices…and our thinking dictates our decisions – then we are where we are because of our thinking.”

    President Harry S. Truman

    2. The Guided Decision

    I will be a servant to others. I will listen to the council of wise men. I will choose my friends with care.

    “I WILL SEEK WISDOM.”

    “God moves mountains to create the opportunity of His choosing. It is up to you to be ready to move yourself.”

    King Solomon

    3. The Active Decision

    I am courageous. I am a leader. I seize this moment. I choose now.

    “I AM A PERSON OF ACTION.”

    “My future is immediate. I will grasp it with both hands and carry it with running feet. When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act!”

    Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

    4. The Certain Decision

    I will not wait. I am passionate about my vision for the future. My course has been charted. My destiny is assured.

    “I HAVE A DECIDED HEART.”

    “Truth is truth. If a thousand people believe something foolish, it is still foolish! Truth is never dependent upon consensus of opinion. I have found that is better to be alone and acting upon the truth in my heart than to follow a gaggle of silly geese doomed to mediocrity.”

    Christopher Columbus

    5. The Joyful Decision

    I will greet each day with laughter. I will smile at every person I meet. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.

    “TODAY I WILL CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY.”

    “Our very lives are fashioned by our choices. First we make choices. Then our choices make us.”

    Anne Frank

    6. The Compassionate Decision

    I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness. I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly. I will forgive myself.

    “I WILL GREET THIS DAY WITH A FORGIVING SPIRIT.”

    “Forgiveness is a secret that is hidden in plain sight. It costs nothing and is worth millions. It is available to everyone and used by few. If you harness the power of forgiveness, you will be sought after and regarded highly. And not coincidentally, you will also be forgiven by others!”

    Abraham Lincoln

    7. The Persistent Decision

    I will continue despite exhaustion. I focus on results. I am a person of great faith.

    “I WILL PERSIST WITHOUT EXCEPTION.”

    “Great leaders – great achievers – are rarely realistic by other people’s standards. Somehow, these successful people, often considered strange, pick their way through life ignoring or not hearing negative expectations and emotions. Consequently, they accomplish one great thing after another, never having heard that something cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing!”

    Archangel Gabriel

    The experience David has on his travels helped him to connect with and understand these decisions. The same thing happened to me as I read the book.

    I realized that I had the power of choice. I could make decisions.

    Decisions are something that we too often reject or ignore. We let other people or situations make decisions for us. Then we find ourselves stuck in a rut, thinking there’s no way out.

    It doesn’t have to be this way. We have the power of choice. We can make the decisions if we choose to make them. But we have to make them. This is where success starts. The question is…are you going to make them?

    Wise Ones Still Seek Him

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    Are You Going to be Wise?

    Epiphany is an “aha” moment. A sudden revelation. When you become aware of something important. The appearance or manifestation of something.

    Christians celebrate Epiphany on January 6, twelve days after Christmas. Many countries refer to it as “Three Kings Day”. On this day, Western Christianity recognizes Christ’s manifestation to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were represented when the Magi visited Jesus. It showed how God’s gift of the Good News is for everyone. Epiphany celebrates God revealing himself to the world

    Because the church celebrates Epiphany on the first Sunday in January, this past Sunday was Epiphany. Pastor Lisa pointed out that –

    The song We Three Kings is a fitting message for Epiphany.

    We three kings of Orient are
    Bearing gifts we traverse afar
    Field and fountain, moor and mountain
    Following yonder star

    The men in the song weren’t really kings, they were Wise Men or Magi. They were astronomers or stargazers. This is told to us in Matthew 2:1-12 where they follow a star to go visit Jesus as a child.

    After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (verses 1-2)

    These wise men had been looking for the fulfillment of prophesies for generations. They were paying attention and ready.

    When God sent them the star they acted and went to find and follow Jesus.

    O Star of wonder, star of night
    Star with royal beauty bright
    Westward leading, still proceeding
    Guide us to thy Perfect Light

    The Magi brought gifts to Jesus that showed that they had been paying attention and knew who He was. They gave Him gold. Gold was a gift given to kings.

    Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
    Gold I bring to crown Him again
    King forever, ceasing never
    Over us all to reign

    They gave Him frankincense. This represents divinity. Frankincense is a fragrant resin that was poured out in worship. It was something given to gods. They knew who Jesus was.

