The first time I studied 1 John to really understand it, I was puzzled by the closing sentence: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”  It’s the only time the word ‘idols’ appears in the whole letter.  After a while I realized he was writing about idols all along without using that word.

Idols are anything we worship which is out of step with the true character of God.  Everyone will worship something (and likely many things) because humans are designed to worship and serve. 

We don’t use the language of idols much except when we’re speaking in “Christianese” to others who are also fluent in Christianese.

Perhaps we should consider using the word ‘addiction.’  That resonates today.  We have both good and bad addictions.  Humans are neurologically prone to addiction.  The pleasure and pain reinforcement loops are incredibly powerful, even though we have agency and will.  Everyone has at least tasted of the power of addiction. Therefore, we have a long-suffering sympathy for addicts who try and try and try again to escape a life-stealing addiction.

We can foster good addictions. Addictions to smiles, hugs, laughter, simple rhythms.  Addictions to good books and rich stories.  Addictions to simpler foods and plain water.  Addictions to walking and movement and flexibility.  Addictions to praise and worship of the One who is Worthy.

What happens if you get 5% better each year?  We’re an impatient species so it’s important to remind ourselves of the power of continued progress over time.

5% better each year means that after 30 years you’ll be 4.3 times better.

10% better each year?  You’ll be 17.4 times better.

What if you could reduce your weaknesses and vulnerability by 5% each year?  After 30 years you would be 5x less vulnerable.  10% reduction each year would mean you would be 25x less vulnerable.

Consistency matters immensely. This is a key part of playing the long game.  Especially when you can’t know precisely how long it is.

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A friend is looking forward to retirement because of his increasing frustration with his job situation.  “Only 132 more Mondays, Glenn!  I can endure it.”

Years ago, I heard a men’s speaker describing how precious Saturdays are with his boys.  He calculated how many Saturdays he had left until his youngest son turned 18.  He bought that many marbles and put them in a big jar in his bedroom.  Each Saturday night he would take out a marble and throw it in the trash.  The shrinking jar of marbles became a powerful visual reminder of where to put his energy and attention.

Another friend of mine has been sober for over a decade.  He can tell you the years, months, and days since his last drink.  He has a calendar near his desk and every night he puts a red X through the day.  “I keep the chain going.”  He likes the advice of long-distance hikers: Never quit on a bad day.

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

Numbering is important.  Numbering gives us perspective. Numbering helps us live better.

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There are times when numbering does not help.  When the drill sergeant barks, “Do pushups until I get tired” it will not help to count.  When you’re sitting with your elderly loved one who no longer recognizes you because of advanced dementia, it will not help to count.  When you need to defeat the temptation to compare your life to another, counting will not help. When you’re in a situation with no possible way to see the end, the only counting which matters is whatever counting helps you get to the next day. Or the next hour.

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Everyone you know is counting things, marking events and times – some excellent, some bitter, some bittersweet.  Remembering this helps us be generous and gracious with others.

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One of the encouraging themes in the Bible is that God sees us.  He knows all our counting, from the number of hairs on our heads, to the days of our suffering in exile, to the days until we meet someone again, to the great Day of restoring all things.  This helps us trust God, even when our counting feels like a burden.

I recently heard these infuriating words four times in one week: “I’m working on it.”  No specifics about when I should expect results.  No sense of commitment.  The only polite thing I could do as a follow-up was to ask, “You’re obviously busy, so when should I ask you about this again?”

There is another way, a better way.

When you’re given a task or project that will take more than a few minutes, book the working time for it on your calendar based on priority, value, and deadlines.  Don’t just add it to a list that grows and grows.  Expect to adjust your schedule occasionally to allocate your time the necessary and best contributions you can make.  (In football terms, it’s not quitting, but calling an audible.)

This approach gives you influence and respect because you can say things like:

“Based on previous commitments, I can work on this next Tuesday and deliver it by the following Thursday.  Will that be ok?”

