“What is the one thing you are trying to do or accomplish with your limited time on this earth?”
If you sat down with a close friend or mentor and they asked you that question, what would your answer be? Would you have one? When you wake up in the morning, even though there are a myriad of often-mundane and seemingly unrelated-but-necessary tasks and appointments you have to manage, is there one overarching goal that you have your life pointing toward?
Big questions, I know. At the risk of putting my life’s ambition out there for the world to see, I will go first. What is the one thing Tim Fritson is shooting for in life?
To faithfully study, exegete, and pReach every verse of the Bible within the context of the local church.
I have a spreadsheet on my computer that helps me track my progress. Suffice it to say that I am not all that close at the moment. The good news is that I am closer today than I was last week at this time. I will be chipping away in that fashion for the rest of my life.
Back in December, I wrote a post about the 10 most influential books in my life over the last decade. If you are interested, you can jump back and read that one here.
One of the books mentioned in that post is What’s Best Next by Matt Perman. It is essentially a book about productivity. Before you dip out on me, give me a minute or two to explain why that had such an impact on me (beyond the fact that I genuinely do love me some efficiency in life).
What I found most interesting was the book’s push toward helping readers identify why they are doing the things they are doing rather than simply trying to help them do more of whatever they are doing.
To that end, Perman takes readers through a process of identifying and crafting one big life goal. It sounds simple and obvious, but after identifying said goal, the questions become, “Am I doing the things that move me toward the accomplishment of that goal? Am I saying yes in life to things that move me toward or away from that goal? ” If the answers are “no,” or “away,” then doing more of those things is not the most helpful, even if you are really efficient at knocking them out.
Surrounding that life goal, Perman also helps you work through a process of articulating a foundational core belief, a core purpose, and a handful of core principles that guide how you want to live. The full process may not be everyone’s cup of tea (or coffee), but I worked through it and have found it to be extremely beneficial. In fact, reading my document (which only takes a couple minutes) is something I do every Monday morning as I plan out my week.
If you are interested, I have included the rest of my “Life Mission Statement” (Perman’s name, not mine) down below. Some disclaimers/clarifying statements:
Your core belief states what you believe about the foundation of your identity and the ultimate direction of your life.
Your core purpose states why it is that you believe you exist.
Your life goal is something so big that it governs and overrides everything else in your life. It is something that is almost overwhelming in its scope and will likely take the entirety of your life to fully accomplish.
Your core principles answer the question: “What principles or practices are going to guide how I conduct myself on a daily basis?” I have 25 of them. I tend to focus on one or two for a month at a time as life ebbs and flows. At different times, I need intentional reminders about different aspects of life and conduct.
One final comment: The book (and my document) is decidedly and unapologetically Christian. That is central and controlling reality in my life. You may not be a person of faith, but the process does not hinge on belief in Jesus. Any person can engage in creation of these four things and find it immensely valuable.
