“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:13-14 NLT
It’s about halfway through the year. How are you doing on reaching the goals you set in January? If you are at all like me, you may notice a bit of drift.
The movie Apollo 13 depicts a scene where the astronauts needed to manually adjust their trajectory. Normally, their computer system would have kept them on track but because of damage from an in-space explosion most systems, including navigation, were shut down to reserve as much power as possible for their return trip to earth. Without power their course had drifted.
After the explosion they had one goal, to get home. Making the adjustment required powering up only thrusters for a very short time. Navigation had to be manual. The plan: Keep the earth in the window and they could adjust their course and make it home.
The scene is full of tension as the astronauts fight to keep the earth in the window after the sudden burst of rocket power. Those tense moments led to great relief. Successfully keeping the earth in the window corrected their drift and led to their safe return. A simple strategy based on their primary goal.
I’ve noticed the trajectory toward my goals is a bit off. Other details of life have crowded out tying up some loose ends so I can mark those goals complete. One goal is getting my book across the publishing finish line. It’s time to get my goals back in the window. I may not get perfectly on track, but I can get closer to where I want to be.
Getting back in the window requires:
Honest evaluation. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes avoid the truth because it reveals that I am not where I want to be. Maybe you know what I mean. If I don’t step on the scale, I don’t have to admit that I’ve gained weight. If I don’t sit down to evaluate my goals, I don’t have to admit that I’ve drifted. But the only way to get back on track is to know exactly where you are. You must evaluate what is actually in the window so you can adjust your trajectory.
Commitment to diligence. Once I’ve admitted the truth of where I am, I must commit to making the necessary adjustment. Like the astronauts, I need a plan to correct the drift. It may be tense for a while. It may take some hard work to get back on track. You and I must be committed to take the hard steps. That’s the only way to refocus on those God-inspired goals.
Grace. You need God’s grace and help to remain committed and take those steps. Apart from Him, you and I can do nothing. (John 15:5) But you also need to give yourself grace.
One of the most helpful statements I’ve ever heard is this, “There is no failure only learning.” A famous quote from Apollo 13 states, “Failure is not an option.” Learning is never failure. Give yourself grace to learn.
Dear friend, if you’ve drifted from achieving your goals, you probably have a good reason. There are times when life is the priority. You haven’t forgotten what you want to accomplish. You haven’t abandoned your God-sized dreams. It’s time to get those goals back in the window through honest evaluation, commitment, and grace. You haven’t failed. You are learning. It’s time to adjust your trajectory and get back on track.
Key Question: What do you do when you drift off course?
A Scripture to Consider: “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:13-14 NLT
A YES Challenge: Check your goal progress for drift. What do you need to do to get that goal “back in the window”?
Prayer: Father, accomplishing this goal is taking longer and requiring more effort than I thought it would. It’s hard to keep making progress when the other details of life require my attention and energy. I have not been paying as much attention to completing my goals, even though I’ve never forgotten them. Help me to commit to keeping my goal a priority and finishing all I need to. I am so close to the finish line. Help me make it across! Amen.