7 Reasons Why You Need a Written Life Plan

Last week, I did a teleseminar for a group of 150 financial advisors. We talked about the importance of creating a written life plan.

A Businessman with a Map - Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/urbancow, Image #3222307

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/urbancow

Even though these professionals routinely create financial plans for their clients, most had never considered creating a life plan for themselves. It was a new idea. They wanted to know why I thought this was important.

Five Consequences of a Life Out of Balance

If you are working more than fifty-five hours a week, you are working too much and likely out of balance. You may be able to work more than this for a season, but it is not sustainable. If you persist in working this much—or more—something will eventually break.

A Business Person Trying to Maintain His Balance - Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/bowie15, Image #13200637

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/bowie15

When I first began my publishing career, I was determined to succeed. Part of what drove me was fear. I didn’t have any experience, and I was scared to death I would be found out.

Where Do You Put Yourself in Your List of Priorities?

If you are a Christian, God obviously comes first. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). He is the ultimate priority. Until He is first, everything else will seem out of kilter.

A Flight Attendant Demonstrating an EMergy Oxygen Mask - Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/sjlocke, Image #15019236

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/sjlocke

But who comes second. You know, after God? This is where it gets tricky.

How to Create Margin in Your Overly Busy Life

Most people I know still feel overwhelmed by life’s demands. Despite all the gadgets and gizmos, they don’t have more time. They are only getting busier—and falling further and further behind.

Stressed Man Rubbing His Eyes - Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/sandoclr, Image #53566

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/sandoclr

Sadly, many people are convinced their situation is temporary:

How Do You Delegate If You Don’t Have a Staff?

Whenever I write or speak on the topic of delegation (as I did yesterday), I always get a question from someone who says, “But what if you don’t have a staff? How can you delegate?” This question typically comes from staff people, technicians, stand-alone professionals, or start-up entrepreneurs. It’s a great question.

7 Strategies for Keeping the Internet from Taking Over Your Life

This is a guest post by Karyn Brownlee. She speaks for various women’s events and teaches a women’s Bible study at Prestonwod Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. She has written a six-week Bible study, resources for women in ministry, and numerous devotionals. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

I don’t know about you, but I am suffering from information overload. Regardless of where I begin, I seem to fall into a black hole of never-ending links on an unquenchable search for mind stimulation. Let’s face it, without boundaries the internet can become an addiction.

Two Approaches to Influencing the Family

Yesterday was a very full day at Catalyst in Atlanta. The conference officially begins today, so yesterday was full of smaller workshops on a variety of topics. I attended with my daughter, Megan Miller, and my communications director, Lindsey Nobles. Matt Baugher, one of our publishers at Thomas Nelson, joined for the afternoon sessions.

Book Notes: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

I have been a Marcus Buckingham devotee for years. As you may recall, he is the one who started the “strengths revolution” with the New York Times bestseller, Now Discover Your Strengths. This month we will publish Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently. In a moment, I will tell you how to get a copy FREE if you are a blogger.

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I have worked hard to incorporate Marcus’ principles into my own personal development and leadership philosophy. In fact, we have built it into our performance reviews at my company, Thomas Nelson.

Priority Management and Life Balance

Most people believe that somehow, if they can just find the right system, they can get everything done. I think this is a myth bordering on an outright lie. You can’t do it all. Time is a limited resource. This is just something you have to understand and accept.

One Stupid Decision Away

By all accounts, Steve McNair, the Titans famed quarterback, was a gifted leader. He led the Titans to the playoffs four times and eventually to Super Bowl XXXIV. He was loved by teammates, fans, and the media. In Nashville, he was a local hero.

A Fork in the Road - Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/ilbusca, Image #3253553

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/ilbusca

But off the field, his life gradually unraveled. He was arrested for DUI and illegal gun possession in 2003. Four years later, in 2007, he was again arrested for DUI, along with his brother-in-law. He was traded to the Baltimore Ravens in 2005 and then retired in April 2008 at the age of 35.

Don’t Wake Up Dead

Inside of every tragedy, there’s always a little comedy. Last week, in the wake of the sad news about Michael Jackson’s untimely death, his former attorney, Brian Oxman, appeared on Fox & Friends. He made some startling claims about Michael’s prescription drug use.

picture of a flower on a grave

Then he said, “I warned everyone that I could. I said to family members that one day, that Michael Jackson was going to wake up dead.”

What I Love About My Wife

Indulge me. Today is Valentine’s Day. At the Hyatt household it is the third most important holiday of the year, right after Easter and Christmas.

Creating an Annual Time Block

Stephen Covey tells the story in First Things First of attending a seminar, in which the instructor pulled out a wide-mouth gallon jar. He sat it on the table next to some fist-sized rocks.

A Self-Imposed Media Fast

I’m tired of the relentless torrent of bad news coming from the media. I feel like I am stuck in a recession version of Ground Hog Day. The names and places change with each story, but underneath the veneer, it’s the same story-line:

The Wealth Wall Street Can’t Touch

I watched in amazement this week as the stock market continued its downward slide. Every time I checked the news, I braced myself for increasingly dire reports. When the market finally closed on Friday afternoon, I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the DOW did not end below 8,000 points.

Life Is Like a Tapestry

This morning I had breakfast with Fitz, an old college roommate. We hadn’t seen each other in twenty-two years. To my surprise—and delight—he looked almost exactly as he did the last time I saw him. The only difference was that his blond hair was mostly gray.

A Beautiful Tapestry - Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/InCommunicado, Image #4413064

We spent an hour or so eating and reminiscing. We talked. We laughed. And we listened. I shared with him pictures of my family, both of us laughing at the fact that I was a grandpa. I was amazed at how much we still had in common, even though both our lives and taken so many unexpected turns.

The Perfect Moment

Last night, my daughter Mary and her husband, Chris, came over. The weather was unseasonably warm, so we sat out on the porch and talked. We reminisced about their wedding among other things. We laughed. We even cried. It was a rich, full time.

Don’t Leave God Out of Your Plans

I have written much about planning and goal setting. It would be easy to get the idea that if you just plan well enough or persist long enough you will succeed. Frankly, I don’t think this is enough.

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