The Power of Daily Choice

I have the extraordinary privilege to come alongside Kingdom leaders—both in ministry and in the marketplace—to challenge them not to lead out of their impressive resumes or their enviable spot on the org chart, but with their LIVES.

In that pursuit, I often find myself giving voice to this statement: Great accomplishments start with a compelling vision but become reality through daily choices.

Great accomplishments start with a compelling vision but become reality through daily choices.

In other words, if you want to do something significant, start with an idea, a dream, a vision—a big vision. A vision is a mental movie that lives within the theater of your heart. You can see it. Even more so, you can feel it.

But I wonder how many brilliantly-conceived visions never see the light of day?

So I’ve got a question. It’s a bit personal, but I’ll venture the risk: What are you doing with YOUR compelling vision?

Which backs us up into another question: How do you get from VISION to REALITY? How does a great idea bust out of the brainstorm session and find its way onto the showroom floor?

Glad you asked. Got some thoughts.

Ultimately, when you drill down to the core, compelling visions become reality through DAILY CHOICES. It’s waking up every day and making decisions consistent with your desired destination.

Let me offer an example by lifting a few pages out of the biblical record. Nehemiah—cupbearer to a king and devout follower of Jehovah—had a compelling vision: rebuild the decimated walls of Jerusalem. But that vision was not accomplished by hopeful thinking, it was accomplished through a long line-up of CHOICES. The choice to pray for the welfare of his fellow countrymen. The choice to seek confirmation from the king for a leave of absence. The choice to secure safe passage through potentially hazardous territory. The choice to obtain a letter of referral to access building materials. The choice—under the cover of darkness—to inventory the state of the ravished wall.

Are you connecting the dots? Do you see the pattern?

It’s simply how life works. Great accomplishments start with a compelling vision but become reality through daily choices. It’s about day-to-day execution. It’s about doing things—usually small things—consistent with your vision. It’s about one more step in the right direction. While not flashy, it’s the little things that ultimately tally to post a “W” on the scoreboard of life.

So I leave you with two questions:

What is your compelling vision?

And what choices will you make today to move it one more step toward reality?

Chuck Olson
Founder | Lead With Your Life