Aiming for the Moon

"Aim for the moon and if you don't make it, you might just land among the stars." This little bit of advice from my grandmother stuck with me all my life. As a result, I've always tended to be a bit unrealistic in my goals. Early on this was reflected in selfish ambition. I wanted to win a Pulitzer by the time I was 30. Now 40, my main writing outlets are this blog and papers for school.

The last 10-15 years my ambitions have changed. I've realized that I shifted my "aim high" mindset toward creating unrealistic lists and never quite getting around to things that I really needed to focus on. Somehow, I've become lax and settled for less in areas of key importance, while aiming high on my daily to-do list. "Aiming for the moon", for me, has become a task-oriented goal, and I consistently disappoint myself.

So I've had somewhat of an epiphany. What if I aim for the moon in my purposes and overarching life goals, but try to be a bit more realistic in my daily tasks? What if I build in time for interruptions and see who God brings my way? What if I refuse to accept mediocrity in the things that really matter, and give myself permission to do less of what doesn't matter so much. I wrote in my journal the other day:

I have allowed the tyranny of the urgent, the pressures of life, fatigue, selfishness, to lead me to accept mediocrity as normal. Glory is at stake in how I work and how I eat. Rewards are profound in richer relationships. God's kingdom never advances by the status quo. And I will know Him most intimately if I aim high in seeking Him hard.

I still aim for the moon - to glorify God and enjoy Him, to seek Him, to do all things for the sake of His name. That might mean doing less, not more, and saying no to things I could end up doing poorly. Currently I'm experimenting with a 25% rule: Add 25% to whatever time I think something will take, and remove 25% of the things from my daily list. I'm curious what God will throw into the mix - what divine appointments might I have because I approach life at a little slower pace, and shift my task-oriented tendencies to joining Him in His work.

I suspect I'll always remain task-oriented and that I will always seek to get things done. He made me this way, and those are strengths and gifts. But as I learn to exercise them under the influence of the Spirit, I must realize that if I'm settling for less where I should be striving for more, and pushing for perfection where I don't have to do so, then I'm in the flesh. At that point I should turn around and go in the direction of the Spirit, quit striving and know He is God. He WILL be exalted in the earth - and I want that to happen through me.