I regularly get the privilege of welcoming new employees into our company. As part of our orientation and new hire training process, I go over our company history (three generations!) along with a deep dive of our company’s mission, vision, and core values statements.

In an effort to help you think through your own mission, vision, and values, I wanted to share these components with you. I do not expect anyone to take a look at our mission, vision, and core values and immediately decide to copy them because they are so good! However, I do think someone reading this may get some ideas for their own company statements.

Because I have already covered in previous posts the benefits to creating these statements of mission, vision, and core values, I will not review those here. Instead, I will simply communicate and explain these statements for our company.

Mission Statement

The Mike Patton Auto Family seeks to honor God by impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and community.

We believe that God owns this business and we are simply His stewards of it for a season. We want to make sure that all we do in and through the business honors Him. By the same token, we do not want to do anything that will dishonor Him.

We believe that we are here, and that this business exists, for the purpose of impacting people for eternity. We believe that this is our ultimate goal.

Vision Statement

Moving people.

This statement is short, but is full of meaning. First, it obviously references transportation, reflecting the automobile business we have chosen. But it goes much deeper than that.

We want to take employees, customers, and those in the community and we want to “move” them from their current position (or circumstances) to a better place. Regardless of where they are in life (financially, professionally, emotionally, etc.), we want to move them to an improved situation. Regardless of how they interact with us, we want them to be better off having done so.

If you are interested in following my process to create your own mission, vision, and core values, then check out my new ebook – Why Does Your Business Exist?

Now Available on Amazon!!!

Click Here For Ebook!

Core Values

Integrity
We do what is right even when no one is watching.

This core value comes first for a reason. Without integrity, we will not have the impact that we desire. We take this very seriously. We will extend grace when it comes to mistakes and errors, giving people a chance to grow and improve in their jobs. We are not as tolerant of violations in this area. We need to know we can trust our coworkers without question.

Excellence
We are constantly redefining our goals, expectations, boundaries, and potential.

Our team’s talents and performance vary from person to person. That is normal. We simply believe that regardless of your talent or performance today, you should want to be better tomorrow. We want teammates that are constantly striving to learn and grow, improving every day!

Employee Development
We strive to create an atmosphere that inspires and enables people to reach their full potential.

As a company, we want to meet our employees where they are as they strive for excellence. Our goal is to provide the resources and inspiration required to “move” them forward on their path. Sometimes this means they advance within our company and sometimes it means they move on to other opportunities. Either way, we want to help!

Spiritual Growth
We provide the opportunity for all to know God and make Him known.

No one who works in our company is required to believe what we believe. However, we make it clear early on that God is the owner of our company. Therefore, all that we do centers around Him. This includes many efforts to sow seeds of faith all around through various efforts. We will not force anyone to believe, but they will certainly have opportunities to hear.

Community Impact
We use our talents and treasures to make a difference in those who need it most.

We believe we are part of the community in which we work and therefore have the responsibility to give back to that community. Whether through benevolence or sponsorships, community service or fundraising, we are going to take the time and energy to give to those who need it.

Your Mission, Vision, And Core Values

Hopefully, you have found this helpful as an example of a good set of mission, vision, and core values statements. If you only gleaned one idea from this, I consider it worthwhile.

If you want to take this further and develop your company’s own set of mission, vision, and values statements, you should check out my ebook – Why Does Your Business Exist? A Christian Business Guide to Creating your Mission, Vision, and Values Statements.

It is now available on Amazon! I believe you will find this ebook to be a solid, step-by-step guide to help your team craft meaningful mission, vision, and values statements to use in guiding your company.

Is your company engaged in a strong mission, vision, and core values?

If not, are you ready to revisit this with your leadership?

Do you see the benefits from having a strong mission, vision, and core values?

Photo by ipopba/iStock

Continuous Learning

One topic that I talk about a lot in my posts is the idea of continuous learning. I am a strong believer in the need for leaders to always be learning in whatever ways are available. What I want to review today came from a session at the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast several years ago.

