Another year’s gone, and time shows no signs of slowing down! Do you ever get to the end of one year, or the beginning of another, and wonder where time went?
I’m grateful to say it’s less difficult to know than it used to be. Specifics might get lost, but I’ve spent several recent New Years taking in the moment, because we start each year differently than most people do.
Maybe you’d like to be able to do this as well. I enjoy spending the final days of December asking myself, “Did I accomplish what I set out to do in the last twelve months?” The answer is almost always “Yes!”
It could be luck, or blessing, or leading a fantastic team in the hard work of planning and goal-setting. Personally, I happen to think it’s all three. It’s the reward of a life lived in community, accountability to other men and perpetual growth mode.
It’s the kind of life we lead as members of the Iron Sharpens Iron Mastermind. If you’re hungry for this kind of perspective at the end of December 2020, I want to encourage you to visit our website and fill out an application.
The 2019 Review
You might read this and think, “Aw, come on, Big A, you’re just putting lipstick on a pig.” Don’t worry; I came prepared.
At the beginning of every year, I lay out a vision to my team and the members of our mastermind groups online, and then publicly on my YouTube channel. If you think this is phony, I invite you to go check out this video I recorded back in January 2019.
As usual, the vision proceeded from the timeless fountain of operating in my calling from God - transforming men’s lives through personal and professional development.
As a Christian life coach, I don’t believe you can skip this step. In the Bible, you can find in 2 Timothy 1:9 that God has “saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we’ve done, but because of his own purpose and grace.”
If this is true, you’d better not be making this stuff up on your own!
So here’s just a sample of how 2019 turned out. The original goals are in boldface, and the results are in regular text.
My heart longs for men to be real. I want to reintroduce what statesmanship looks like. I want to encourage men to be trustworthy and honorable. I want to walk alongside men and show them what transparency looks like, and show them that a real man is authentic.
I want to aid men in critiquing and rebuilding their daily lifestyle until it becomes a good habit - never settling for anything less than their desired goal, and forgoing the best outcome just because it might require a greater amount of energy and effort.
This is just the beginning! I’ve seen this happen many times in 2019, to so many of the members of our master mind groups. Ordinary men become extraordinary men by owning their lives, pushing right through upper limit challenges and retaining integrity of soul by being authentic, trustworthy and statesmanlike.
I want every man to show up strong in faith and get what they need from God to lead their families well. I want them to have character above reproach; when they make a decision, their finances are not their first line of defense. I want men to make the best decision; not just any decision. Just because something’s permissible, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.
I want to train men to make the right choice even if it costs them. I want only one man to show up, regardless of who’s present. When he’s alone, it’s no different than when his spouse is at home. I want men to make decisions they’re happy to share when their sons or daughters are present.
Praise God, we are seeing the men of Iron Sharpens Iron get more intentional, more consistent and more reliable in these categories every day! Though it’s been painful sometimes to hear their tearful confessions, I’ve seen them quickly recover huge tracks of spiritual ground they’d previously ceded to the enemy.
Have you had enough of chaos, uncertainty and hardship dominating your life? You can gain the upper hand, but not without a strong allied force backing you up. Follow this link to apply for the 2020 Iron Sharpens Iron Mastermind.
I want to teach men that their reliance on Christ is paramount, not an option or afterthought. I want to show them it’s okay to say, “I don’t know” or “I need some help.” I want them to know that strength starts with transparency, often when we’re at our most vulnerable.
I want to train men to laugh and cry with their children, and be okay in doing so. I want them to treat their wives like royalty, because in the marriage relationship, they are! I want men to handle their wives like fragile vases, and place high value on their thoughts and interests.
I’ve seen it, over and over again! I’ve seen men say “I need help, I don’t know what I’m doing” so many times this year.
I’ve heard them say, “Big A, I spent more time playing and connecting with my kids this week than I had in the previous month!”
Can you imagine the positive feedback I receive from these men’s wives? What kind of e-mail do you think your wife would send to our team if you started living this way, treating her like royalty and caring about what she thinks? What would that do for the passion and vitality of your marriage?
Now is The Time
When I read the Scriptures, I’m always struck by how Jesus’ disciples lived after he ascended into heaven.
We have the benefit of hindsight to say that they were a little “off” on the timing of Jesus’ second coming, don’t we? Yet it’s clear when you read how the early church lived, they didn’t waste a second of their remaining years on earth.
Isn’t it about time you did the same thing? How much closer are we now to Jesus’ return than they were?
Friend, there’s no time to lose. Find yourself a mentor or coach, somewhere you can live in community without having to fake your way through life. Online mastermind groups are one of the surest ways to do it.
Now is the time to join Iron Sharpens Iron. Not tomorrow, not next week … NOW.
Happy New Year from all of us at View From the Top!
