Simple Steps to Success

Good day, today I want to share one of my favorite bedrock scriptures on money management with you.

It is a verse in the Proverbs written by King Solomon. According to 1 Kings 3:11-14, God gave Solomon “wisdom and understanding”, beyond what anyone “has had or ever will have!” 

So let me share my favorite scripture on money management which the wisest man who has ever lived shared with us. 

It comes out of Proverbs 21:5…

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5 NIV)

According to Solomon, the ‘plans of the diligent lead to profit.’

To be DILIGENT means to…

• Plan carefully,
• Get your focus on the task at hand and give it your full attention,
• Keep working persistently at it,
• Be industrious,
• Be conscientious,
• And to work towards being a person of excellence.

Diligence is not only planning well but working at your plan to ensure you accomplish your goal. It requires a bit of work. It is a skill you can learn. 

The flip side, according to Solomon, is that if are not diligent and just hurry to get to the result without a plan and strategy, it will fail, and it ‘leads to poverty.’

A diligent person will plan well. This includes time management and scheduling important tasks that need to be done to achieve goals and objectives. This also includes planning for milestones in life, career, retirement, investments, and savings.

You cannot just daydream or fantasize your way to success. A lazy person often takes the shortcut and is too impatient to plan well and thereby fails to be successful. 

In a nutshell, if you want to succeed…

• Be diligent,
• Plan carefully,
• Work meticulously, not necessarily just hard at your task, but work smart, 
• And be disciplined with your money management…

If you do these things, you will prosper.

But if you…

• Don’t have a plan,
• Hurry and take easy shortcuts,
• Are lazy and make poor decisions with your money management,
• And don’t follow through on your processes… 

You will more than likely fail.   

Let’s examine the same scripture from the New Living Translation to get another perspective of what Solomon was saying here. 

“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5 NLT)

 Simply put, ‘good planning and hard work lead to prosperity.’

No matter what your goals or dreams are, or what task you want to achieve and succeed at, all you need to do is…

• Have a vision. 
• Set up a plan. 
• Strategize – create a process you can stick to. 
• Work at your plan. 
• Review your plan every now and then. Make sure you are still on track. If not, what must you change? What little tweaks do you need to make to achieve your desired outcome?
• Follow through…

And you will succeed. 

• It starts with a vision. 
• It includes setting up a plan. 
• It involves setting up a strategy with small daily steps you can take in order to work towards accomplishing your objectives. 
• It involves focusing on the goal, while meticulously planning, and following through by persistently working smart to make it easier to accomplish your tasks. It involves forming good habits of following through on your daily action steps.

You will face roadblocks, but being diligent includes keeping your focus, staying motivated, and pushing through the obstacles until you achieve your desired outcome.

When it comes to your money management, it is important to be diligent, plan well, and work at your plan if you want to be successful. You cannot take shortcuts. You need to take a disciplined approach to your money management.

You need to set goals. Work towards them. Put the right systems in place. Be smart. 

If you want to succeed at something, let’s break down this advice…

What is Your Objective?

What are your dreams? 

What are your goals? 

Have a VISION:

• Write down your goals and aspirations.
• Be specific.
• Dare to dream.
• Aim high. 

How Can You Achieve This?

Where are you now?

Where do you want to end up?

Set up a PLAN to get from where you are to where you want to be. 

Be specific. This will require looking at all the facts, looking at your options, getting the right advice, and setting up a realistic plan to move forward. 

How Can You Ensure That You Follow Through?

Set up a STRATEGY to help you stick to your goals and objectives. 

BREAK IT DOWN into stepping-stones. One step at a time, done regularly over time, will help you develop the habit to follow through. 

MAKE IT EASY. Can you automate it? Can you make it part of your routine? Can you put it in your schedule?

REVIEW. If you can measure it you can manage it. What is working? What can you change? Small tweaks from time to time will help you stay on track, and help you to adapt your plan to achieve your goals and dreams. 

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5 NIV)

“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5 NLT)

You can manage your money well.

Invite God to be your #1.

He knows what is happening in your life. He cares about you. He wants to be part of every area of your life.

Don’t take shortcuts. Plan well. Work hard at your plan. Work smart. Take time out to sharpen your axe. Put the right processes and systems in place.

Follow through…

And you will set yourself up to prosper. 

God bless you. Clinton.