Catch up with yourself … that’s a weird statement. What does that mean?
Over time, we mature. We experience life’s disappointments, unfulfilled expectations, and even the painful consequences of our mistakes and choices. As a result, we grow and we begin to want different things. Desire more for our life. We want to be somebody different. We have these thoughts and ideas and desires to be someone better than we are now. We want to be this new person but we find ourselves doing the same old things, thinking the same old thoughts, and experiencing the same old … stuck. I would say we just haven't caught up with ourselves.
For example, there are college athletes right now that want to be the starter on their team and a high level player. They really want to be the leader on the team. But what they find themselves doing is sitting on the edge of the bed still playing Playstation or Xbox. And instead of working to become the person and player they really want to be, they find themselves laying on the bed flicking through social media for hours. So what I would say is this person hasn't caught up with themselves. They haven't caught up with the person that they really want to be.
Do you feel the tension between where you are and where you want to be? Who you are currently and who you would rather be? Have you just gone with the flow in your career or your personal life? Have you let your feelings and circumstances call the shots leaving you well short of where you thought you’d be by now?
If so, all is not lost! There is a way to make a change and catch up with yourself. It is as simple as putting together a puzzle.
There are 4 critical steps to effectively putting together a puzzle:
1. Referring to the picture on the box
2. Finding the corner pieces
3. Connecting all of the edges
4. Filling in the middle
These 4 steps of puzzle building line up with the 4 necessary, intentional steps you can take to catch up to yourself.
1. Define what you want in the next season of your life (picture on the box top)
2. Identify areas of personal growth (corners)
3. Choose the thoughts that will inspire, motivate, and empower you to grow in those areas (edges)
4. Commit to the specific actions that you know will produce growth and progress (middle pieces)
Andy Stanley said “Everyone ends up somewhere. Why not end up somewhere on purpose?” Catching up with yourself is all about getting intentional with your life. Putting together a plan based on the 4 steps and then diligently working your plan. Be encouraged. You can close the gap between where you are and where you want to be. You can engage a process of catching up with yourself and end up somewhere on purpose.