“Goals are the desired outcomes, but you have to identify the input that will produce those results. You have to reverse engineer your life goals and turn them into daily habits.”- Mark Batterson
Mark Batterson concludes his Introduction to Do It for a Day as he asks you to pick a habit for the thirty-day challenge. Next, once you pick that habit, you need to ‘3M’ it. Thus, you need to make your chosen habit measurable, meaningful, and maintainable.
1. Make It Measurable. Once you determine how to measure your habit, you can manage it. However, once you set your goal, you must add timelines and deadlines. Because deadlines serve as lifelines. And measure what you want to see more of. To break records, you need to keep records!
2. Make It Meaningful. Pastor Batterson once ran the Chicago Marathon to celebrate a bold prayer he prayed on July 2, 2016. After suffering from asthma for forty years, Mark asked God to heal his lungs. Therefore, running the marathon was Mark’s way of proving to himself what was possible. So, his training plan made it measurable. But the miracle made it meaningful. You steward a miracle as you dream bigger, pray harder, and think longer.
3. Make It Maintainable. Dream big, but start small. Do it for a day. And when you do it two days in a row, you set off a domino chain reaction. Focus on inputs and let God take care of the outcomes. Also, every small win makes the next win a little easier. Then get up the next day and do it again!
Finally, Mark underscores, at the end of the day, your habits aren’t just about you. Instead, your habits focus on loving God and loving others. Ultimately, you accomplish this with the help as well as the glory of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Pastor Batterson exhorts:
“Consistency beats intensity seven days a week and twice on Sundays. Why? Daily habits pay dividends the rest of your life!”
Today’s question: What most helps you reverse engineer your life goals? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A sidewalk through the sea”
