In my reading time today I was reviewing the Law of Process from John C. Maxwell's The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. The Law of Process states that leadership develops daily, not in a day. John compares becoming a leader to successfully investing in the stock market. If you invest with the intent to make a fortune in one day, you're not going to be successful. Successful investing takes time. In becoming a successful leader what matters most is what you do day by day over the long haul.
The Daily Agenda
John states: "The secret of our success is found in our daily agenda". Our daily agenda is a reflection of our priorities, passion, abilities, relationships, attitude, personal discipline, vision and influence. What we focus on Today determines what kind of person we are becoming. The word today jumped out at me. Today is all we have. We can't change yesterday. We don't have any guarantee of tomorrow. Today matters.
Today Matters happens to be the title of another of John's books. The subtitle is "12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow's Success". In chapter 1 there is a poem which was sent to John by a friend. It's called "The Lifebuilder's Creed". It spoke to me about the importance of concentrating on today. I hope it also speaks to you.
"The secret of our success is found in our daily agenda" - John C. Maxwell.
"The Lifebuilder’s Creed"
Dale Witherington
Yesterday with its successes and victories, struggles and failures
is gone forever.
The past is past.
Done.
Finished.
It is God's gift to me and it is all that I have.
Indeed, tomorrow may never come.
Therefore, I will not worry about tomorrow.
It is all that I have. I will do my best in it.
I will demonstrate the best of me in it
my character, giftedness, and abilities-
to my family and friends, clients and associates.
I will identify those things that are most important
to do Today,
and those things I will do until they are done.
And when this day is done
I will look back with satisfaction at that
which I have accomplished.
Looking to improve upon Today, with God's help.
Today Matters
Most people underestimate the importance of today. Today is the only time we have.
Pulitzer prize-winning journalist William Allen White wrote, "Multitudes of people have failed to live for today. They have spent their lives reaching for the future. What they have had within their grasp today they have missed entirely, because only the future has intrigued them ... and the first thing they knew the future became the past."
Without sowing into our future today, we have no hope for reaping success tomorrow.
