Looking for success? Have dreams you wish would come true? Studies show that only 8% of people who set goals each new year actually reach them. You’ll probably just keep on looking and wishing — unless you identify the three people who can make it happen, and make them get to work.
So, who are these three people? They’re people you already know. You know them quite well, actually. And, believe it or not, you are already their boss. They are always available and always on call, but they do nothing until you insist.
Okay, it’s really not three different people, but it’s three very different forms of one person: YOU! Whether you realize it or not, you do have these three fellows living inside you. How you control and maneuver them will influence your future more than anything else you will ever do.
Let’s meet these guys.
The first one is the Explorer. You’ve got to free him to connect with God and find your purpose in His plan. This Explorer is the visionary who can mesh your gifting and personality traits with God’s call, and identify what success will look like for you. He will sort through the myriad of dreams you have, and will hone in on the ones that fit. He will paint a vision of your future in full color with vivid details that will ignite the passion in your soul, and will guide you to the purpose for which you were born.
Excitement and energy will fill the big picture of your life and future when you allow the Explorer free reign to dream and pray and reach. And when he has it visualized, it’s time to let him rest for a bit and put person number two to work.
This second fellow is the Manager. He’s not as exciting or energetic as the Explorer, but he does what the Explorer cannot. He takes the picture the Explorer shows him and creates a step-by-step process to build it. The Manager takes the concepts and ideas that the Explorer has identified, and turns them into daily actions that, when accumulated, will produce exactly what the Explore envisioned. (Maybe not exactly, but that’s for a later discussion because the Explorer’s work is never finished). From the Explorer’s vision, the Manager will design a blueprint that will show you how your lofty dreams can become a reality.
Most people tend to let the Explorer run too long because it feels good once he’s in the groove. However, until the Manager gets to work, nothing else happens. So, once the Explorer has led you to the right vision of success, you’ve got to summon the Manager and put him to work. And when the Manager has the blueprint finished, it’s time to wake up that third person.
This guy is the Slave. In order for you to achieve success and see your dreams come true, there’s got to be somebody who will not question the Explorer’s vision or the Manager’s plan, but will take each day’s task list and attack it with relentless resolve; a guy who refuses to stop working until every assignment is completed. The Slave doesn’t cut corners or settle for good enough, but he completes each task exactly as the Manager has drawn it on the blueprint. He just does today’s work. He lets the Manager worry about how this project fits into the master plan, and he lets the Explorer wonder if all the pieces will match the vision in his head. The Slave focuses only on the task before him and gives it his best.
And right here is where your dream faces its greatest challenge. It’s tempting to let the Explorer keep on dreaming. The Manager is never quite sure he’s got the plan perfectly in place. He’ll revise and review until he grows old and gray headed if you let him. But having a compelling vision and crystal clear plans will never lead you to success — until the Slave pulls on his gloves and gets to work.
Say again now why you can’t find success or fulfill your dreams? Who’s blocking your way? What’s holding you back?
If you get these three guys working for you, there’s not much that can stand in your way. Focus on getting the Explorer, the Manager, and the Slave to do their jobs, and most of what stands between you and success will fade like a late morning fog.
You’re their boss. Put them to work!
