Reformation Report

Procrastination

Procrastination is a complex psychological behavior that most people have had to deal with at some point in their lives. To some prolonging what we need to do is a minor issue. To others it is a primary source of anxiety.

When we think of procrastination we often think of it in relation to time management. However research shows that most people who procrastinate ‘often know exactly what they should be doing and when they should be doing it, even if they do not do it’.

When we defer our actions we are often remarkably optimistic about our ability to complete the task within the time given, often reassuring ourselves that everything is under control and we can always start later.

Procrastination could vary from deferring changing the light bulb in your house, to not finishing that report that’s due at the end of the month. It is not only individuals that fall prey to this behavior but groups of people and institutions as well. Communities can sometimes fall into a false sense of security about the need to improve their condition, deferring it to the future. Even governments have been known to procrastinate about implementing policies that can develop infrastructure, protect the environment, improve health care, and enhance the lives of their citizens.

At some point, the time for the tasks to be completed lapses and the task has to be completed one way or the other. That light bulb has to be changed, that report is due, those citizens are demanding better service delivery and the environment is bearing the burden of a lack of policy. When we find ourselves at this point we will be ‘making progress only because we do not have any choice’ and ‘our back is against the wall and there are no alternatives’.

 

In essence we avoid making a well thought out choice or even making a choice in the first place. Furthermore we absolve ourselves from committing to a desired outcome for our tasks. So when we are called to account for what we have done, we can always hide behind the excuse that there was no time.

 

The Bible in Proverbs 6:10, 11 “a little sleep a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, so poverty will pounce  on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.” We need to be aware so that we do allow the have a habit of procrastination to overtake us. What are you avoiding confronting? What are you deferring to the future?

 

 

 

 

Working under pressure

Earlier this year Captain Sullenberger of US Airways Flight 1549 maneuvered one of the most difficult feats in aviation, landing an airplane in the Hudson River. This plane not only lost both engines but was flying over a densely populated section of New York City.

All conventional knowledge at that time pointed to the fact that no-one had done it successfully in 50 years. Captain Sullenberger believed otherwise, he did not hold to the same belief system. The plane landed in safety in the river and all the passengers and crew came out of the plane without injuries.

Picture courtesy of http://floof.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/hudson.jpg

How well do you react under pressure? What makes other people paralyzed and others so calm. When we crumble under pressure it is often because we have never encountered such a scenario and don’t know how to react. It has got a lot to do with preparation. It has got nothing to do with your IQ level. It is because some are equipped mentally and others are not.

Men and women like Captain Sully use imagination as part of their training, visualizing how they would react in a unique situation before that situation actually occurs. This visualization helps them think of solutions and other ways of achieving their desired results. They prepare for any future eventuality before it occurs and when it does they are ready.

We can all use this visualization technique to create the future that we want for ourselves. Therefore even when the unique situation arises we are not surprised by it, but accept it because we have already created a solution in our minds. Remember as a man thinks so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)

 

 

Perseverance outlasts persecution

In the early days of our ministry my wife and I faced heavy persecution against our ministry. At a lunch with one of my mentors, Dr Lester Sumrall, I poured out my heart while he listened intently for fifteen minutes, silently sipping a bowl of soup. After he finished eating, he put down his spoon, looked me straight in the eye and said, “Young man, perseverance will always outlast persecution”. With that he called for the bill, and our lunch was over.

That was one of the best pieces of advice I have ever had. When we go through challenges in life they often seem insurmountable. Pressure always seems to magnify our problems and we begin to doubt our ability to change our circumstances, our self confidence dwindles and self efficacy begins to diminish.

One of the characteristics of reformers, people who have changed the course of history, is their ability to handle pressure or persecution. Situations don’t sway them, but rather galvanize their vision. They have an unswerving conviction that nothing they’ve done is wasted, the outcome is always worth the sacrifice, and the long term benefit will bear generational dividends.  A saying from Africa may reflect this idea best, ‘above the clouds the sun always shines’.

Perseverance requires us to focus on the goals we have set for our lives, family and community. When we become goal oriented there is no room for the crippling fear that comes with the pressure of persecution. Focusing on our goals, releases energy that enables us to accomplish that goal. Remember that ‘losers look at what they are going through, reformers look at where they are going’.

 

 

 

The Next Time

How do you correct your child when they have done something wrong or an employee who has made a dreadful blunder on a crucial project? Often our emotions get the better of us, we pull out all the words we can muster and lash out at them. “How could you be such an idiot?” If we just stopped and thought for a moment about the effect our words would have on those we are speaking to, I am sure we would use a little more self control and choose a different attitude and different words and probably get a different or better result.

We have heard the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me”. A few blogs ago we mentioned that that is one of the biggest lies we’ve passed on for generations.  Words are powerful and can either build, or destroy, encourage or cause permanent damage to peoples’ souls. Divorces happen, families are destroyed and wars are caused, often just by the words that people have said.

There are many positive ways to mentor, coach and correct people, without destroying their self worth. One of the best ways I have found to do this is to focus on the person’s positive attributes. It is better to start of with, ‘I know you are better than that…’,  ‘you can do better than that…’, ‘the next time you find yourself in this situation you are going to be exceptional, you are going to do it just the way I have trained you’.

Reformers see the good in other people, as well as helping people see value in themselves. As we increase the self esteem of those around us, we all become stronger. As a reformer, one of your responsibilities is to build the people around you, encourage them to see what needs to be transformed in your company, community or country. Next time you need to bring correction, remember to build that person’s self esteem, and hopefully in so doing, help bring reformation to that situation.