New Year’s Flight Plan
“The very steps we
take come from God; otherwise how would we know where we’re going?” Proverbs 20:24
Several years ago, I
had the opportunity to take a job in Los
Angeles at a company called Heli-tac. It was one of those “two-week college short
term jobs” where I was asked to ride shotgun in a helicopter that flew to bank
pickups at airports across Southern California.
It was a pretty sweet gig actually.
There are few things that compare to flying off the top of a 70-story
skyscraper only to look down and see the hot-wheel sized cars and roads below.
However, as
fascinated as I was by the ins and outs of helicopter flight, I discovered an
important air traffic rule. That is,
if you want to fly higher than 1,000 feet, you are required by FAA (Federal
Aviation Agency) standards to file a flight plan.
Now a flight plan is
a critical part of travel for the very fact that it details where you are
going, when you expect to arrive and when you plan to return. The exceptions to the rule are “Ultra Lite”
crafts and certain helicopters which only plan to travel low.
Following the
September 11th plane and tower tragedies in 2001, we have become
more familiar with these regulations as airline flights require each pilot to
follow a course and a time frame with which he intends to abide. Along the way, satellites and towers follow
the movement of the plane to assure they properly reach their destination.
As we begin a new
year at midnight tonight, you will discover that those who plan to fly low
generally avert a tangible plan of action.
Going by sight is enough for them with little need of high
altitude. However, those who desire to
fly high will tend to put together a “flight plan” to keep their goals clear.
Peter Druecker,
famous for his vision of leadership, writes in People and Performance, “Objectives are not fate; they are
direction. They are not commands,
they are commitments. They do not
determine the future; they are a means to mobilize…resources and energies.”
Along with Druecker,
Mark Eppler gives an acronym to help the person that is interested in reaching
a S.U,M,M,I,T, performance in the year ahead:
S- Specific: Your target
needs to be clearly defined. Most goals
are compromised because they are not objective.
Increasing “a lot” is not being specific.
U- Useful: Does the goal
have meaning to you personally? Any
private or business goal that fails to demonstrate personal benefit will not
have a high level of commitment.
Something positive should result from the goal.
M- Manageable: Is the
goal doable? Certain goals are
obstructed through physical or other limitations. We need to assess the goal to see if we are
capable.
M- Meaningful: Does it
bother you if you don’t reach it? If the
answer is no, then the likelihood of it happening is slim. Only set goals that will matter to you.
I- Integrated: Goals
need to fit into the overall plan of what you are trying to do.
T- Tangible: Is your
goal recorded in writing? Unwritten
goals are only resolutions and we know what happens to those.
In the book of
Nehemiah, the great leader established some written goals that ultimately
allowed him to reach new heights for Israel as the broken walls were
rebuilt and the lost dreams restored.
As we begin 2015, let’s ask the Lord for His ultimate flight plan for
us. Chances are…it’s higher than 1,000
feet.
Terry Risser
Reflections:
1) Can you think of a S.U.M.M.I.T.
goal in your life that you would like to see fulfilled in 2015?
2) Pray and ask the Lord to
give you a starting point
Copyright 2014- Terry Risser
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