Clarity Card

It was during this event that I heard Andy describe the 3×5 index card that he has kept with him all of these years. He talked about how he had written three simple questions on this card back at the beginning of his efforts in starting North Point Community Church. Since then, he has referred back to this card many times over the years. Every time he moves or changes offices, this card goes with him.

He talked about how this card has continuously given him clarity when he needed it as he has faced increased complexity due to the growth of his ministry. As he talked about this card and the three questions, I knew I had to share them here.

Work To Be Done

I will go ahead and tell you that I can already see holes in my leadership and in our organization as a result of these three questions. If I am successful in implementing these questions for the purpose of clarity in my leadership, it will take me years. At the same time, they are so simple that I can start immediately!

Enough introduction…let’s get started! I hope you find these questions to be as useful as I have.

Question #1

What are we doing?

As simple as this question is, when applied to your organization, it can be powerful in bringing clarity amid complexity. So often, we get so busy dealing with the alligators, we forget that we came to drain the swamp.

Apple Computers

Andy gave a great example of this question being applied in a business setting. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple, the company was not doing well. Supposedly, there were 30+ different versions of the Macintosh computer at the time! There certainly was no clarity in what they were doing.

Steve responded by stating, “We are going to build easy-to-use computers.” Anything they were currently working on that did not match that purpose was to be scrapped! As a result, clarity returned to the company and you know the rest of the story.

Clarity Is Critical

When there is clarity around what you are doing as an organization (of any size), there is power and speed. Without clarity, confusion exists and can cripple a team. No one knows exactly what they should be doing OR they have extreme focus and are doing exactly the WRONG things, but doing them very well!

Obviously, a company mission statement is a great start here, but there is more we can do to allow this question to bring clarity. Communicating the answer to this question across the organization brings clarity to everyone, not just the leadership.

We Need The Reminder

Unfortunately, none of this happens if you forget to ask the question. And as we all know too well, it is easy to forget. Distractions add up. This is exactly why Andy took this card with him every time he moved. He knew he needed the reminder to ask the questions on a regular basis. Otherwise, confusion would prevent him from seeing the impact he desired.

In my next post, we will look at the next two questions on Andy’s index card. I think you will find these two questions to be just as effective in bringing clarity to your ministry and business.

Can you answer this first question with confidence?

Would others in your organization give the same answer?

What does your next step need to be?

What Is Your Business Doing?

If you are interested in following my process to create your own mission, vision, and core values, then check out my new ebook – Why Does Your Business Exist?

Click Here For Ebook!

Photo by Talha_shahzad_photography/iStock

Our Experience

In an effort to address this concern or fear, I thought I would share our experience in today’s post. While my perspective is not the final authority on the matter, I do think it is relevant. Hopefully, what I share will put others minds at ease and encourage them to do the same!

First of all, like many concerns, this one is not really as big as it looks. What I mean is that it was a real concern of mine before we began being open about the Christian purpose of our business. I thought, like many others, that calling our business “Christian” would cause many to leave or stay away. I thought it might be offensive to non-Christian employees AND customers. I was scared to death…initially.

Once we made the decision to move forward despite the risks, it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Sure, there were initial questions as to what it meant to the employees. They were unsure of our intentions. However, once we clarified the overall vision of the company, many accepted it – even embraced it. Some left for various reasons…possibly resulting from their disagreement with our vision, but they did not make it known to me.

Step Out (Without Being Offensive)

If you are in a position where you want to step out and make it clear that your business is a Christian company (without being offensive), then I have some advice. These are the steps I would recommend you take as you move forward. Don’t skip any of them or you could make it more difficult in the future.

1. Pray first, then decide.
This is not a quick decision or one made on a whim. This is a serious move in your business that will not be easy. Pray through the decision. Seek God’s leading (James 1:5-7). Decide in your heart and make sure your “Why?” is clear. This is the biggest step in the process. Do not skip or short-cut this part of the process.

