Day 5 - The Daily Plan

What I know for a fact after watching six daughters go through their first semester of school is that we need a routine. Now, you might be one of those few students that's already keeping a task list and keeping up with a calendar. But the fact is, every study shows that most of us at your age don't take those things seriously. We don't take the management of ourselves seriously. But I want to encourage you to take this seriously - I want you to have this quantum leap that lets you rise above whatever the norm might be. Be in that top 20 percent. Be in that top 10 percent. Accomplish something extraordinary, because you have been created to do the extraordinary. To do that we have to build a routine.

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” This text special to me because my granddad gave me a Bible just before he died. And inside that bible, that he wrote this verse. And beneath the verse, he wrote boys “boy when you live this you'll be wildly successful.” So in this first semester of college I want to pass on to you 2 Timothy 2:15.

Here's the big part about it: “correctly explains the word of truth.” To correctly explain explain the world of truth, you've got to be in the Word of Truth. So let me walk you through a morning routine that I think will be super helpful for you, and you will only really need about seven minutes to accomplish this. First, I write down three things that I am grateful for. What you will do by changing the world will always start with a sense of gratitude. Write down three things you're grateful for every single morning. Right after that, I read a piece of scripture and I read a short commentary on it.

When I’m done with that, I answer two questions. One, What's the most important thing that I need to get done today? And two, What is a statement of affirmation for my day? which usually sounds something like this: “I am going to be a focused and determined leader today,” or “I'm going to be a passionate student today,” or “I'm going to tackle this different assignment for me today.” Whatever that daily affirmation is, grab it and hold on to it.

Shortly after that I begin praying. Now the first thing I pray for is my family. Secondly, I ask the Lord to do whatever he's doing in my life, and whatever I need Him to do to go walk before me to go within me to come behind me. Third I began to pray for other people that I know are in need. Some of them are friends, some of them church members, some of them are just folks that I've passed that said “Would you pray for me?”

Now right after that I do something that's very difficult; I stop and I get quiet and I listen. Now because I'm the kind of person is a little ADD, I like to have music in my ears on my headset while I'm doing this. I typically pick a song from Hillsong Worship or Hillsong United or Elevation Worship, and I used the song as a timer. I'll usually have two songs worth of that time. I call it a time of meditation, which is I sit still and listen for God, I read about God, I'm grateful to God, and I study the things of God.

When I make God a part of the biggest part of my day, then what I have at hand is I have the ability to correctly explain the word of truth. I've worked hard so I can present myself to God and receive his approval. Can you see how these two things go hand in glove? You may think, “I cannot get up seven minutes earlier” - If you're not a morning person, do it at night. If you have to, do it in the middle of the day. But determine in your life and in your heart that if you want to wildly succeed in this first semester, you need to make time to answer these questions; What am I grateful for, what part of Scripture am I reading, what is well short commentary that helps me understand the scripture, what am I going to accomplish today, and what's an affirmation for my day. You can do that on the Sugar Hill Church app in the Daily Ah-Ha, or you can just write down what I said and commit your time to a morning midday or evening time of meditation.

But if you want to really conquer what's ahead of you in this freshman year get a time of meditation into your schedule. Every study on the planet says it will help you in every way; better at studying, better at your work, better at your learning, better you're listening. I could go on and on and on, and I want you to experience the goodness and the greatness of God as he works in your life. So go ahead, get after that routine and get after it with a passion.

Looking for tools to help you establish a morning routine? Check out Power Routines and the Weekday Meditation!

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