    Frankincense to offer have I
    Incense owns a Deity nigh
    Prayer and praising, all men raising
    Worship Him, God most high

    They gave Him myrrh. Myrrh was used for embalming. These wise men knew what was coming.

    Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
    Breathes of life of gathering gloom
    Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
    Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

    The wise men paid attention. God spoke to them through dreams and a star. God told them to not tell Herod and to go home a different way.

    God told them what to do and they listened. Then they acted.

    The last verse of the song tells the story going forward.

    Glorious now behold Him arise
    King and God and Sacrifice
    Alleluia, Alleluia
    Earth to heav’n replies

    We need to be like the wise men. We need to read Scripture. We need to seek Jesus. We need to discern and obey God. We need to act.

    At the end of Matthew, Jesus tells us what we’re supposed to do.

    “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

    The wise men were seeking Jesus. They found Him and shared that with others. They wouldn’t have found Him if they hadn’t acted on what they knew.

    We need to be wise and do the same thing.

    The Next Step in Building Your Business

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    Going Forward from Core Values

    Building a business is like building a construction project. You need to know what you want the end product to be. You need to know what you have to work with. You need to have a plan for building and then build accordingly.

    Who you are is like the ground you build on.

    Just like building on sand is different than building on clay. You need to know who you are and then build the business so that you will be able to support it. Your why is the thing that supports everything else. This is who you were made to be.

    Previous posts about this –

    Next comes the foundation. This is your core values. The things that you choose based on what you believe. These can be different for different people.

    Just like foundations can be different depending on what they’re built on, there are some things that are required regardless of what the ground is like. The foundation is more flexible than the ground it’s built on. It can be modified and improved.

    It’s important to be clear on your core values.

    Previous post about this –

    Now that you have a solid foundation built on solid ground you can start framing.

    This part is where it’s really important to have a plan. There are a lot of different styles of building, and you need to have clarity.

    I know that when I started my construction business, I thought I knew what I was doing. Then after several years of struggling, I decided that what I was doing wasn’t working. I concluded that this mess was just how construction and my life were going to be.

    I was aware of the problems but didn’t know what to do.

    Then I had an “aha” moment. It involved being smacked upside the head.

    In December of 2012, I was literally hit in the head with a board. It was a pretty big one too (a 14’ long 2×12 plank).

    We were installing wafer board boxing to the second-floor wall of an addition. I was standing on the plank approximately 8’ above the ground when it broke. Luckily, I don’t remember any of the ordeal from the time I was measuring until I woke up in the hospital three days later. Based on what I was told, I fell, I hit my head on one of the ladders, then on the concrete slab, and then the board hit me in the head.

    It sure is good that I have a hard head. Seriously, I was fortunate that I came away from this accident with only a concussion.

    The reason I’m telling you this is that while I was recovering I read The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. I really connected with this story and where I was.

    Forty-six-year-old David Ponder feels like a total failure. Once a high-flying executive in a Fortune 500 company, he now works a part-time, minimum wage job and struggles to support his family. Then, an even greater crisis hits: his daughter becomes ill, and he can’t afford to get her the medical help she needs.

     When his car skids on an icy road, he wonders if he even cares to survive the crash.

    But an extraordinary experience awaits David Ponder. He finds himself traveling back in time, meeting leaders and heroes at crucial moments in their lives—from Abraham Lincoln to Anne Frank. By the time his journey is over, he has received seven secrets for success—and a second chance. The Traveler’s Gift offers a modern-day parable of one man’s choices—and the attitudes that make the difference between failure and success.

    After reading this book I realized that if things were going to change, I would have to do something. I was the one who had control. I had the power of choice.

    Next week we’ll look at the Seven Decisions presented to David Ponder and how I incorporated them in my life.

    You can incorporate them in your life too.

    A New Year, A Clean Slate

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    Why Did the Turkey Cross the Road?

    It’s just a few days until the beginning of a new year. This start represents an opportunity for new possibilities. The thought of this can be exciting. The chance to do better…to be better. This is what encourages us to make ‘New Year’s Resolutions’.

    The process of making resolutions but failing at them over and over makes us hesitant though. Most of the time people give up on resolutions after a few weeks. Only about 8% of people that make resolutions will stick to them.

    Most resolutions are good, and if kept, would make us better.

    The possibilities are exciting, we want to be better. Most resolutions are admirable, so why don’t we keep them?

    I think most of the time it is the lack of a clear plan.

    It reminds me of some wild turkeys that were crossing the road near my home. There were fifteen or twenty birds going across as I approached them in my truck. Some continued on across, some turned and went back, but one couldn’t decide which way to go.