2. Put it in writing.
Simply announcing this move will not work. It must be in writing. You need a mission statement that clearly defines the new purpose of your business. It should match up with Scripture. It will serve as a benchmark for your every decision. This is another huge step and should take some time to complete. Don’t move forward without it.

3. Be clear.
Get in or get out. If you are going to take this step, make it clear to everyone involved. Don’t hedge or sit on the fence (Revelation 3:15-16). Make sure everyone involved knows you are not announcing that you have it all figured out or that you are perfect and want to bless everyone else with your knowledge.

They need to know you are humble and sincere in your desire to run the business in this manner. You are simply acknowledging God’s ownership of the business and will do your best to run it accordingly.

This includes being clear with prospective employees. Mention your vision and its meaning in your interview process. Review it in more detail in a new hire orientation process. As far as it depends on you, never allow someone to be surprised by how your company operates.

4. Ensure your walk matches your talk
First, your company policies and procedures should match up with your mission (which matches up with Scripture). Second, your own personal walk must match up with your new vision (1 John 2:6). No, you do not have to be perfect! But you do have to walk in a way that exemplifies the vision you are casting for everyone.

If you want to offend employees, then just say one thing and do another while at the same time proclaiming that you run a Christian business! This is the quickest path to trouble!

5. Stay firm, apply grace.
Balance grace with conviction. Early on, your new vision may not be challenged directly, but will be challenged in the little things. You will need to balance your enforcement and protection of the vision with grace for the offenders.

Do not give in on the critical stuff, but be willing to bend a little when it is appropriate. Everyone needs to know you are serious and will not retreat, but they also need to know your people are more important than your policies.

6. Be okay with slow progress.
At every step, I underestimated the time it would take to change the organization. Maybe I am just slow! The truth, I believe, is that people are not as quick to change as we might like. Give them time and introduce your changes slowly. Don’t stop, but slowing is perfectly acceptable.

Over time, you will be amazed at the distance you have travelled on this path. Keep putting one foot in front of the other and progress will come!

Have you been afraid of being offensive to non-Christian employees?

What are some other methods you could use to avoid being offensive?

Do you think the potential to offend should hold you back?

photo by Mitchell Joyce

Examples Of Christian Ministry

Today, I would like to give you some specific ideas about how we take this same approach in our business. I do not have the space to fully describe each item on the list. Instead, I will give a brief description and then, when possible, direct you to another post on this site that goes into more detail.

My hope is that you can take even just a couple of these ideas and adapt them to your business. If you have any questions or want to discuss them further, please comment below or send me an email. I will respond as quickly as I can!

1. Mission Statement
God is central to our company mission statement and core values.

2. Chaplain program
We offer chaplain services to our employees on a weekly basis through Corporate Chaplains of America. This service is incredible and has too many benefits to list here!

3. Owners Manuals For Life
We put a New Testament Bible in the glove box of every vehicle we sell. The cover says “Owners Manual For Life” and we have a note inside that explains how we believe it is the greatest book they will ever read. We don’t point it out to the customer, but let them find it later.

4. Christ in Christmas Party
We celebrate and have fun like other companies, but we also make sure there is a story or illustration at the end of the party that contains the gospel message to keep our focus on the real reason for the party.

5. Christian magazines, Gospels of John in lounge
We keep Christian magazines like “TwoTen” on the tables in the customer lounges at each of our stores. We also keep pocket-sized copies of the Gospel of John stocked there.

6. Bible Studies
Our chaplain (and sometimes our Controller) leads a weekly Bible study in the employee break room. We do one at lunch and one at breakfast so everyone has the opportunity to come, regardless of work schedule. We provide the food and we watch a video series followed by discussion.

7. Devotions
I go around to each department once a month and tell a quick story or illustration with a business and spiritual message woven in. These take five minutes or so and stay very light, but get great responses!

