DAY 34: "Looking Outside My Playground"

ENGAGING THOUGHT

When was the last time you read a good biography?  You remember what those are, right?  Books about another person's life?  I know, maybe you've been out of school for a while and you gladly left the whole "required-reading" thing in the distant past.  I'd highly recommend you change your viewpoint on this score!  I love reading biographies.  I love learning about the obstacles, challenges, and solutions that others have experienced in their lives.  I especially love grabbing a biography from the library about someone I have never heard of or have little awareness of.  In fact, those are usually the ones I learn from the most: those outside my normal "playground."

You know the old adage, "Familiarity breeds contempt."  Basically, it's the truth that we tend to, at the very least, take for granted those we are most familiar with, and even may develop a contempt for them and their "style."  We do this with those we share life with, those we work with, those in our neighborhoods, even.  The people closest to us are sometimes the hardest to learn from because we may have long-since stopped looking for anything new or fresh from them.  This is another good reason for taking a look outside our usual "playground" and seeing what we can learn from those we may never have noticed before.

While we are in this recruiting phase of the 60 Days of Dreaming challenge it can be very helpful to take a look at who we can learn from that might be far outside our normal purview.  It may sound odd to think of long-gone leaders or celebrities or inventors as part of our team but why not include them?  Maybe there are those, still alive, who you can learn from and emulate to some degree - even if they have no clue you are doing so.  Inspiration and example can be discovered and learned from no matter what the source or distance so don't be afraid to recruit as many silent team-members as you want. 

ACTION STEP

Today's ACTION STEP might seem somewhat random, however, it can yield fruitful results.

Take some time to look up (web search or books) some individuals that you may have always wondered about or been inspired by.  Ask yourself what this person might do if they were the ones pursuing your specific DREAM.  Consider how they might approach it - can you learn from them just by imagining their approach?

IDEA Go to your local library and check out a couple random biographies. Don't feel like you must thoroughly read them, just familiarize yourself with the major points of the person's life.

Tomorrow we'll begin the next phase of the challenge with a slight pause before we jump over the edge!  

DAY 33: "Who Is Around to Help?"

ENGAGING THOUGHT

Have you ever noticed that whenever there's hard work to be done around the house - that everyone else has mysteriously disappeared?  Sometimes I'm amazed that the same teenagers who earlier sounded like a herd of elephants in my house have developed the ability to sneak silently off to undiscoverable locations the moment it seems there may be work to do.   

We each have a daunting task ahead of us in our DREAM-pursuit.  Thankfully, however, we aren't alone in the journey.  God has placed us in community with others: we've identified our stakeholders, recruited our team, and enlisted a coach - we're set and ready to get to work.  Okay, not quite ready.  There are still a couple more spots to look while we're in the recruitment phase of the DREAM and today it's time to consider the community resources around you.

You might be surprised at how many people there are near you that might not only be willing to help you - but actually derive a high degree of satisfaction from helping you.  The Kaufman Foundation did a survey early in 2012 of American workers asking the question, "What's important to you in a great job or creative project?"  The results illustrate for us the willingness so many have to be part of something exciting or, at least, larger than themselves.

Learning New Skills                   81.4%
Collaborating with Great People   80.4%
Making Cool Stuff                     77.6%
Receiving Recognition/Praise       48.1%
Making Lots of Money               28.6%

Not even a third of the respondents were motivated by monetary gain and less than half were even interested in recognition for their efforts.  Take a look at the top two: personal growth and collaboration significantly beat all the others.  This illustrates to me that there are many people out there who would very likely be excited to join in your DREAM-pursuit if it challenged them and they felt like they were part of a dynamic team.  

You can find community resources in all sorts of places: libraries, newspapers, bulletin boards.  Community Centers or YMCAs often have listings of groups that meet around the community.  Some are hobby or interest-based clubs, others are businesses trying to make connections with potential customers, some are branches of government agencies serving the community-at-large.  One of your best sources of knowledgeable help are retirees who spent portions of their career in fields related to your DREAM - they can not only be a tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience, but they usually are more than happy to share with others.  Don't be afraid to ask - the worst they can do is decline your request. 

