Are you preparing to finish well?

Timely reminder – It’s not how you start, but how you finish. (Think tortoise and hare.)

·      How will you finish this month? (That’s today!)

·      How will 2020 end for you? (Only one month to go)

·      How will your life end? (Most important)

First off, today is the final day of November, so what have you got to get done? 

It will take focus, discipline and avoiding distractions, but you can do it!

And once you get your list completed, begin thinking about next month’s list. Preparation is a key to success. Taken from the words of my Grad Teaching Assistant in Accounting 228:

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

Second, you’ve got one month to find the good in 2020 and/or turn it around to finish the year on a positive note. This year has been chock-full of challenges. However, did you know that every challenge presents an opportunity? Find a way, if not several ways, to turn recent adversities into opportunities.

·      Contact someone who is struggling to check on them, pray for them

·      Reach out to clients and donors who have stuck with you this year, say thanks

·      Share a success from your family, organization or business to provide hope

·      Let folks know that you sincerely care about them as an individual, as a friend

Finally, have you thought about life lately and how it will end? Solomon says that God “has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart” (Ecc 3:11). Which may bring to mind questions such as

·      What’s my purpose and am I even close to finding it?

·      What do I really want to do with my life?

·      Is this as good as it gets?

I’ve heard it said that once you become a believer, a child of God and a follow of Jesus, that you will never completely find true fulfillment. There will always be a less-than-satisfied feeling because we have set our sights on a better heavenly home with our Creator. So how shall we live out our days on earth? 

A wealthy man asked Jesus a similar question. He was trying to do all the right things, but could not find satisfaction. To which Christ replied,

“Love God and love people.” 

The challenge is to finish strong – today, this year, and your life. 

Make it happen.