8. Employee Newsletter
I write an article for our employee newsletter once a month. In this article, I follow much the same pattern as the devotions mentioned above.

9. Library
We have a couple of library areas across our locations where we keep books for use by employees. Topics range from spiritual to family to parenting to business. If they are looking for a book we don’t have (and it fits our mission), then we will get it.

10. Sponsorships
We sponsor a number of faith-based organizations around our community. While these are mostly financial sponsorships, there are also opportunities to help with things other than money. Use of facilities, social media marketing, etc. are some examples.

11. Car wash
We host faith-based organizations on our parking lot and provide all necessary materials for them to hold a car wash fundraiser. They provide the labor and keep the revenue from the customers. We give a per-car donation as well.

12. Open meetings with prayer
We take time at the beginning of our sales meetings to open in prayer.

13. Employee recognition
We recognize employees who go above and beyond expectations outside of their job with a couple of awards – the RPM award and the Lightning Strike.

14. Christian music
Our overhead and on-hold music comes from a Pandora station with upbeat Christian music. It is not overwhelming, but provides a great atmosphere in the showroom and around the dealerships.

15. Pay for volunteering
We provide opportunities for employees to volunteer during community events we sponsor and pay them for half the time they spend doing so.

Not Everything

This is not everything we do to create the potential for eternal impact, but it should give you some ideas about what you can do in your business.

The idea I want to make sure I convey is that all of this does not happen at once. This is an accumulation of over ten years of intentional thought and action. We started small. You can do the same.

Progress Over Time

If you work at it over time, your business will look like the house described in my last post. Everywhere you turn, you will see potential for Christian ministry to happen. You will also realize that it is good for business!

Comment below and let me know what you would add to this list! Have a question, ask it! I would love to engage in conversation about this.

Background

Two posts ago, I shared how we see our community as a critical part of the answer to the question, “Why does our business exist?” Our answer to that question, also our mission statement, is that our business exists to honor God by impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and community.

In my last post, I gave a specific example of how we attempt to create a culture of impacting the community by hosting monthly car wash events to benefit local, faith-based organizations. To get the whole picture here, you really need to go back and read these posts first.

Blanket Drive

About a week or two after our last car wash event for the year (due to the weather getting colder!), we held an employee blanket drive for Emmaus Women’s Shelter, a local homeless shelter for women and children. With the cold weather quickly approaching, they had a need that we wanted to help meet.

In order to deliver the 100+ blankets we collected from employees, we enlisted the help of one of our Clean-Up department employees, “Joe”. He was eager to help and the blankets were delivered without incident, or so I thought!

Surprise Twist

The next day, “Joe” came to me and asked if he could have a minute to share something. I quickly agreed. What I heard was incredible to me! He told me that he had helped to deliver the blankets to the shelter and was shocked to find children there. He could not believe there were so many children that were homeless.

Keep in mind that “Joe” is in the most “entry-level” position in our company and has more financial needs than most. He went on to tell me that he could not get the children off his mind, wondering what they were going to do for Christmas. He said he wanted to help make sure they had gifts at Christmas.

He then asked if we could do another car wash event where we asked people to bring toys instead of paying for the car wash. I then asked him who would actually work the event, washing the cars, since that was typically the job of the organization we were helping. He said he would get other employees to volunteer their time (their Saturday off) to do it.

Another Car Wash?

My first reaction (transparency here – it wasn’t culture!) was to think about the cold weather (this was mid-November) and many other reasons it would not work. I really did not think we would have many employees volunteer to give up their time off to do it. I am not knocking them, but that is a big deal when they work so hard during the week.

To check his commitment level, I gave “Joe” a test. I told him to go create a sign-up list and see how many employees he could get to volunteer for this car wash event. I told him we would talk further when he came back.

Less than 90 minutes later, he was in my office with a list of 25 employees willing to staff the event! I was shocked!

