‘I’m aiming to be successful.’ It’s a phrase I’ve heard in conversation countless times.
From the student seeking good grades, to the individual pursuing promotion, or the young mum launching a new midweek group, to the team member setting out on the new church plant, people want success. And understandably so. No-one sets out on a venture determined to fail. No-one aspires to be that person who ‘does mediocrity well’.
The trouble is, when we are aiming to be ‘successful’ we often focus primarily on the end goal: the grades, the appointment, the efficacy of the event, or the growth (numerical and spiritual) in our church. Our definition of success has its locus in progress not process – we focus far more on the measurables than the methods we employ.
