The Test of Timing on Decisions

John Maxwell is an amazing author and leader. His writing grab your attention in every way.

Today I share his thoughts on “Timing” and "Decisions". Maybe it will be a help to you today as you deal with certain “timing” issues in your life.

The Test of Timing
Make sure that each decision you make stands the test of timing. To help determine if it is the right time to seize an opportunity, consider the following…

1. The Needs Around you
When you keep a finger on the pulse of your people’s basic needs, you will always find an opportune time to lead.

Get in touch with (your)people’s needs. Then make a point to continually ask: What is their mood? What do they desire to accomplish? What do they need from me, their leader?

2. Opportunities Before You
You find right opportunities only by looking for them. When you take time to spot golden opportunities, they start to stick out.

(Often we are too caught up in the nothingness of life and we have no time to look around. A game on the internet came consume valuable time researching what could possibly be.)

3. Influences Behind You
Before you make an important decision, ask your key influencers what they are feeling. Do they see the same opportunity you do? Are they discerning the same timing? When trying to discern the right time to take action, you must get feedback from your key people.

4. The Success Under You
Experience provides practical advice, so take a minute to recall your successes. Have you done anything like this before? Is it reasonable to expect the same outcome from this decision?

5. The Courage Within You
Leadership requires courage – the courage to risk, to reach, and to put yourself on the line to seize an opportunity. The word courage comes from a French word that means “heart”. Taking advantage of an opportunity at the right time requires heart.

Fear will try to get you to back down and it will also try to get the better of you. Good leaders understand that ripe opportunities never come without fear. They move forward despite a moment of hesitation.

Side Thoughts
Now place this ‘grid on an idea’ over your own life. Say you are a mother… you are the leader. How does it fit into your life with your kids? You are their ‘manager’ and ‘boss’.

What if you are going to change jobs right now? How do these words fit into your life?

What if you need to launch a new business at this time?

The words of wisdom, offered in solid thoughts by John Maxwell, came to me came as a result of a study he offered on the lady named Esther. Esther saved the Jewish people from potential extinction by the valuable use of Timing.

Did you catch the five points and what is being shown here?

Did you see the Around you, Before you, Behind you, Under you, and Within you?

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~