Not The Best Conditions

I have to tell you, I still did not know what to do. Thanksgiving was less than two weeks away and people were not going to come out in droves for a car wash. It could be snowing that day (it’s possible!) or raining and cold.

My mind continued to flood with excuses. The problem was that I had a very committed employee in front of me, and whether he knew it or not, he was calling me on my commitment to real ministry.

I told him it was a done deal. We would hold the event on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, hoping that the natural shopping traffic would help our cause. We posted details about the event on Facebook and our normal channels.

Not satisfied, “Joe” got another employee to create a paper flyer for him and he went from gas station to grocery store and to the WalMart parking lot, passing them out. He did this by himself!

Culture Victory!

The day of the event was cold…maybe not cold for some of you, but sub-40 degrees. That is cold enough when you are washing cars with hoses, buckets, etc.! The traffic was not overwhelming, but it was decent. My brother and I joined in and worked the whole event right there on the hoses! We were soaked and exhausted, but I can’t remember being more fulfilled recently.

The end results amounted to roughly $1,200 raised along with a truck load full of toys donated! “Joe” ran the entire event and delivered the toys and the money. He was on cloud nine (and deserved it).

He single-handedly motivated 25 employees to volunteer their time washing cars in the cold and provided Christmas for a crowd of homeless children. In fact, when we later recognized his efforts with a “Lightning Strike” award at the company Christmas party, everyone in attendance gave him a standing ovation!

Tough Question

Folks, I still get emotional thinking about the impact that one guy had on so many people. He had the least to give, but produced amazing results. What about you and me? In anyone’s book, we have so much more to give than “Joe” does.

So the question is this:

What are you doing with your time, treasure, and talents to impact eternity?

Impacting The Community!

In my last post, I described how we see our community as a critical part of the answer to the question, “Why does our business exist?” Our answer to that question, also our mission statement, is that our business exists to honor God by impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and community. I also told you I would give you a specific example of how we attempt to do this.

Our idea, a community car wash, came from an auto dealer best practices group meeting that I attended. The other dealer had the idea of “loaning” a section of his car lot to local community organizations once a month so they could hold community events. Most of the time they held yard sales, but there were also times they would do a car wash.

I immediately loved his idea, but wanted to put a twist on it. I was not sure what that twist would be until I found myself brainstorming one day about new ideas for ministry through the business.

Community Car Wash

Here is how it works. Once a month during the Spring, Summer, and Fall months, we host a local organization (usually related to youth) on our property and help them to hold a community car wash event on a Saturday. All they need to bring is the workforce…we provide all of the supplies they need (soap, water, buckets, brushes, towels, etc.) as well as help them with the marketing of the event in advance.

We post flyers for the event on Facebook and our website and we display a sign, describing the event details, in front of the dealership for the week leading up to the event. We also encourage them to use their social media skills, also giving them advice based on our experience.

On the day of the car wash event, one of our employees from our Clean-Up department works with the workers (mostly youth) from the organization to make sure the wash-rinse-dry process is working smoothly and to monitor the safety of those working. We take pictures of the event for later posting of the event online.

Financial Component

Here is the best part of the whole idea. We only charge people $1.00 to get their car washed. This draws a good amount of traffic, but it also encourages them to make a donation to the organization. We have seen donations of anywhere from $5 to $100 for a single car wash!

The organization gets to keep the $1.00 fees plus any donations they receive. Then, at the end of the day, they tally the number of car washes they completed and we give them a $10 donation for every car washed. We have had organizations raise anywhere from $1,000 to $1,800 for a single Saturday of work!

Other Benefits

Here are the benefits to their organization:

• They raise much needed money toward their cause.
• The youth involved learn that work brings reward.
• The participating members bond in the process.
• They do not have to rent a location or buy supplies.
• They get community exposure for their cause.

