Too many times, people drift through life without any plan. They neglect to take control of the things they can control.

I know how this is. I used to feel this way.

Early on I had big dreams. Then when they didn’t happen, I felt like my messy life was just what I was stuck with, and I gave up on my dreams.

Then God got my attention with a board upside the head.

Routines are regular procedures, chores, or duties done at specific intervals. We are creatures of habit and routines will happen to some degree (even if they are unplanned). The key is to not let your routines be unproductive or random.

A routine requires intentional action.

Too many people live their lives mired in regret. They leave things up to fate, wondering why their life feels so meaningless. We shouldn’t give fate control over our lives.

Last week we discussed being busy. It’s easy to find ourselves with too much to do. There are just so many important and fun things that need done. This leads to burnout.

It’s all too common for people to get burnt out.

I’ve seen this happen a lot over the years. One place this happens as much as any is in the church. There’s no work any more important than that. When we have a desire to help it can take over our lives … and burnout is the result.

I know this, because I’ve been there.

I have too much to do and not enough time to do it.

We have all heard someone say this (or said it ourselves) and we have all, for sure, felt it. Just over the last few days there have been numerous times, in a variety of situations, that I have heard it.

We all know that there is a fixed amount of time, so why is it that we’re always over-filling it? Even less ambitious and less driven people complain about not having enough time to do everything they want to.

We like being in control of our lives, but most people feel like they aren’t. I contend that we all have more control than we think we do.

Control doesn’t mean you control everything that happens. It means you confidently move forward with your goals and priorities, understanding that there are things that happen that are beyond your control.

This means that you are clear about who you are and what you want. It requires you to take intentional action.

You have the superpower of choice, but you have to use it.

Sometimes the changing seasons can be quick and serious. The weather here has been a bit of a roller coaster ride over the past several weeks. We’ve had temperatures ranging from below zero to seventy. Some of these swings have happened within days.

It’s currently seventeen degrees on midday Friday as I’m writing this. It’s predicted to be in the upper sixties by Monday. On the other side of this extreme, we had a low temperature of five degrees below zero this past Wednesday.

When the temperature gets down into single digits there is the concern of freezing water lines. This can lead to broken pipes and water damage. With proper preparation and planning these problems can be reduced.

This is where a home maintenance plan comes in.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks“. This means that it is very difficult to teach someone new skills or change someone’s habits, especially when they’re older. This phrase is often used to express the challenges of altering deeply rooted behaviors or learning new concepts. It is not typically about actual dogs, rather it reflects human experiences concerning change.

I thought I knew everything I needed to when I started my construction business over forty years ago. Boy was I wrong!

You can have the best laid plans, but life happens.

You can choose to do no planning and just take things as they come. This haphazard process gives control of your life to others. Or you can plan with so much detail that when things do happen that aren’t part of your plans, everything falls apart. Flexible rigidity is where planning and change can work together.

Calendars and lists are two separate things with two separate purposes.