Here's a really way-out-there thought: what if God has placed people around you whose fulfillment of His DREAM for their lives dovetails perfectly with you pursuing yours? 

ACTION STEP

For today's ACTION STEP the goal is to identify if there are any organizations or individuals in your local community or nearby region that can help you as you pursue the DREAM.

Surf the web or do a search for local clubs or government agencies that may be related to elements of your DREAM.  Grab the phone book (if you still have one of those antiques!) and search there.  Go to the library and check out the Bulletin Board or peruse the Classified Ads in the local newspaper - you might be surprised what all is in your community that you never noticed before.

Write down the contact information or the meeting times and set up a time to meet someone or attend their club-meeting.

If you struggle finding something nearby then look in a larger area or nearby major city.

Tomorrow we'll climb the fence and look beyond our familiar surroundings to see if we can learn from those outside our "box."  

DAY 32: "The Stuff DREAMS Are Made Of"

ENGAGING THOUGHT

So, let's say you stumble upon a dusty old lamp in the attic, clean it off, and the genie pops out offering you anything you need to pursue and fulfill God's DREAM for your life.  What do you ask for?  Have you given much thought yet to the stuff you'll need in your DREAM-pursuit?  I'm not talking about the time or the support of others; we're past talking about the schedule or the physical space - now we need to take a look at the stuff - the specific items - we'll need. 

Maybe God's DREAM for you has an artistic or creative aspect to it.  Fine.  Then what materials or mediums will you need?  What kind of equipment?  Perhaps the unique DREAM for you requires an educational or retraining aspect to it?  Okay, so..will your computer be adequate?  What about books?  Videos?  Maybe God's DREAM for your life requires a water-buffalo.  Excellent. 

This might be a revolutionary thought to some: God has already committed everything you'll need in the pursuit of His DREAM for your life.  There's an old cliche in church-circles that says, "Where God guides, He provides."  Think of it in this silly way: if you asked a bunch of friends to come to your house and help you paint it - would you tell them to bring the paint?  Would you expect them to go to the hardware store and plunk down their own hard-earned cash to purchase the supplies for painting your house?  Would you tell them to bring their own lunch with them?  Get my point?  It's one thing if you're pursuing your dream for your life - then you're on your own to come up with the stuff you'll need.  However, if you've resolved to pursue and fulfill God's DREAM, then you can be sure that He will provide whatever you need to make it happen.

I've noticed a few myths when it comes to God's provision in our lives - let's deal with them quickly (I've thrown in some annoying cliches, too).
Myth 1) Inaction: Just because He provides doesn't mean we won't have to work for it.  "God may feed the birds of the field, but He doesn't drop it in their nest."
Myth 2) Timing: He is under no compunction to lay out everything you will need, up front, before you take your first steps forward.  He'll provide for you along the way. "God is never late in paying His bills - though He's rarely ever early, either!"
Myth 3) Mistrust: The resources He entrusts to us are for us to use - not for us to hoard - perhaps not even for us to preserve.  He is faithful to replenish as we use them.  "Disuse is just as much abuse as overuse."
Myth 4) Prima-Donna: God provides what we need, not necessarily what we want.  Think of the stuff He provides as tools for the job, not artifacts for the museum.  "Keep your wants from crowding your needs and you'll find the Lord keeps your needs out of your wants." 

One of the values of having a written plan and an idea of the things you'll need is that you can see when you might need different things in your DREAM-pursuit.  This helps in a couple different ways:  first, it helps you avoid the paralysis of thinking you need certain things before you need them.  Example: If God's DREAM for you is to fly yaks in and out of Mongolian villages - but you haven't started flying-lessons yet, then your written plan helps you realize that you don't need a four-engine cargo-plane quite yet.  You don't have to wait until you have the plane before pursing the DREAM.  The lack of the plane isn't stopping you from moving forward in the pursuit.  Secondly, your written plan helps you have an idea of the things you'll need so you can keep an eye out as they cross your path.  Example: When you spot that four-engine cargo plane at the neighbor's garage sale for $30, you know it'll be a good purchase and that you'll need it soon.

