Are you waiting to do something brand new that excites you and warms your spirit?

Are you doing the ‘math’ and the ‘plan’ and the ‘dreaming’ that goes with it?

I raise these questions because yesterday’s eletter from Mike Litman was an eye-opener to me.  His comments at a meeting in NYC hit me squarely between the eyes.  (You can read his entire blog post here: http://www.mikelitman.com/blog/?p=51).

So often, especially once we grow more ‘chrono-mature’, we think and plan and think again about doing something that excites us - but never get much beyond the ‘think and plan’ stage. 

Why?  Because we don’t want to make a mistake!  We want all the pieces in place and we want it just “right”. And then we’ll do it!

But Litman says it differently!  He tells us that “we don’t have to get it right, we just have to do it!”

I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those that thinks and plans and runs the calculator long after the time has arrived to “just do it!”

But, Linda, you might say - we’re admonished in Scripture to plan carefully.  To count the cost.  To plan ahead and make sure we have all that we need.  Otherwise, we might find ourselves unready for the task.

Somewhere between these 2 extremes is middle ground that works.  Many times, we use the ‘think and plan’ stage as an excuse for not just doin’ it!

Personally, Mike’s blog post met me where I am or where I was.  I wanted everything with AWP and now AWM to be ‘ready’ before we began.

It wasn’t.  So I tarried a wee bit and then just ‘bit the bullet’ and did it.

You see, many of us become more ‘perfectionist’ as we move along in the 2nd half of the journey.  Not in everything we do, but in the things that matter.  If we’re planning for retirement - we may want everything in order.  In order, so that when we walk from one environment to the next, there’s nary’ any challenge with which to deal.

Life doesn’t work that way.  It isn’t ‘perfect’ and our exciting hopes, dreams, visions and plans won’t be ‘perfect’ either.  Scripture doesn’t say - “wait until it’s ‘perfect’.  It says to take all things into account before making firm decisions.

And that’s wise advice!  What we’re not encouraged to do is to use the ‘think and plan’ stage as an excuse for never venturing out to make it happen.

I spent 6 to 8 months ‘tinkering’ with the concept for Affiliated Women in the MarketPlace(tm) before venturing out.  The beauty in the ‘venturing out’ is that once we tested it - we knew what wasn’t right and what was.  Would never have known that if I hadn’t moved from the dream or vision to the practical reality of “testing the model”.

I’m reminded of the ‘desert experience’ of Jesus.  Wow, what an awesome event rising from the Jordan must have been!  Everything said and done - in place.  Then came the desert.  The ‘testing’ - the ‘challenge’.

Maybe that’s not the case for you.  But it is for many of us as we dream about turning passion and purpose into a profitable venture.  The Wow of doing it chafing with what we know will be the ‘testings’ and the ‘challenges’.

I’ve rambled enough here for this conversation!  As we wind down another week and look to a few hours of leisure and change of focus - I encourage us to do some exploration of what we really want to do that is sitting there waiting for us to do it.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be “right” and it doesn’t have to be ‘perfect’ - it just has to be!

Have an awesome Friday with much love and rich blessings!

Linda