    It ran back and forth going in circles in the middle of the road. This indecision and lack of clarity put this bird at risk of failure…and in this case, failure could have been really bad.

    Good thing I was driving slowly.

    If we don’t want to be like that turkey we need a clear plan. We need to know where we want to go. Then take the necessary actions to get there.

    The first thing to do is determine WHY. WHY do we want to accomplish this thing? The WHY will be the motivating factor. The WHY gives us the reason to move.

    WHY do I want to cross the road?

    Next, we need to know HOW. HOW gives us the map to get from here to there. The HOW gives us a direction to go.

    Now I know HOW best to cross the road.

    But, this is where things begin to get tougher. There are a lot of different systems that you can use for this. The problem is that what works for one person may not work for another.

    I’ve used several different things over the years. The conclusion I have come to is this. It matters less what the system is and more about whether you use it or not.

    You have to move, otherwise you’ll be left standing in the middle of the road.

    As I’m thinking forward to the new year, I will be working on a plan for 2025. Each year, I modify and tweak my systems so that they work better. I schedule time between Christmas and New Year’s Day for working on my ‘Life Plan’.

    It starts with scheduling it on my calendar. It’s critical to being intentional.

    I will look back at what worked and what didn’t throughout the past year. I will look to the future to see where we want to go. Most importantly, I will plan to take action. And I will have a way to measure progress, so I can see how we’re doing.

    Resolutions are only as good as our actions. Like Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, we have to decide to be different if we’re going to be different.

    Don’t be a turkey. Make a plan before you start crossing the road and stick with it. Don’t stop in the middle of the road. You can continue to improve on the plan every day if you keep moving.

    Make a plan and get out of the middle of the road!

    Sometimes, the best plan includes seeking guidance from someone with 40 years of experience in refining and implementing business systems. One of the most impactful systems for construction businesses is a well-designed proposal system.

    To help one lucky construction company break free from the chaos, we’re giving away a free, customized construction proposal system!

    Win a free construction proposal banner and start the new year off right

    Here’s what you’ll win:

    • 4 training sessions to make setup simple
    • 3 follow-ups to perfect your proposals
    • Templates and documents to save you time

    If you, or someone you know, would benefit from having a proposal system, don’t miss this chance!

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    Make Room for Healing and Joy

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    Don’t Hold on to Things You Shouldn’t

    We’ve all found ourselves in unpleasant situations. Places where we feel trapped. Sometimes it’s because of things we’ve done. Sometimes we’re there due to no fault of our own.

    The Israelites found themselves in bad situations repeatedly. They would go through times when they would be captives of other countries. Most of the time this was because they would be doing things they shouldn’t.

    There was a lot of guilt and judgement.

    God would give them chances to change. These opportunities would come to them through prophets of God.

    One of these messages of hope came in Isaiah 6:1-7. Isaiah received a message from God and he felt doomed because he was a sinful man. A Seraphim that was attending to God touched Isaiah’s lips with a burning coal and said, “This coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.

    The year of Jubilee was a time for the Israelites to dedicate a year of rest to God, acknowledging that God would provide for their needs.

    The Year of Jubilee, which came every 50th year, was full of releasing people from their debts, releasing all slaves, and returning property to those who owned it. During this time, the Israelites were not supposed to reap or harvest; it was a time for people to return to their families and loved ones.

    The Year of Jubilee was a time of Restoration.

    So, after seven years of Sabbaths, we reach the 50th year. A year dedicated to rest, the restoration of property, and freeing people from debts, servitude, and slavery.

    Because everyone was released from their debts and slavery, everyone got to rest and could start the next year with a clean slate. 

    It’s important to note that God owns everything. Anything He’s given to us, such as resources, crops, etc., belongs to him. Therefore, the Israelites would dedicate this year of rest to him, acknowledging that God would provide for their needs.

    The Israelites went into captivity because they didn’t observe these resting years (Leviticus 26). Because they didn’t trust that God would provide and dedicate time to resting, they reaped the consequences.

    God also instituted the Year of Jubilee as a foreshadowing for his future work on the cross. Jesus relieves us of all spiritual debts and our slavery to sin by His death and Resurrection.

    In Matthew 1:18-25, Joseph learned of the coming of Jesus when an Angel came to him in a dream. He was told what would happen and what he was supposed to do. And he did it.