ACTION STEP

Take out your written plan and start making a list of the items you will need relating to each step along the way. 

Be sure to give it some in-depth thought and think ideally what you might need.  Don't limit your list to the things you already have or can procure easily - I'm going to repeat what I've said before: this is God's DREAM for your life.  He has long been committed to seeing it fulfilled, the stuff has already been ordained for you and will be available when you need it.  

It might be helpful for you to highlight the things that you do not yet have so you can be praying for and keeping your eye out for these things.

Tomorrow we'll look around our community and see who or what might already be in place to help us as we pursue the DREAM.  

DAY 31: "Where Will I Do This?"

ENGAGING THOUGHT

A couple years ago I had a major "A-ha!" moment: I realized that every time I was about to embark on a large project or begin researching or studying for a major sermon series I would first clean out and rearrange my office.  I'm not kidding - I would even sometimes repaint it a different color or redecorate it with a completely different style.  I never gave much thought to why I felt compelled to do it right at the beginning of a new project - which is silly because I have long known of the power of surroundings.  What do I mean?

Our physical surroundings have a huge impact upon how we approach any task - especially anything creative or new to us.  Artists that are embarking on a new direction will often seek different surroundings to prevent from being influenced by their usual views; authors will travel to somewhere - anywhere - different so as to give themselves that fresh perspective.  It's difficult for us to embark on a new direction in the same atmosphere - we need change.

As you begin the pursuit of God's DREAM for your life you need to give thought to the physical space you will do it in.  Do you need a space for studying?  Do you need a creative space?  Will you need an area for practicing something?  Obviously, the type of space you need will depend on what you are doing - but don't underestimate the importance of having that space which you can identify as your DREAM-pursuit space.  It may not need to be large or spacious.  It may not be exclusively yours.  It might even be space that you already use for something very similar.  The key is that you claim it as your space for working on the DREAM.

Perhaps you already have the space, but just need a change to the surroundings (that's why I unconsciously rearranged or repainted my existing office).  I find it much easier to imagine and create something different than the norm when the surroundings have changed.  It's almost like I get stuck in the usual thinking-patterns when nothing changes around me - so I change my surroundings to inspire a new perspective!

Give it a try!

ACTION STEP

For Today's ACTION STEP you get to roll up our sleeves and start creating the space in which you will pursue the DREAM.  Do whatever you need to do that will feel as if you've accomplished something significant in creating or altering the space.
 

Tomorrow we start amassing the arsenal.  

DAY 30: "When Will I Do This?"

ENGAGING THOUGHT

If you're anything like me then the thought of adding something to your weekly or daily schedule sounds like a slim-to-nothing chance.  There are some weeks when I would consider sacrificing my left-foot if it could buy me a few extra hours.  The truth, however, is that unless we do add the pursuit of God's DREAM for our lives to our regular schedule then we probably will never get a round to doing it at all.  There's always something else clamoring for our time.

I'm not a naturally organized person - I've had to learn to organize my schedule and time more out of survival than inclination.  I'm a creative, artistic personality-type so I tend to prefer cluttery surroundings and fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants schedules - but to be honest, that has gotten me into trouble more times than I care to recollect, not to mention the times it has frustrated others who are depending upon me.  I've had to learn (painfully) the necessity of organizing my time and attentions, and (I hate to admit it) it has made a world of difference for my ability to accomplish tasks regularly.

We are creatures of habit and, regardless of our personality, thrive better when we approach any task or pursuit with regular, consistent efforts.  That means we need to be the masters of our schedule; owners of our time.  If we're serious about pursuing and living God's DREAM for our lives then we need to give it regular attention and effort - and that means regularly scheduled time.  I know, that doesn't sound very romantic (unless you've got one of those Type-A, regimented personalities, in which case you're probably already salivating and can't wait to grab your weekly calendar and start scheduling!).

