As a child, I remember countdowns…
(Most of this blog is from several years ago but is applicable today.)
- Christmas
- School Starts
- Vacation
- Swimming
- Go-Cart riding
- Trail Biking
- Birthday
- Rocket Launches
- Dinner
- Sitter
- Ball games
- Grandparents
- Lake Murvaul
- Ace
- 6 Flags
You know, “Are we there yet?” kind of events. Antsy… (Ants in your pants) kind of anticipation.
As a child, there was something special about looking forward to an event, counting down the months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and even seconds, until something special happens.
Even today, I have this attitude.
I’m looking forward to our first Thanksgiving in a while since the kids have been close enough for us to celebrate the event together. Of course, Emma gets to join us for the first time! House cleaning, family time prep, food list, etc…
Before much longer I get to fly to Israel and spend 10 days seeing some really ancient historical places I have only read and studied about. Packing, gadgets, paperwork, study…
Still, nothing happens successfully unless you plan to make it happen.. You can just “let” things happen, for the event will be full of holes and the experience might not be as productive as possible.
Every major event in life has a Countdown. There are many steps that must be documented, planned and acted upon in order to see success. That is where I am now. Planning with the number of days and hours dwindling down until the event, trying to finish details along the way.
Everything has a list. Every event has a separate list. Pulling all the lists together into a master action plan is a juggling act, day to day.
Nestled in the Proverbs is a scripture that helps me day to day.
Pro 6:6-8 KJV Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: (7) Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, (8) Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
No guide. No one looking over her shoulder. No one ruling the day. She works and stores against the day that there is nothing so that there is provision in the house. Wisdom in the preparation when no one forces you to. Satisfaction at the end of the hard work. Needs met.
Growing up in Texas we dealt with Fire Ants. Without control they would take over a yard. We tried to burn them out – they dug deeper. You did not really want poison all over they yard where kids and pets roamed. So, we would put some laundry detergent on the nest, flood it with water, and watch the ants grab all their eggs and begin fleeing destruction. Use enough water and you could chase them out of your yard and into the ditch and let someone else deal with them.
The one thing I remember, every ant worked on saving the future of their species. With no control, simply an internal mechanism that made them grab the eggs and flee to safety.
Whether you are planning for a vacation, the purchase of a big ticket item, the introduction to new life in your world, or even retirement – you are responsible for yourself to make the Countdown Productive!
When piloting a cross country in Alaska, my instructor always said, “Plan your flight and fly your plan! That way everyone will know where you are SUPPOSED to be!”
Finally…. I was fortunate to have worked the Y2K project for Alyeska Pipeline back in the day. These memories will stay with me for a long time to come, and yet this was one of the largest countdowns I had worked on. Somewhere, and sometime, I picked up this Countdown clock. It did it’s duty to countdown to the final seconds of 1999, and then started counting upwards away from the base of Zero. After Today it is simply a clock that works like a regular clock.
It, and many other things in life, are simple reminders that each second, minute, hour, day, week, month and year counts. Let’s make each day count! Let’s plan for success!