Rocket 2018

Review
Day 9

We're in the final stages of descent as ROCKET 2018 heads down to earth
once again, and we get back to our day-to-day lives. But we've covered a lot so
far. If you've been keeping up with the Action Steps each day, you've
accomplished quite a bit. Here's a quick recap:

1. You dedicated yourself to understanding and pursuing God's Will for

your life.
2. You got clarity about the direction you need to go to get there, with a key
word or phrase.
3. You identified 3-5 priorities you want to emphasize in the coming year.
4. You set targets in each of those areas, by listing various things you want
to achieve.
5. You began scheduling those goals, by plugging them into a monthly
calendar.
6. You picked one goal to focus your efforts on first.
7. You learned how to get results by creating a "Result Goal Worksheet".
8. You learned how to build habits by creating a "Habit Goal Worksheet".

That's quite a bit! Kudos on making it this far. You now have all these pieces
to get chasing after your goals for the coming year.

But one thing more is needed. You need tools to revise and update your
strategic plan as you go through the year. Life happens, and you need to be
able to adapt your goals to changing circumstances. The key to doing that is a
regular system of review.

Cycles of Time
The process I use is fairly simple. I describe it in more detail in our Life Focus
System class. But for those who haven't taken it, I'll give the nutshell version
here.
Basically, it is a time management strategy that revolves around the various
cycles of time God created.

After all, God did create time, didn't He?. And He designed this world so that
we could easily track the passing of time. Genesis recounts how God created
the sun and the moon "for seasons, and for days, and years" (Genesis 1:14).
The astronomical interplay of these bodies with the earth, gives us our daily,
monthly, and yearly cycles. And after finishing the work of creation, God
threw in an additional weekly cycle (Genesis 2:2-3) which has been adopted
by virtually every culture in every age.

In other words, God designed this world to track and mark the passage of
time. He created us to live within these days, weeks, months, and years. To
maximize our time, we merely need to learn how to maximize these cycles.
That's also how we will keep our strategic plan current.

Yearly:
Each year we can spend some extended communion alone with God revisiting
the whole 10-day process we've chosen. The goal is to clarify your direction--
by choosing a key word or phrase. Then you can review and possibly reset
your priorities, creatively come up with new targets, and update your
calendar. Just as we have done in this course. I like doing it at the start of
each year, but it can be done any time you feel the need to refocus, or even
more than once a year. When I was a college student, I used my breaks to
create a plan for each semester.

Monthly:
Next, I recommend trying to get one day away, or at least a half day, each
month for special prayer and communion with God. During that time,
evaluate each of your priority areas and assess your progress. Did you reach
all your goals for the preceding month? If not, why? Were any priorities
neglected? If so, how can you get more balanced? Do any new targets come to
mind? If so, jot them down. And then plot them out wherever they fit best in
the next 12 months--from that point in time. That means some targets may
cross over into 2019. That's fine. It will give you a head start on next year's
planning! Lastly, evaluate your list of goals for the coming month. Does it
seem doable? Move projects up or down based on your changing desires and
the time you anticipate being available. What other responsibilities must you
fulfill in the month ahead? Jot them down and factor them into your planning
as well.

Weekly:
At the start of each week, I encourage setting aside some time to plan your
week. First pull out your weekly planner. Make sure you have all your regular
duties recorded so you can see a realistic picture of your available time slots.
And make sure you have time scheduled for any habits you are trying to build.
Review the remaining projects you have scheduled for the month and figure
out which ones you can squeeze into whatever slots are available. As the week
progresses, you may realize you won't be able to get everything done, or that
you are getting things done more quickly than anticipated. Adjust your
monthly calendar to compensate. Now you have a plan for the week!