The specific times that you schedule for your DREAM will depend greatly on the nature and requirements of your unique DREAM, as well as where in the process you are.  If you're in a season requiring more study or practice or skill-development then you'll want to take into account when you are in a better mind-set for mental focus - perhaps earlier morning, for example; if you need silence or solitude then you'll need to consider the schedules of those you live with and when you are more likely to avoid interruption.  Don't underestimate the impact the schedules of others can have on you.  Maybe others in your household who are also on a DREAM-pursuit can arrange for common times when you're all focusing on your tasks.

There will likely be phases or stages of your DREAM-pursuit when you will need one "kind" of time and then other seasons when you need something entirely different.  Obviously that's fine - you are the master of your time, after all.  You might even find it helpful to create your schedule one month at a time, maybe longer, maybe shorter.  There is no magic formula - only that you intentionally create that time in your schedule. 

You'll most likely have to be brutal with cutting some other things in your schedule from time-to-time.  Those "things" will probably kick and scream to not get axed, forcing you to make some significant priority decisions.  The most important thing to remember is this: it is the nature of God's DREAM for your life to NOT clamor for attention and demand that you focus on it right now; there will always be things that are more urgent - but are they as important?  Remember our discussion of "practice makes permanent" from Day 14?  Do you want to get in the habit of putting off the pursuit of God's DREAM or would you rather develop the positive habit of making time for it?

ACTION STEP

Today's ACTION STEP is very similar to the Calendar Crunching from Day 20, but instead of the long-term dates for our DREAM-pursuit you need to decide when you will work on the DREAM in your weekly or day-to-day life.

Take a look at your weekly schedule and decide when you will give regular, intentional time to work on the various tasks or study or whatever is involved in your DREAM-pursuit.  Be realistic, if you're starting from scratch you probably won't be able to carve out 3 hours a day or 20 hours a week.  Two or three hours each week may be a lot - and will likely be plenty if it's good, quality, focused time.  There will be weeks that you will struggle to fit in much time at all and there will be weeks when you can do extra - that's life.

TIP: Post your schedule in a prominent spot so that others can see that you have prioritized this time for your DREAM-pursuit - the extra accountability will help you stick to it and they will know when they can stay out of your way.

If you aren't the type of person to have a written weekly schedule or plan this may be a bit more difficult (or maybe it's time for you to start one!). 

Tomorrow we take a look at the power of surroundings.

DAY 29: "Who's On My Team?"

ENGAGING THOUGHT

So, at the risk of dredging up painful childhood memories, what were your playground experiences like?  When it was time to line up along the wall or fence and choose teams for whatever the popular game was at your school - were you picked right away...or dead-last?  Team-captains on the playground know what the winning strategy is: pick the strongest, fastest kids first.  Sorry if that wasn't you.

Thankfully, in real life, success doesn't come down to who is the biggest or fastest - but it still matters who you have on your team.  We've already established that you'll never fulfill God's DREAM for your life if you go it alone, so it stands to reason that you carefully consider who is on your DREAM-team.

You have thought about that, right?  Well, if not, then now is the time - but this time you are the team-captain and you get to decide who will join you in the pursuit.  This time, however, you aren't looking for the ones who can throw the ball harder or more accurately, rather, it's the ones whose strengths will help you in your DREAM-pursuit.  Imagine your DREAM-team similar to an athletic team: there are various roles and positions, each with their unique contribution to the overall success.  You don't need a team full of quarterbacks, and a team populated with cheerleaders might be encouraging - but it will it be effective?

This is your chance to unashamedly pick the people you think will help you "win."  Your DREAM-team is a very different group than your stakeholders (though, obviously, if someone is on your DREAM-team they are definitely stakeholders!).   Your DREAM-team is by-invitation-only and you don't need to feel bad that not everyone will make that team.  So, what if they don't want to join your DREAM-team?  Then they don't.  It IS that simple.  You'll find, however, that if you consider the people carefully and communicate effectively that most of the people you try to recruit will be excited to join.

Now, start assembling your DREAM-team!

