We are looking at the 7 Secrets To A Winning Philosophy this week in Life Palette. Here are the first 5 secrets, you can read the full blog on these 5 by going to Life Palette. Here are numbers 6 & 7.

Secret #6 To A Winning Philosophy: Focus On Your Life Vision

Having a life vision is imperative as you develop a winning philosophy. Without a vision you will wonder aimlessly. You will waste your time doing many things and never really knowing if you were successful or are continuing to live in failure. Too many people are like the young man who wanted to make sure he hit the bulls-eye with his bow and arrow. So, he shot an arrow at the wooden fence that he was aiming at and quickly ran up to the fence after the arrow hit it and drew a target around the arrow. A life vision, a picture or your preferred future in the next five years, is a target that will help you to make decisions on a daily basis. Does an opportunity move the ball toward your vision? Does it stall your progress? Would it make you go in a totally different direction? You will only be able to make wise decisions when you have a clear vision of where you are going. If you already have a life vision, make sure it is written in such a way that you are speaking about where you are headed as though you are already there. Let me illustrate: part of our vision at our church is that we want to be an exciting experience that people are willing to invite their friends to. Here is how we wrote it and how we speak it: Alive Church is an experience that people are excited about and sharing with others. Big difference, one is just hoping we become that someday in the future, somehow, some way. The way we wrote it is affirming and causes us to live up to it every day.

Secret #7 To A Winning Philosophy: Change The Way You Think. 

It sounds so simple yet most people don’t consider that they are where they are in life because of the way they think. This is so powerful, don’t just read it quickly and set it aside. In fact the first 6 Secrets To A Winning Philosophy depend on this Secret – Change The Way You Think. Let me help you navigate through some questions that will help you see the areas that you need to focus on when it comes to how you think.

1. How do you respond to rejection and disapproval?  If you are devastated every time you experience rejection or disapproval you need to change this area of your thinking. It may be that you are too sensitive to such responses and need to be more confident in your thinking so that such things will not derail you from your life vision. Begin to focus more on your life vision. Take some key scripture and memorize them so that your thoughts are conforming to how God thinks about you. I suggest your first one be Eph 2:10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Make it personal. When you feel rejection and disapproval beginning to consume you. Say it over and over out loud as an affirmation until you find you’re thinking is lining up with God’s Word.
2. What is the bottom line? Do you know what the bottom line is when you set out to accomplish something? Make sure you are clear in your thinking about what the bottom line is. This will help you to continue to live a winning philosophy.
3. Do you get side tracked easily? Focus, focus, focus. Focus on your life vision. Focus on the thing you need to do next, strategically to live your vision. Do whatever you need to do to change your thinking to focus!
4. Do you think you will succeed or fail based on luck? Any area of your thought life that you find you are superstitious, wrestle with those thoughts every time they pop up and begin to feed your mind the truth. A winning philosophy is driven by truth not luck.
5. Do you tend to equate failure with your self-worth? If you said yes, go back to Secret #3 on Life Palette and own it in your thinking.
6. Do you find that you think according to the norms of society when you face a problem?  You need to tap into to the creative power that God has placed within you, make it a part of the discipline of your thinking. I have several blogs that you can read on creativity on Life Palette.
7. Do you see only what’s in front of you verses seeing the big picture?  You have to stretch your thought life to think big picture. Do not allow yourself to be short sighted in your thinking. Find someone you have access to that is a big picture thinker and ask them if you could interview them regarding how they make big picture thinking a part of their thoughts.
8. Do you allow challenges to discourage you? Begin controlling your thoughts during times of challenge. Discipline yourself to see challenges as opportunities. The bigger the problem, see it as a bigger opportunity. Most great success stories were birthed from the fact that there was a problem and someone saw it as an opportunity and succeeded.
9. How much time do you waste on unproductive thoughts? Quit. Read more so you will have more to think about. Start with the Bible. There are great books (like Life Palette) that will challenge your thinking and keep your mind productive.

Get tuned into your thought life. Make yourself aware of what you are thinking about. Know what you want. Asses your situation and how you are thinking about them quickly. Begin looking for options at the moment you first realize there is a problem. Commit to looking for options in every situation, write them down, and talk with others about their ideas. Be confident in your thinking. Speak verses like Eph 2:10 out loud while you are driving or walking. You need to hear yourself speaking the truth of how God feels about you as His masterpiece. Don’t be afraid to take risk. Make risk taking a part of you winning philosophy. You cannot win without taking risk.