Many of us fail, not because we aren’t talented, determined, or passionate, but because we get ‘sidetracked’. God told the prophet Habakkuk, ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.’ (Habakkuk 2:2 NKJV)

Unless you have a clearly defined goal and keep it before you at all times, you won’t run in the direction you should. As motivational speaker Sam Horn said: ‘It’s hard to stay on purpose, if we don’t know what our purpose is.’

In his book One Big Thing, Phil Cooke writes: ‘I’ve never been a fan of the person who invented the “open door policy”. Sure, we want to be accessible to employees and co-workers, but at some point it’s time to shut the door and get to work. After your next interruption by a visitor, make a note of how long it takes to get back to your previous level of intensity and focus. You’ll be shocked at how much time that steals from your day… Too often other people’s needs come before our dream. Obviously we need to care for our children, honour our spouses, and deal with our primary responsibilities around our families or jobs. But the first step in achieving our dream is to take responsibility for it. That means scheduling it, and “unscheduling” the lesser needs of co-workers and friends. These daily commitments chip away at our time, and before long our dream gets lost in the shuffle. Stop doing what other people think is urgent, and start focusing on what matters to you.’

And more importantly, what matters to God!