Daily:
Lastly, take a few moments each day to quickly review your planner, and
make any adjustments you need given the changing circumstances of your
week. Add new responsibilities that come up, and mark out stuff you get done
or no longer need to do. This should only take a few moments. Then write out
a list of your tasks/schedule for the day, and commit it to God in prayer. I like
to include this as part of my devotional time. Often when studying, God will
bring applications to mind I feel impressed to do that day. Or when praying,
ideas will come to mind about things I can do to help move some prayer
forward. Insert these into your to do list as needed, but always balance those
"impressions" with the direction God has been giving you all along. Once you
have a finished list, you are good to go! Get busy--you have your marching
orders.

So that's the process in a nutshell! Again, check out our time management
course for more details.

Step #9. Review

It's pretty straight forward. Each day you review your weekly plan, each week
you review your monthly plan, and each month you review your yearly plan.
Doing this will help you to know exactly what to do next at any given
moment.

Just make sure you include God in every step of the the planning process. The
more you can do this, the better. You will have greater success, and the goals
you achieve will prove a blessing and not a curse. The reality is, we don't
always get our signals right, and God does not warn us about every curve in
the road. But it is important to have some kind of plan in place if we want to
see progress in our life. The key is being willing to shift and adjust our plan
appropriately, as warranted. That is, we don't want to be fickle and constantly
changing direction, but we also don't want to be rigid and inflexible either. To
quote an inspiring paragraph from a favorite author:

Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first
work. Let your prayer be, "Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my
plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all
my work be wrought in Thee." This is a daily matter. Each morning
consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him,
to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day
by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your
life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ. Steps to Christ,
p. 70.

It's a powerful statement, isn't it? Have plans, but consecrate, or dedicate,
those plans to God every morning...

So, in conclusion, you not only have a strategic plan for the year, and some
tools to help you implement it, but also a strategy to review and revise it all
through the year. Follow these suggestions systematically, and you will be
well on your way to achieving great successes in the coming year. You'll be
blasting off to new heights in 2018. And it may just be your best year yet...

ACTION STEP
Continue fine-tuning your strategic plan for the year and try to get it
finalized over the next few days if you haven't already. I'd love for you to
finish this course with a document in hand that's ready to go.

Then write out a plan for your review strategy. If you can't do it right now,
add it as a target for the current month. Establish times for your various
reviews. Buy a weekly planner, or if you are a computer junky, settle on
some time management app that will accommodate this system.

We have one in our FAST Dashboard, but it needs some revision and may
not accommodate all your needs. I do have plans to revamp that tool in the
next few weeks (hopefully) so that it integrates tightly with the concepts in
this class, and will let you know when that integration is complete.

But regardless of the tool you use, get your review strategy outlined, and
throw the page in your "success notebook" with all the other work you've
done so far. One more reading, tomorrow...

Comments

How important is it to review and revise a strategic plan through the year?
Does using the cycles of time God established make sense? Where is the
balance between being intentional and being rigid? Is everything coming
together for you? Lots of stuff to talk about in the comments...

Posted by Pamela Kendall on 01/09/18

Rhona you make a good point about focusing on our goals helping to keep
us from temptation. I find when I don't have a clear plan/goal of what to
do I often find myself falling into temptation to waste my time on frivolous
stuff... As the saying goes "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." Having
definite direction and goals will be very helpful to me. The wise advise to
have a "default" goal to focus on when time arises will be helpful in this
process.

I also appreciate the advice to use the cycles of time for review. I loved the
Life Focus System - but need to be much more consistent in implementing
it. I think it is a major key to keeping the whole "strategic plan" from
derailing part way through the year.

The advice to always keep God in the center of it, to always consult him
about our plans and have open ears to any adjustments he would have us
make is critical to prevent rigidity and to keep a right attitude. It also helps
to keep us from going off his course for our life. He sees his long-range life
goal for us (we cannot fully see it) and if we listen he can keep us steered
in the right direction while if we neglect to consult him we are liable to get
way off course chasing the wrong goals or chasing them for the wrong
reason.

Thanks for the great course Dan ! Its just what I needed.

