Every year I vow to get better than the prior year.  There are a few reasons why I've become successful in the past few years.  The primary reason is that I always only pick a few major things that need changing so that I can really tear it up next year.  It may be weight loss, or working out or reading for personal growth or being better at being connected wtih family.....whatever, but my huge list of to dos are gone.  I have two or three critical things to help me just kick it.

Next....I re-visit my life plan.  My life plan is awesome.  I wrote one in 2002.  I've re-written it three times since then, each time improving on the plans of my past.  I just wrote in depth about this in October. 

The BUILDING CHAMPIONS EXPERIENCE - PART I

 The BUILDING CHAMPIONS EXPERIENCE - PART II

 What I love about life planning is that you are setting a course...ON PURPOSE.  The bible says that you can set your course, but it is God who directs your steps.  I just feel that without a purpose, I'd just feel a lot of emptiness...not in a preachy way, but in a way, that's like "what's my purpose?  What am I trying to accomplish and how am I going to get there, you know?

Ultimately, you need to identify your ultimate core values, your gaps and the direction that you need to go in order to live your life the fullest. I've attached the first page of my three page life plan as a sample format.  You'll see that I put down, in order, the things that are most important to me.  Then I identify whay it's so important to me.  Next I state what my gaps are and finally I end up stateing what I need to do in order to IMPROVE in these areas.  After it's all complete I keep 3 copies with me.  One in my briefcase.  One at work and one in the car.  I pull it out and read it often, preferably, every week.  Then I review and modify it every quarter. 

LARRY'S LIFE PLAN

Ultimately I think of my high school teacher, Frank Bucaro.  In referencing Elizabeth Kubler Ross' book "on death and dying," Frank noted that many people who died and were brought back to life had a similar experience.  They said that as they stood before God, their own life was replayed before them.  God showed them every detail and moment of their life.  Then God rewound each one of their lives and said this is how I had intended for your life to be lived.  I don't really care if it's true or not, but if that option is .00000001% chance of being true, then I need to live my life as close to the path that God has chosen for me.  I really believe that it is to Kick Ass, but mostly to Kick Ass for Christ.  So, in doing such, I've come up with this plan that I want to adhere to as best as I can.  I've reduced this down so that it may be attainable and measureable.  REMEMBER to live in fear is to have a life where I will have all the opportunity to live in regret while I look back.

GOD

Need a real relationship with God, my Father.  When I say real, it can't be like it was in the past.  I have to be passionate and try to cultivate a relationship as I would with my wife, my kids, my family or best friends.  I need to know Him and hear Him.  What was done in the past is not acceptable today.  I need to strive, lust and passionately get deeper with Him.  If I don't, I'll fail to achieve all that He has set forth before me.

Purpose:  If I don't live this way, I drift.  When I drift I screw up big time.  I fall back to sin and I neglect those with whom I've been called to affect.  There can be no wavering here.

Plan:  15-30 minutes of bible reading each day.  15-30 minutes of alone prayer time a day where I seek him in a passionate manner. 

FAMILY

My wife and I spend quality time with each other.  We become each other's best friends in a deeper and more real way continually.  We love each other and build each other up.  We're both quick to listen and quick to forgive.  We encourage each other to invest in each other's personal solo interests, but still cultivate our mutual interests.  We seek to honor God through honoring each other. 

Plan:  2 vacations with each other annually.  Two date nights per month.

CHILDREN

My kids want me to be their dad until they're 100.  They love me and love the fact that I'm so invested in their success.  I'm so invested in them.  They are to grow up to be better than me.  I'm fair, but tough as life is tough.  I listen to them and am not a dictator or order giver.  But I don't bend on teaching them what's right irrespective of their friends or even their own feelings.  I encourage their faith and want them to deepen their relationship with Christ.  I want them to be fishers of men having them so that when the get older they can give others hope.  They are instilled with the fact that they are pillars in the next generation.  My decisions for them are based on who I want them to be when they are 18 or 21, not what their friends are doing. 

Purpose:

That I honor God and myself by loving my wife and children.  That my kids will join us in heaven and that they become all that God has designed them to be.  I am used as a catalyst for their journey.

 Plan:

Schedule to make every kid's event that possible and reasonable.

One on one with each kid every two weeks with quality alone time.

Two times per week, hang out in each kids bed with them for quality time.

Guys weekend two times per year with the boys.

Girls weekend with the girls.

1 daddy daughter dates...real dates per quarter

 My list, obviously goes on, but it's not to be used as a guide, but rather as a sample format.  I find that by having this together, I have more of a planned purpose and accountability in living my life on purpose.