20 Miles A Day

First, let me begin by telling you that Jim Collins at Catalyst this year rocked me to the core. From a leadership standpoint he asked a simple question; "What makes some organizations great while others remain mediocre?" Such a penetrating questions will not be entirely answered in this short text, but it has to be asked. Maybe not in an organizational context but definitely on a personal level. In lemans terms, What do I need to do for my life to stop being average and start producing the extraordinary?

This was the answer for me: 20 Miles A Day

Scott vs Amundsen is a little known story about the race to the South Pole. I'll refrain from lingering over the entire story, but the premise is astounding. Ronald Falcon Scott (I want to name our child Falcon whether its a boy or girl) raced against Roald Amundsen to reach the South Pole in the winter of 1912. Scotts tactics of using horses and reaching milestones failed miserably. The horses froze to death, literally, and the milestones were too far apart for the frigid conditions. Eventually, Scott made it to the South Pole but died on the return trip, along with his entire crew, from exhaustion, starvation and the extreme cold.

Amundsen, however, adopted a different plan and philosophy. He spend 6 months prior to the expedition living in the South Pole region studying the natives and questioning their geography. He used sled dogs and planned a path that would limit the extremely conditions and he set the pace. 20 miles per day. There were days his team was willing to travel more and days his team could barely make it. But he stuck to the plan, 20 miles a day. Not only did Amundsen reach the South Pole first, but him and his entire crew survived the journey.

My convictions lately have been centered around Luke 12:31 "But above all else seek the Kingdom of God, and He will give you everything you need." Above all my other goals and so called dreams for my life, His Kingdom is to be sought. Everything else must take a backseat. I'm not sure how I'll get to where He wants me to go, but I know this; If I'm obedient to the things he ask me to do every day then the Kingdom won't be far.

What does that look like for me? It's my 20 miles a day. It's the consistent seeking and the constant obedience that will ultimately let me arrive at the destination of God's choosing. My 20 miles a day is a literal list that God is asking me to accomplish every day, week and month. It's my slow walk by faith. When seasons arrive and I feel the urge to over exert myself, I slow down. When seasons overwhelm me and I want to quit, I push forward. If I learn to just go 20 miles per day instead of 35 miles some days and 12 miles the next, I'll learn the meaning of seeking His Kingdom. I'll become the person God is trying to mold me into. Personally, I feel like God is pleased with consistency.


Nate