When I set out to write our first round of preschool curriculum, I gave myself a deadline of one year to get it launched. It was a huge undertaking, so one year sounded reasonable, right?
Then I talked with a friend of mine who thought it could be done faster.
“David,” he said. “What if there was a law passed that said you had to launch it in three months? How would you do it?”
It seemed overwhelming. But, goodness, there was a law passed! I had to get it done or, what, I’d go to jail?! Be subject to months of hard labor?!
Alright, obviously none of that would happen, but the “if there was a law passed” mindset got to me. It forced me to think differently. How would I get this done in three months – if there was a law passed that I had to get it done?
I readjusted my scheduled. I prioritized and put non-essential tasks on hold. I eliminated unimportant things. I built a team. And I did it. 3 months later, GO! Preschool Curriculum was available to churches and it was REALLY good! Not only so, we had done it in a quarter of the time we had originally allotted. All because of a simple question…
What if there was a law?
What I discovered through this exercise is that no matter how much time I give myself to accomplish something big, that’s how much time it takes me. If I give myself a year, it takes me a year. If I give myself 3 months to do that same thing, it takes me 3 months. The benefit of giving myself less time is that it forces me to prioritize and cut out non-essential activities.
So what about you?
What if there was a law passed that you had to recruit ten new volunteers in the next month? How would you do it? Remember—it’s the law…you’ve got to!
What if there was a law passed that you had to overhaul your first time visitor experience in the next month? How would you do it? There’s a law.
What if there was a law passed that you had to create and implement a new child discipleship program in the next 2 months? How would you do it? There’s a law.
Too often, the most important parts of our job get delayed or even dropped because we fail to prioritize or we believe the goal is more insurmountable than it really is. But when you ask yourself, “What if there was a law?” it forces you to approach your challenges in a different way.
It’s so simple, but I hope the next time you’re facing what feels like an insurmountable problem or task you’ll ask apply this question.
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