“Thanks for asking about that task we discussed last week.  I reserved time for it tomorrow and you’ll have the report at the end of the day.”

“I’ll need to confer with my boss about back-burnering two projects she’s asked me to deliver in order to work on this project before the start of next quarter.”

Don’t say “I’m working on it” when it’s only vaguely placed on your list. 

(Note: This is not an excuse to say, “I’m too busy” and avoid work.  Professionals will always be asked to do more, because the saying “If you want to get something done give it to someone who is already busy” is true.  The reward for doing excellent work is the opportunity to do more excellent work.)

Schedule work, making your calendar your servant. Deliver your commitments unless there are good reasons to shift priorities.  Speak accurately about when work will be executed and delivered.

You’ll earn respect and put credibility “in the bank” for the future.  You’ll stand memorably apart from people who mumble “I’m working on it” and don’t consistently deliver.

“Things are going downhill.”

“We need to stop this before it gets worse.”

“Back in my day we never had this mess.”

Embedded in these statements is an implicit “things used to be better.”  Sometimes that is true.  Yet there remains the pervasive idea that things are worse now and we need to “return to” something. 

Challenge question: “When were things great for everyone? At what point in history was 99% of the human race experiencing a life free of struggles and corruption and failing?”

When in history were these things — globally, for all peoples — not an issue?

• Lack of accountability
• Partisan news  
• Lying politicians and corrupt rulers
• Ungrateful youth
• Nepotism and favoritism surpassing competence
• Elders resistant to progress
• Racism, sexism, classism
• Elites believing they have the right ideas
• People believing wild rumors and rejecting facts
• Censorship and suppression of information
• Failures of masculinity and femininity
• Unfair employer practices
• Distrust in institutions
• Wealth spent foolishly

We have made enormous progress, and there is still progress needed.   People have experienced “Camelot” moments in time but they didn’t last and certainly didn’t include many people.   Heaven is in the future, not the past.  

Watch out for this: Many manipulators and unscrupulous leaders desiring power will constantly refer you back to some time “before X was lost.” The scrape the wounds rather than heal them because they know open wounds ooze energy and passion. They don’t want to solve the issue, just make promises in a way that pulls you into their orbit and fuels their desires. This is at the root of many mob behaviors.

The word bureaucracy generally has a negative connotation.  No one proudly tells their mom, “I work for a bureaucracy!”

Investopedia has an interesting definition of “bureaucracy”:

“The term bureaucracy refers to a complex organization that has multilayered systems and processes. The systems and processes that are put in place effectively make decision-making slow. They are designed to maintain uniformity and control within the organization. A bureaucracy describes the methods that are commonly established in governments and large organizations, such as corporations. A bureaucracy is pivotal in the administration of the entity’s rules and regulations.”

Every organization needs to balance fast and slow decision-making. Likewise, there should be a mix of processes designed to produce what’s valuable and creative destruction of processes which are no longer valuable. 

So not all functions of bureaucracies are bad.  The distinction is about competence and energy.

My observation is that bureaucracies create safe spaces for mediocre talent and unenthusiastic workers.  This is a self-reinforcing cycle.  

The most successful leaders insist their functional groups are loaded with top performers and keep them lean enough so they can never do everything easily or comfortably.  That’s the guardrail against the worst tendencies of bureaucracies.

You’ve probably experienced some fears in the last week.  Fears are endemic and always threatening to become pandemic!

I’m at an age and season of life when I expect many changes – including some good changes – in the next few years.  Frankly, I’ve been more fearful and anxious in recent months.  Vague risks.  Unsettling prospects.  All the changes I anticipate represent some loss.  I’ve spent significant energy managing those emotions.

It comes down to courage.

I’ve put myself on a steady diet of history, films, and biography to help me think courageously and work through imagination to a stronger mindset.  (Ask me, and I’ll send you a list of recommendations.) 

This is how to use art and literature to fortify yourself, knowing that there is “a great cloud of witnesses” who have the run the race before you. We must constantly learn anew where to place our hope.