ACTION STEP

Today's ACTION STEP is all about picking our team-members.  Approach this task from two sides:
1) Who will be on your team?  Consider the people who are obvious choices (immediate family, closest friends, etc.).
2) What roles do you need on your team?  Don't limit yourself to people you already know or you run the risk of missing a key role on your team.  Don't panic if you cannot identify a person who could fill a specific role - remember, this is God's DREAM for your life, He will bring the right people along at the right time if you keep looking for them.

Make a list and a strategy for recruiting your DREAM-team (keep in mind the ACTION STEPS from the last several days). 

Tomorrow we'll grab the carving knife and start making time in our daily and weekly life for the pursuit. 

DAY 28: "Who Can Coach Me?"

ENGAGING THOUGHT

I don't really enjoy watching sports.  I'm not a sports-hater, just not a huge fan of spectating.  I love to see people excel at their passions and celebrating their dedication - athletes included.  What I find most entertaining, however, when it comes to sports is watching the fans - especially when they disagree with the coaches.  I find it highly entertaining to watch the arm-chair "coaches" who, from the comfort and anonymity of their living-roooms, clearly know far more about the game in general and the specifics down on the field or court than the guys who are paid, oh, say...MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO COACH!!! 

Perhaps, though, it stems from a misunderstanding of what coaches actually do.  I think there's a misconception that coaches are supposed to be experts at whatever they are leading others in - or at least from the ranks of the best.  Nothing could be further from the...need.  Coaches do not need to be the best players or the most skilled, or even have the most experience.  It isn't about what the coach needs to be, it's really all about what the player needs.  The player needs a coach that can bring the best out of them and encourage them to stretch beyond themselves. 

We assume that every team needs a coach - but have you ever given thought to the role of coaches in your every-day life?  What about in the pursuit of God's DREAM for your life, what role could a coach play?  Clearly, a coach in this area cannot possibly be the best at living God's DREAM for your life, can they?  That's silly.  Maybe it's time for a reality-statement (sorry if this hurts, but that's what coaches do sometimes): you don't really need someone to encourage you to do your best - you've already been living your best (at least the best you actually want to strive for).  You need someone to push you past your current best and into more than you've ever done before.

You might be thinking, "Hey!  Wait a minute!  This isn't the best for me - I want God's DREAM.  That's why I read your silly blog every day and do your dumb ACTION STEPS.  This isn't my best!!"  The simple truth is this: for whatever reason you haven't pursued more than what you are living right now.  You may have a million different reasons or excuses or justifications - and that makes no difference at all.  The reality is still that you haven't pushed yourself past where you currently are.  That's where a good coach comes in.   

What makes a good coach?  Here's a sampling:
1) Coaches will never do the work for you - even if they know exactly what is needed and how to do it.  They aren't going to "play the game for you."
2) Coaches help you expose your excuses for what they are (lies with a skin of truth to make them taste better) and help you get past your legitimate challenges.
3) Coaches have the permission to be jerks when you need them to be.  They aren't there to make you feel good - they are there to push you beyond yourself.
4) Coaches are committed to your success - even if that means standing aside to let you flounder a bit.  I always tell those I am coaching that I will not let them drown, but I have no qualms about letting them suck down a lot of water!


In the end, it's the players in the game that win or lose.  Sure, from the sidelines the coaches can call good or bad plays - but even the best strategy relies on the players.  It is the player that decides to be coached (or not).  The "best" coach in the world is useless to the player who isn't looking to be pushed, challenged, or corrected.  The strength of your "game" is a direct result of the role of your coaches.

ACTION STEP

Consider who you will ask to be a coach for you in the pursuit of God's DREAM for your life.  Spend some time thinking through their strengths (and weaknesses) and if they will really be what you need them to be.  Remember: you aren't looking for someone who will just encourage you and make you feel good about your efforts - that is important, but will they have the boldness to ask you the tough questions and challenge you?

Don't rush through this step: you don't want to be in a position where you have to "fire" your coach halfway through and don't underestimate the importance of today's ACTION STEP!!!

 

Tomorrow we relive the playground nightmare...but this time, we're in charge!