"The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals." ~ Melody Beattie

Today I picked up this little book and started reading through it again.  It's called - Conquering An Enemy Called Average by John Mason 52 "nuggets of truth" that will put mediocrity and unfulfilled dreams where they belong - out of your life!   Then the same morning started bible study with Joyce Meyer listening to one of her tapes about being focused on your purpose and stop allowing distractions to steal you away from achieving your dreams!  It was amazing how one leads to another. 

So think about this.  Are U sometimes your worst enemy?  Do you sometimes allow other people and circumstances to control you?  Isn't it time to start living your life on purpose and stay focused on your calling?  Whatever that may be.    God has an assignment for you, a specific purpose for your life.

Our lives today are so filled with distractions from faxes, beepers, cell phones, emails, voice mails, television, and advertisements, not to mention all the Internet distractions!  All of these distractions can tend to steal us away from our real purpose.    People, circumstances and life in general can sometimes keep us away from doing what we are supposed to be doing.   Multi-tasking can often cause confusion and distraction from what we set out to do in the first place.  

Does this ever happen to you?   You set out to do something that day and then end up doing so many other things and that one important thing you really meant to do never get completed?     I set out to do some laundry, then see the dishes in the sink, then see that the floor needs vacuumed, and then my plants have to be watered and come back in to realize I left the washer going and forgot to take the clothes out and put them in the dryer to complete!

Do you go on conference training calls and then multi-task while listening and end up not absorbing anything of what you heard?  Ok, I will admit to this too, guilty as charged!    In fact, I have to stop myself and focus on the task at hand so I can actually learn something.   Just the other day I was listening to one of Dani Johnson's spiritual equipping messages while online checking some other website and email at the same time. Dang, now I'll have to go back and listen to it again and this time really focus on the message to put it into action!    

When I get away from the computer and go into my quiet room and listen to cd's or tapes with a notebook in hand it's a different story.  I actually absorb everything I'm listening to because that's all I'm focusing on at the moment.   Then it's time to put that knowledge into action on purpose.

When we multi-task too much we can actually waste more time because we end up not completing an important task that we set out to do in the first place.  Make sense?

When taking the time to focus intently on priorities, positive things start to happen.  Sometimes this means saying no to many good opportunities so that we can say yes to only the best opportunities.   Sometimes it means we may even have to move away from certain people to accomplish the purpose God has for our lives.

We read in the bible that Moses had to get away from everyone he knew for years just so he could focus on the purpose or assignment that God had for him.  The disciples were called away from everyone they knew including their own families.  They dropped everything they had including their well paying careers to follow Jesus on an important mission.  They had a purpose and they were intently focused on that mission and nothing was going to distract them.

When we are not focused we tend to sabotage our own purpose and end up being our own worst enemy.  John Mason wrote, "I believe you will only find happiness when you are in a position of going somewhere wholeheartedly, in one direction without regret or reservation.  Do what you are doing while you are doing it. The more complicated you are, the more ineffective you will become."

In the bible, Paul too had a purpose to run the good race.  He was focused on his calling and most importantly the purpose was to finish the race for which he was called.

How will you respond to the call on your life?   What will you stay focused on to completion?   Do you know your purpose and assignment? 

"Cast all your cares on God; that anchor holds!"  Alfred, Lord Tennyson