    Our ultimate forgiveness is through Jesus. But we have to accept this gift.

    Jubilee was a release from the past. A restoring. It brought hope for the future.

    The Israelites held on to things and wouldn’t let them go. They neglected to take advantage of Jubilee, and they suffered unnecessarily because of this.

    Too often we do the same thing. We’ve been hurt by someone, and we don’t let go. Then we’re the ones who suffer. We tend to hold on to things as a way of protecting ourselves. Even when we’ve let go of something, it has a way of creeping back.

    We have the power of choice. We can forgive. We can release the past. This makes room for healing and joy.

    Jesus is our Jubilee.

    Core Values are Where Success Begins

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    Without Them You Just Wander

    The past several weeks we’ve been digging down in the dirt and discussing who you are. Who you are is the ground that your business is built on. That ground is what supports the foundation of your business. The foundation is your core values and principles.

    Last week I shared the list of my core values with you. They are a collection of things that I’m naturally good at and some things…not as much. I’m constantly working on the things on this list to get better at them.

    Here’s a brief definition of what these core values mean to me.

    Honor God in all that I do

    Because I believe that everything that I have or do, belongs to and comes from God, it is only right that I show my appreciation by giving Him the credit for everything. This is the one core value that all the others are supported by.

    Make all I can, Save all I can, Give all I can

    Often churches and religions preach that making money is wrong. I have struggled with this for years. Not making a profit is a sure way to lose a business. I think this quote from John Wesley is good advice and fits well with God’s word, “Money is not evil. What we do with it and how we handle it needs to align with God’s purpose.”

    Spend time wisely, there is a limited amount

    Time is similar to money, if it is viewed from the perspective of a zero-based budget. There is a limited amount of time each day. This means there is a limited number of things that we can spend time on each day. We choose where and how we will spend it. It is up to us to know what the most important things are and focus on them first.

    Pay attention to detail

    Details matter. Paying attention to details is the best way to circumvent problems. I remember a time early in my construction career when I was working for another contractor. He kept pushing me to go faster, which meant cutting some corners. It ended up that not paying attention to the details cost both of us time and money when we had to go back and redo the work.

    Never be satisfied with mediocrity

    Mediocrity is the minimum requirement to be average. God has called us to be above average. He has called us to excellence. Going above and beyond is where we set ourselves apart. It is where we accomplish the most. It is where we are working in our sweet spot. This is the place we were meant to be and the thing we were meant to do. Don’t be average.

    Find and maintain the balance in everything

    Balance is critical to living well. It is a constant lifelong quest. It affects all areas of life and is hard to maintain. I see balance as a large platform sitting 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 from the center) it starts to get heavier in 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 fall off. Keeping things from falling off the platform is all about weight and location. Our lives are like this platform. God set our platform balanced 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 from to put on our platform. The choices are endless. There is spiritual, family, work, friends, fun, community, etc. and each of these areas are full of an endless number of smaller 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 of our platform is our responsibility. Will we be perfect at it? No. Can we learn and get better at it? YES!

    To keep this post from getting too long, I’m splitting the list in two. Next week we’ll look at the last six of my core values.

    Reviewing these core values regularly is a part of my daily routine. This helps keep me aware of them and reminds me to include them in everything I do.

    If you don’t know what your core values are yet, go back to last week’s post and use the process for how to identify your business’s core values.

    Ready to take the next step in aligning your business with your core values? To help you build a stronger foundation for your construction business, we’re offering a free, customized proposal system giveaway.

    Here’s what you’ll win:

    • 4 training sessions to make setup simple
    • 3 follow-ups to perfect your proposals
    • Templates and documents to save you time

    If you or someone you know would benefit from having a proposal system…

    Enter Giveaway Here!

    A Story is a Good Way to Tell a Story

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    It Makes the Message More Real

    Stories are a way to relate to information in a more personal way. We can connect and feel stories. It taps into our emotions. It’s a way to make things more understandable.

    The Bible is a collection of stories. These were stories that people then could relate to. We can still relate to them today.

    Often we are so close to something that we can’t see the whole picture. We are stuck in our rut. Focused on our situation. We want what we want. Our narrow view is all we see.

    This was Isaiah’s perspective in Chapter 64 Verses 1-4. The people were tired and frustrated of being in exile. Isaiah wanted God to shake the world and come down as a warrior to free them. He closes with God acting on behalf of people who wait in Him. People were waiting on God throughout the Old Testament.