Our benefits:

• The organization members learn about our mission and role in the community.
• Our company gets 75-125 customers driving through our display lot.
• The community sees our role in giving back, boosting our reputation.
• We learn more about community organizations and their mission.
• We get to give much needed money to faith-based causes (with added benefits!)

An Easier Way?

Clearly, it would be a lot easier for us to find the organizations in the community that match our mission and just write them a check as a donation. We would save everyone a bunch of work. At the same time, I think the benefits listed above far outweigh the work involved.

In 2014, we hosted half a dozen or so of these events. We surveyed each organization after the event and the feedback we got was incredible! We learned from each one and made modifications and improvements each time. Obviously, there is no way to quantify the impact of these events on the community. Nor is there a way to determine their eternal impact.

However, based on the impact we could see, I am certain that this practice will be one we continue to execute in the future. I am looking forward to seeing what God will do with this idea in 2015!

What do you think of the idea of a community car wash?

How could you adapt the car wash idea to fit your business?

How would you improve on this idea?

photo by Courtney Carmody

Community Is Crucial

I don’t know about other companies, but we see our community as a crucial part of the answer to the question, “Why does this business exist?” You probably already know this, but this question is the one you are answering when you create your company’s mission statement. For us, this question also influences our core values and our vision statement as well.

See, we believe we are simply stewards of this business and that God is the actual owner. As a result of this belief, we see our roles as running the business in a way that brings honor to Him and impacts others for eternity, pointing them to Him. For our family, that is why our business exists.

When looking at the purpose of the business through this lens, it becomes clear that our community is a huge part of our mission. No, we are not a church and could not fill that role if we wanted to. However, we still feel our business practices and our involvement in the community can impact everyone around us in a way that leads them to Him.

Execution Will Be Different

The execution of this kind of mission will be different for one business than it will for another. A business with 10 or fewer employees will carry out this mission differently than one with 100 employees. A service business may approach this from a completely opposite angle than a manufacturing business. The “How” is not as important.

What is important is that we strive as Christian business owners to make our businesses such a vital part of the community that we would be sorely missed if we were to disappear. Can you imagine what that would look like? Is your business already there? Even if so, can you now relax?

Pray For Wisdom

If this is new to you, then I encourage you to stop and pray about it. Ask God to show you how to start down this path. Ask Him to give you insights as to how you can leverage the influence of your business to bring Him honor. Pray for wisdom in starting down this path.

If this is not new to you, then I would suggest you stop and take an inventory of what your business is doing to accomplish this mission. Is there more you could do? Are there new and creative ways you could impact the community and earn customer loyalty at the same time? Have you asked your employees for ideas? How are they involved?

In my next post, I will describe for you an example of how our business attempts to do this in our community. We certainly don’t have it all figured out, but maybe our idea will spark something with you that will turn into a successful effort. Until then, take some time to brainstorm this.

What are some ways your business impacts your community?

Does your community recognize your business as one involved in the community?

What would your community miss the most if your business were to disappear?

Question Explained

Let me explain a little so the question is more clear. As Christian business owners that are interested in multiplying silhouettes, we want to give of our financial resources where we see the most potential for eternal impact. Typically, we do this behind the scenes and often with complete anonymity.

We are also business owners that see the need to build a brand for our business by participating in the community. One way to do this is to give publicly to causes that match up with our mission and vision AND to do this in such a way that generates public goodwill and word-of-mouth for the business. As Tom’s Shoes has shown, giving is good for business!

Give Publicly Or Privately?

So let me repeat the question:

Should a business give publicly or privately?

On one hand, the Bible makes it clear in the following verses that we are not to seek favor with men and that we should give in secret. Take a look:

So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:2-4

On the other hand, should this really apply to a business desiring to do what I have described? Sure, I know we could give publicly in such a way that would scream “Pride!” and make us look like spotlight seekers. That is a danger, but is there an alternative?

Can’t we give to like-minded causes, market that giving in a tasteful way, and build a better brand for the organization?