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When our kids were little we explained dying this way:  “Remember all those times when you fell asleep in one place, then woke up in your bed or in another room, carried there by mom or dad? That’s what dying is like.  You go to sleep, are carried by Someone who loves you, and you wake up in a better place.”

When our kids were older I would tell them that dying was not the worst thing that could happen. 

Now that I’m considerably older I dread some of the worst-than-dying situations I can imagine.  When it comes to fears, my imagination needs to be disciplined to help me anticipate and plan and choose, rather than endlessly spin up dystopian futures that drain all hope.

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Reframing our fearful view of the world is necessary self-leadership.  I wrote this six years ago, and it’s still true:

Frustrated?  Angry?  Read this.

Not long ago I left the office, fuming with frustration, and headed home.   I could feel the blood pounding in my ears.  I got a glass of ice water and sat down with my journal, took a deep breath, took another one, and then wrote this out.  I’m sharing because I hope this helps some others, too.

I want to acknowledge how ungrateful I am. I leave my office most days tired, frustrated, unsatisfied. I selfishly want so much more, most of the time, that I fail to remember how good I have it.

I am extraordinarily blessed with wife, children, and extended family. I have handfuls of deep friendships.

Spiritually I am filthy rich in Christ Jesus, a citizen of heaven by grace, and able to rely upon the strength of the gospel day by day. I have nothing to fear because “the God of angel armies is by my side.”

 I live a comfortable, affluent life. Kings of old could not imagine the conveniences we take for granted. I use more technology daily than sci-fi writers in 1950 wrote about. I’m in a generation that is living longer and healthier at older ages than any previous generation. I live in one of the freest safest countries on earth.

Our travel options are so grand I could get to almost anywhere on the planet within 3 days of starting out. People the world over speak (or want to speak) my native language.

Intellectually I get to live in an idea-rich world, practically unlimited access to data, and I’ve benefited from 21 years of formal schooling and post-doctoral studies. I have the tools to capture and share my writing with others.  I have meaningful work with smart, savvy, hard-working colleagues. We’re contributing to our company’s efforts to tackle a handful of the most important problems in the world, including feeding a growing world population.  

I have abundant opportunities to serve others.

I have no reasons for complaints, none. I should have only room and energy for gratitude. Perhaps the most significant battle I get to fight (not need to, but get to) is the fight for joy and gratitude.

Let’s transform our fears into the right kind of action – especially fights for joy and gratitude, and fights against injustice.

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I’m learning to be alert to times when my procrastinating has a root cause of fear. 

Inconvenience, preference, or laziness are poor reasons to procrastinate.  Those plainly require self-discipline.  Stepping past fear requires courage.  Daily.

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Not all fears are bad.

We call it prudence when healthy fears point out needless risks for zero gains. 

The Bible tells us that the proper fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.  Fear of God and obedience to the commands of the King of Kings keeps us in our proper place.

These aren’t the fears that gnaw at our hearts and paralyze our minds.

Selfishness has roots in fear – especially fear that we live in a zero-sum game, and if you get yours then I won’t get mine.

Fleeing from our calling is often connected to our fears. 

Fear mixed with pride and immaturity, flavored with selfishness, is a truly toxic brew.  Even the aroma of that brew can ruin relationships and keep people from thriving in community. This is why the battle with fear is worthy of our best efforts.

(Note: This was originally sent to my newsletter subscribers. You can get this kind of commentary and more by subscribing in the right side bar! Thanks.)

What are lessons from the last big economic downturn (2008-2010) that we should remember now? 