Posted by Linda Gerace on 01/09/18

I agree with Tasha, this has been very intense and involved. For those
accustomed to setting goals, it may have come easily, but for me it is
almost overwhelming. I wish I had just a couple more hours each morning
to do more planning and making sure I'm on the right track. But I like that
you (Dan) suggested to make fine-tuning the strategic plan a target/goal, if
necessary. I may have to do that. Regular review of the plan is critical to
stay on focus, else why even bother with the whole process? I'm sure I
won't find flexibility with changing circumstances to be an issue for me,
rather I will need to practice consistency and sticking with it. It's fairly
easy for me to make excuses why I can't do something "just today," then
never get back to it.

I really appreciate the lessons learned here. I hope this becomes a regular
class at each new year. For goal-setting newbies, like myself, it will help to
go through the process with a mentor/instructor more than once just to
help ground all the principles and needed steps. I feel like I need a support
group for newbies! Lol.

This has been incredibly helpful for me. Thanks again, Dan. I'm asking for
prayer to be able to stick with these principles, to keep up with my
strategic plan and not let it go by the wayside.
Posted by Carole Bliss on 01/09/18
I am grateful for the couches and you, Dan. This has been very helpful.
Purposeful Godly living is what its all about. Thank-you all.
I love the quote, from Steps to Christ, my favorite author.
God bless the Fast Family,
Blessings,
Carole

Posted by Dan Vis on 01/09/18

Thank you everyone for your kind feedback. I've been a bit overwhelmed
by the positive feedback. And am planning several things to help with
follow-up. More on that in the coming days.

Tasha, glad this was a blessing. Thank you for participating and for all the
effort you put into it. Be sure to say hi to Les and the kids!

Thank you for your points Pam! I agree that the LFS concepts are
important for year long implementation of the ROCKET concepts. I am
still hoping to have a 30 day time management challenge where I can try
and put it all together plus a bit more. We'll see...

And your linkage between keeping God at the center and not becoming
rigid, having a right attitude, being guidable, etc is a great one. Something
else to work into this class for next time!

And last Linda, so appreciate your feedback also. Glad this was helpful,
even if it was a bit of a challenge! :) Take your time, you have the rest of
your life to continue fine tuning and tweaking your plan. It will just get
better with time. And after you get through the first few busy months,
things may just slow down. :)

I am seriously thinking about making this an annual event. As far as a

support group, I have a big idea in mind that might really help with that.
Expect some news on that over the next couple months. And one last
thing, I'm thinking about a big year-end celebration of goals
accomplished. Wouldn't that be fun?

Posted by Teri Salvador on 01/09/18

This has been a powerful journey. God changes my word on the 3rd day
from Abide to Cultivate and it’s been such a delight to see His plan for me
unfold. He is sooo wise and good to us. Very empowering experience.
Thanks FAST!!

Posted by Pamela Kendall on 01/09/18

What a great word Teri ! I love it. I just started reading the book Christ’s
Object Lessons and am now reading the chapter about the sower and the
seed. The amount of cultivation makes such a difference in the
harvest/results!

Can’t wait for the 30 day class Dan and I look forward to hearing about the
follow up idea you have. A year end celebration sounds good too. Having
ongoing follow up or some way we can support each other will make it
easier to stick with it so we are ready for the celebration!

Posted by Carlota Belmo on 01/09/18

Dan, this has been a wonderful journey for me, a little FAST, but with
God's help I will make it. I like this plan and the set up. You shared the
consecration prayer, I've done this prayer for many years now, its
powerful. I like the steps for the daily, weekly, monthly review plan, it
makes sense to me now. This is going to be helpful once I start my college
classes.
"Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established."
Proverbs 16:3
Thanks again Dan, and coaches. Keep it coming. Can't wait for the next
project!
Peace & Love

Posted by Floride Leonce on 01/09/18

Dan, this has been phenomenal and quite a spiritual journey. I learned so
much from this course. I still haven’t finished putting down my goals for
the whole year though. I chose the word celebration at he beginning, but
on the third day, after I prayed, God changed it to commitment, and more
ideas are still coming to my mind.
I like your suggestion of setting aside a day once a month to put our goals
for the year before God. I do half a day of prayer and fasting every first
Sunday of each mionth; I’m looking forward to doing that next month and
I’m sure that it will be a blessed experience for me.
Many thanks to you and to all the volunteers for your full commitment to
this program, and to all the other classes as well!