Your Thoughts?

Maybe I am taking too hard a look at this issue, but I really would like to hear your thoughts on the topic. Even if you have never commented on a blog before, if you have an opinion I would like to hear it!

Even better, if you can back up what you are saying with Scripture (even if you are not sure of the book/chapter/verse), please include that in your comments. If you are unsure of the exact verses, just give me your best description of it!

Have you struggled with this decision to give publicly or privately?

Do you have any Scripture references that apply here?

What would you do in this situation?

Life Purpose Image

At a recent speaking opportunity, I shared a specific image with the group to illustrate how I view living out my life purpose. This is a picture I believe God put on my heart ten years ago and it has motivated me since then. As I reflected on my presentation, I realized I had never fully described this image on the blog. I want to share it with you today, but before I get to the image, I want to set the stage.

If you have been reading my blog for long, you have likely read a post that contained the Greatest Commandment(s) and the Great Commission. These passages are found throughout my blog. It is in these two passages that I believe we are most clearly given our life purpose – not just for me, but for all disciples of Jesus.

What Does The Bible Say?

In the Greatest Commandment(s), we are told by Jesus that all of the law and prophets boil down to two commandments: love God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. If Jesus says these are the two greatest commandments, then I believe that is what my life is supposed to be about.

In the Great Commission, I believe Jesus tells us how we are to carry that purpose out in our daily lives. When you look at the original language, the “Go” actually would be better translated into “As you go…” or “As you are going…” and includes all that we do as we move through this life on earth.

“As we go,” through life – at home, work, school, etc. – we are to make disciples of all nations. This is not a suggestion from Jesus. This does not only apply to those we think have the “gift” of evangelism. No, it is for anyone that calls themselves a disciple of Jesus and it applies to any and every vocation.

My Life Purpose

Having said all of that, I believe it is my purpose in life to love God, love others, and make disciples of Jesus. I think it is really that simple. I also think that is your life purpose. I believe these passages apply to all of us – the differences between you and me is how we carry out this purpose.

For me, I believe I am to carry out my life purpose (at least for this season) by operating a business as ministry in order to impact people for eternity. I believe that it is my job in the marketplace to run this business in a way that maximizes the eternal return for its Owner rather than the temporary return for my family, the temporary stewards of the business. If I do this, I believe I will hear the words that drive me…”Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Work Tested By Fire

The last piece of setting the stage comes from Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. In this passage, Paul describes the foundation of Jesus in our lives. On top of that foundation, Paul says we will build our lives. He talks about how everything we build will be tested by fire on the day of judgment.

If what we have built survives the fire, then we will be rewarded. If what we have built with our lives is burned up in the fire, then we will still escape, but just barely. As you think about this passage, also think about what you are building with your life. Will it burn in God’s fire or will it survive?

My Picture

So, in light of that passage, I want try to describe the picture God has given me and what it means to me today. It is this picture that drives me and keeps me going when everything around me makes me want to quit.

In our business, we have four buildings in a row on 15 or so acres and they are all adjacent to each other. Normally, this property is busy and lively with cars and people everywhere. But that is not the way it looks in the picture I want you to imagine.

The Results

Instead, the property – all 15+ acres – is completely scorched. There is nothing left from the buildings. There are no cars or trucks remaining, not even those steel racks we use on the front line to display cars. I will say it again, there is nothing but black earth. It has ALL burned in the fire.

Intuitively, I know that this also means that any and all bank accounts are gone. They have burned up as well. Nothing remains from the 3+ generations of our family business…except one thing.

Silhouettes

As I scan the property, I see silhouettes…hundreds of them, maybe more. I realize that these are silhouettes representing those souls that we have impacted for eternity because of the way we have decided to run our business.

As I first considered this picture in my mind, it all clicked. In turning our business over to God, I realized that He was going to use it to draw people toward Him. It was these people that made up the silhouettes and they were the only part of our work that would last into eternity. All of our bank accounts, all of our buildings, and all of our cars would burn up in the fire, but those souls (silhouettes) would be all that remained.