    We are impatient people. We want what we want, and we want it now.

    The answer to Isaiah’s plea wasn’t answered quickly. This answer didn’t come as Isaiah expected. It came in the form of a little baby…not a warrior. (Luke 1:26-38)

    Too often we are so busy that we forget to step back from the rat race and patiently wait on God’s timing. We feel that waiting is a waste of time.

    We need to be willing to wait on God.

    Maybe God is waiting on us to wait on Him.

    Many times, we hear something that is hard to believe. Like the story of Jesus, being born as a human, dying on the cross, and then coming back to life. From a worldly perspective this is a little hard to believe.

    Stories can help us step back and understand things that are hard to believe.

    A good example of such a story is one that Paul Harvey shared on his 1970’s radio show, “The Rest of the Story”. This was a Christmas story about a man and some birds.

    The Man and the Birds

    Author Unknown
    As told by Paul Harvey

    The man I’m going to tell you about was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family and upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn’t believe in all of that incarnation stuff that the churches proclaim at Christmas time. It just didn’t make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus story, about God coming to Earth as a man.

    He told his wife I’m truly sorry to distress you, but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve. He said he would feel like a hypocrite and that he would much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. So he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

    Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then he went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper.

    Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. Then another … and then another. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against the living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled outside miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and in a desperate search for shelter they had tried to fly through his large landscape window. That is what had been making the sound.

    Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures just lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter. All he would have to do is to direct the birds into the shelter.

    Quickly, he put on a coat and galoshes and he tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light so the birds would know the way in. But the birds did not come in.

    So, he figured that food would entice them. He hurried back to the house and fetched some bread crumbs. He sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail of bread crumbs to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs.

    The birds continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them but could not. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around and waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction … every direction except into the warm lighted barn.

    And that’s when he realized they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me. That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Any move he made tended to frighten them and confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

    He thought to himself, if only I could be a bird and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to the safe warm … to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see … and hear … and understand.

    At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind.

    He stood there listening to the bells, Adeste Fidelis, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas.

    And he sank to his knees in the snow …

    Stories make things more real.

    Anything is possible for God.

    Knowing Your Why is the Key to Unlocking Your Success

    by

    How Do You Know When You’ve Found It?

    The past couple of weeks we’ve been discussing the importance of building your business on a solid foundation and what this looks like. Last week, we explored how your why is what the foundation sits on and ways to find your why.

    Your “why” is who you were made to be. It is your purpose.

    Four questions that can help you find your why are –

    1. What makes you come alive?
    2. What are your innate strengths?
    3. Where do you add the greatest value?
    4. How will you measure your life?

    In addition to these questions, I think a good way to determine if you have found your God given purpose is answering this question:

    If you could do anything you wanted to…what would it be?

    Time and money are not a restriction. You have all you need of both. You have the freedom to do anything you want. What would it be?

    Let your mind go. Dream big. The sky is the limit. Don’t hold back. What is the one thing that would make you the happiest? The one thing that you would get the most enjoyment out of doing.

    I think finding and living in this sweet spot is when you know you’ve found your why. When your vocation feels more like fun than work…you’ll know you’re where God intends for you to be.

    I love helping people find solutions for building their dreams. Helping construction companies build better businesses. This is done with systems and training to achieve the success that they’re searching for. Helping construction customers build their dream project through construction and navigating the overwhelming process.

    I love what I do so much that I would rather do this than anything else.

    Another way to know you’ve found your “why” is when you’re working all the time. This is something that I used to struggle with. Often a workaholic is just someone who has found their why.

    This is taking your why too far.

    Earlier I told you to pretend time and money were not a restriction. Well, they are. This is why people who are doing what they love and doing it all the time need to put up some barriers.

    I used to work late into the night and get up and do it again the next day. Day after day. The problem was that my family did not get the attention they should have.

    That’s when I took some intentional action and scheduled family Sunday as a day of rest. Siblings, nieces, and nephews get together for lunch after church at Mom’s. Sunday evening is scheduled for family movie time. Friday is a scheduled lunch date with my wife.

    Not only is time a restriction, but so is money. But, probably not in the way you would first expect. My money struggle is…I would do what I do for free. The problem is this isn’t a very good business plan. I’m continually reminding myself that I need revenue to pay the bills.

    When you love what you do this much, you’ll know you’ve found your why. Loving what you do is the ground that your business is built on.

    This is where your success will begin. Finding your why is the key to unlocking your success.