I asked a few of my mentors this question, and summarize their insights this way:

• Keep your debts low. Never overleverage assets.  Only speculate with money or assets you can afford to lose entirely.
• Be contrarian.  “Everyone” moving in one direction should be suspicious.
• The thing you will NOT do separates you from the people who only want to bleed you dry.  Focus on customers who value what you uniquely have to offer.
• Every day ask yourself, “What am I pretending not to know?”
• Choose your mentors and guides carefully.  “The key to being a fly on the wall is knowing which wall to be on.”  Who you know and trust will be truly critical in any economic shift. 
• Do what you can to “catastrophe-proof” your business model.
• Where there is chaos and disruption there are opportunities, which often require a jump to a different S curve.  Resources come in the wake of boldness. 
• Expect to be misunderstood or ridiculed.  Never allow yourself to wallow in self-pity.

We like to get back to foundations and good stuff at the beginning of the year.  The Boy Scouts aren’t in the best graces of the world these days, yet we can honor and admire their foundations.

The Boy Scout Law: A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.

The oath:

“On my honor, I will do my best

To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;

To help other people at all times;

To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.”

The motto: “Be prepared.”

Any one of us would do well with these as guiding principles.  Consider the immense capabilities of a people for whom these things are true. 

Inflation is a genuine problem, with many fathers.   Fewer people are paying attention to the drivers of deflation.  For example, these technology platforms (which drive enormous business models) are fundamentally deflationary: 

DNA sequencing 

Robotics 

Sensors 

Machine learning & algorithms  

Blockchain  

By deflationary I mean that these technologies become cheaper rapidly and require less and less human labor to generate disproportionately large economic gains.   Said another way, jobs don’t grow at the same rate as economic gain when organizations use these technologies in their business models.  GDP grows through productivity gains while the hours worked declines. This amplifies the “wealth divide,” particularly when our education systems are still optimized to turn out worker drones rather than entrepreneurs and self-directed learners.  

There are no simple or straightforward “solutions” to these trends.  Neither inflation nor deflation are uniform; there is a distribution of impact severity over peoples and time.   Multiple powerful incentives drive the changes. Riding this tiger is fun until it isn’t, and the dismount is downright scary. 

I suggest we use two lenses to assess options and consider our paths forward: 

1.       Meaningful work which supports families.  There is a correlation between addictions – opioid overdoses killed more than 100,000 Americans in the last 12 months — and lack of meaningful work.  Work is good for us.  Work that supports families is good for our social fabric. 

2.       Willingness to sacrifice today for a better future.  There is effectively zero willingness in our political discourse today.  Deferred gratification is no less critical for countries than it is for individual citizens.   

I suggest these because they’re integrated lenses requiring maturity and tradeoffs.  There are those among us who are called to work on foundational and underlying issues – healthy masculinity and femininity, education in an era of exponential technology, practicing forgiveness and citizenship, discernment, rediscovering the value of connecting the divine and the ‘secular,’ and so on.  Yet we still need some way to integrate our efforts, a mechanism that supports conscious optimism.  We choose X even though it’s inconvenient or less valuable to some, because it leads to a better overall outcome.  (In math terms, a global optimum rather than a local optimum.)  The “we” here is important, too.  History is replete with example of the poor choices of a few who were powerful or influential.  The best choices will align with trustworthy revelation, not just what our flawed guts tell us in the moment.

I call on adults to lead.  Eugene Peterson’s translation of Ephesians 4:14-16 show us the way:

No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are easy prey for predators. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.

Ever been surprised by an outcome that was completely different than you expected? 

• The stock market didn’t reward the quarterly earnings report.  And the price of gold moved down instead of up.
• Your idea was not greeted with enthusiasm.
• The purchase didn’t make you happy after all.
• Your competitor didn’t do what you thought was the most logical thing for them to do.
• Your friend betrayed you for another.

Treat surprises like this as an opportunity for reflection.  Your mental model was wrong, somehow.  You may have missed a critical piece of information.  You may have oversimplified, or perhaps you made it more complex than reality.  You may have underestimated or overestimated some factor.

Reality is what happened. Don’t fall into the trap of blaming reality because it didn’t match your mental model – that’s just wasted energy. 

Reflect, ponder, update your mental model.