My Daily Goal

I then realized that my goal every day was to wake up and go to work for the purpose of adding to those silhouettes. That is what drives me. That is how I believe I am to live out my life purpose. It is this picture that keeps me going when everything else tells me to quit.

Can you get a clear view of this picture in your life?

What would be different about your picture?

What do you need to do to better live out your life purpose?

The Best Goal-Setting & Time Management Method in Existence!

Guilt. Frustration. Embarrassment. Inadequacy.

This is how I used to feel when I failed to set goals the “right” way. When I heard about a person’s completed life plan or even a personal mission statement, I felt defeated because I just couldn’t manage to create my own.

Unconventional Life Plan

I have felt like a failure over and over again because I didn’t set SMART goals and because I didn’t do a SWAT analysis or put a daily game plan together in just the right way. I have felt ineffective because I don’t use an app to do just about everything for me, including helping me break negative habits and establish new ones.

Then this thought struck me. If I struggle so much with feeling this way, why am I still so productive? Why do I have so many solid habits that keep me healthy physically, spiritually and mentally? I then finally realized that while my methods might not fit into the mainstream mold of goal setting and habit management, what I do still works very well. This led me to my next question.

Best Life Plan Method?

So, what really is the best goal-setting method? What really works for creating new and breaking old habits? The answer to these questions transformed my life. Ready? Here it is: Whatever works for you!

No two people will use exactly the same life plan method, nor should they. We may take bits and pieces from other methods, but what works best for a person will be unique to that person. We all have different blends of personality style, temperament and learning style, so why wouldn’t our styles for managing time, goals and habits be different too?

As a result of these realizations, I now value my personal life plan method for setting and reaching goals and for making new and breaking old habits. My method revolves around the creation of a Big Picture, a life focus if you will, that sets priorities. It also includes two other essential elements, accountability and regular touch points.

The Big Picture

Each of the elements in creating my life plan holds a lot of details within themselves. The priorities and basic philosophy don’t change, but how accountability plays out and touch points are maintained do change as one season of life fades into another.

1. Set priorities.

My life plan involves three focus areas, God first, family second and work third. My husband and I decided these priorities years ago, and both of our lives are organized around them. The choices we make, such as how to fill our calendars, our financial planning, etc., revolve around these focus areas.

2. Establish accountability.

The primary reason my husband and I combined our life plan into one is to live as fully as possible in the truth that two become one at marriage (Mark 10:8).

Another very important reason we did this was for accountability. While we must make decisions separately at times, we know they must fit within our priorities. We constantly check with each other to make sure we stay within our priorities as well as avoid over-commitment. The idea being that we want excellence in fewer things rather than mediocrity in many.

3. Create touch points.

Touching base on our priorities, which basically means keeping each other accountable, is part of our life’s routine. We coordinate our calendars regularly and discuss commitments prior to making them whenever possible. We have daily downloads every day when possible, even if they need to happen electronically.

We also make a point to talk in more depth on our priorities at least quarterly. We try to do this away from home, say at a coffee shop or on a dinner date. We also go away as a family twice a year for connection that includes delving into goals and priorities.

Solid Guide, Different Parts

The process for creating and maintaining The Big Picture has been solid guide for career and parenting choices as well as served to strengthen our marriage too.

This Big Picture provides the framework for our lives, but we each carry out the unique parts we play in very different ways. In other words, we live in the details in different ways.

Coming Soon

In the next post, Living In the Details, I will detail my personal approach to carrying out a daily plan, and approach that fits my personality and temperament. While no two people live life exactly the same way, we certainly can gain insight, inspiration and ideas from one another. That is my prayer in sharing my personal plan with you.

What do you think about this approach to a life plan?

Which part can you take and apply immediately?

What benefits do you see in using this plan?