Posted by Dan Vis on 01/10/18

I love your new word also, Teri. Abide is great too, but cultivate has so
many areas of possibility: spiritual life, health habits, family relationships,
even planting seeds in the community. And it suggests a great harvest at
the end of the year!

Will keep everyone posted Pam!

Great Carlota ! Glad you liked it. Remember you don't have to have
everything finished today, just have the main ideas in place. Take as long
as needed to pull it together and then continue tweaking as per the review
process described today. All the best!

And kudos on the monthly time with God Floride! I think incorporating
life planning into every aspect of communion with God, makes it richer.
Because it connects the physical and spiritual worlds. It's separating them
that is the problem. Don't you think? So glad you enjoyed this course!

Posted by Teri Salvador on 01/10/18

I agree, Dan, abide is a great word but God made it better because it
became a priority and now I’m “cultivating” abiding!! I’m
cultivating all my priorities and much more no doubt as the year rolls
along. Blessings!

Posted by Joan Mullowney on 01/14/18

A little late in sending a message on here. this has been an awesome
course. I'm still working on some of my priorities but this has been such
an awesome help in focusing me to do my priorities each day.

Love reading everyone's comments as well. They are also a big help for me.

Posted by Qing Ling on 01/16/18

Joan - never too late as long as the class is open. i'm just posting in here
myself. i wanted to make sure i had time to digest the lesson before
opening it. thankful for the 30 day time period even if it's only a 10-day
course.
i agree with Dan's comment that this is a lifelong journey. i have been
doing the 'theme word' for the year thing for 4 years now and it's changed
my life.
LFS and now Rocket have only amplified the effectiveness of this new
trend.
Each year i can look back and see progress - little by little. but the amount
of progress doesn't matter as long as we remain on the journey heading in
the right direction. i've been shown Proverbs 24:16 lately and how it
teaches the principle of perseverance.

Teri - a verse to maybe connect to your word: Mark 4:14 :)

I was one of the LFS students who failed to implement what I learnt. I
tried..but didn't quite develop a regular routine. It was always my
intention to revisit the course and double my efforts... The Rocket has
really set me up well to get into the review cycles taught in LFS. Thanks
Dan. It also helps that I now have more friends on this Strategic Plan
journey with me - so i'm having more catch up conversations with them
about our progress and this keeps me focussed on the good habits taught
in Rocket, which includes regular review cycles. this is what makes
accountability work, right? (the frequent conversations and checking in on
progress)

When it comes to finding balance between being intentional and yet

flexible, i have really appreciated the emphasis on surrendering our plans
to God, then TRUSTING in Him as we ACT in faith on the directions He
gives us. Only God knows what is best for us :) Jeremiah 29:11 ;
Psalms 127:1

Posted by Anita Huffman on 01/22/18

I have learned so much from this course! Back on Day 4 I was stuck trying
to figure out my Targets, based on my Priorities. Thank you, Dan for
coming to my rescue with such practical advice. I was able to "get it" and
go on with my action steps for that lesson and the subsequent lessons. You
sound like a very organized person but you have the ability to explain
things in such a way that a person who is not naturally organized can
understand.

I just found my list of goals for Oct/Nov of 2017. Can you believe I had 48
project goals listed? No wonder I ended each month in disappointment! I
had only vague ideas of what each goal involved and nothing written down
to guide me toward accomplishing anything.

I look forward to future courses and to any support group activities in the
future and a year-end sharing of goals completed.

Thank you again Dan, coaches and other posters! Blessings to you all!