Jon McCartie

When I first started at LifeChurch, I saw a blog post from my new boss, Terry Storch: “3 Words for 2010”. I was new to LifeChurch (and LifeChurch culture) and I remember thinking, “Can he really be that clairvoyant? Can he really see 12 months ahead and know for certain that these words will define his year?” However, I’ve learned from Terry (and others at LifeChurch) that goals have less to do with the extrasensory and more to do with just being intentional.

So I join the ranks of fellow Team Digerati like Brian Russell, Terry Storch, Alex Tran, and Adam Bouse (link forthcoming, right Adam?!) and post my three words for 2012. 

…think of how you want to be successful in 2010. Then, try to think in even broader terms. Extrapolate on the broader terms, and find one word to hang the idea on. -Chris Brogan

People | Pursue | Patience

(apologies for the alliteration in the 3 words — it just happened, I swear)

People

I write code for a living — lots of it. In 2011, I built 11 web apps (I’d worked on about 3 or 4 in all my years previous). Coding is not intrinsically an anti-social vocation (see: pair programming), however, it is for me. Because of the structure of our team, I’m usually the only programmer on the project.  In addition, I have a few things going against me here: 1) I’m easily distracted, and 2) 

As a result, I’ve learned to sequester myself in order to be productive. Unfortunately, this can lead to me ignoring a whole side of me — the side that loves people.

ENFP, woo, communication, empathy — I love people. I love talking. I love talking to people. But 2011 was about writing code — all day, every day. While balance is not always possible in all things, I think I need a little bit of it here. I need to better organize my day and my work such that I can be more of an asset to my team in the things that come more natural to me.

I know how “people” applies to my work, but I know it will extend beyond this sphere and I’m excited to see where it takes me.

Pursue

I wrote a post a few weeks ago about “cultivating” a relationship with God. I still don’t fully grasp all that I wrote, nor do I fully grasp what this will mean for me this year.  However, I know that my pursuit of God is — as Facebook puts it — “it’s complicated.”

I once heard John Maxwell say that in the Church, “we’re educated way beyond the level of our obedience.”  I’m living proof of this. I’ve worked so hard at “learning God” that I’ve completely muddled up what true relationship is like. As a result, my time with God is more akin to a business meeting than time alone with the Creator.

I want to pursue God — not learn more doctrine. I like how AW Tozer put it:

We must simplify our approach to Him. We must strip down to essentials (and they will be found to be blessedly few). We must put away all effort to impress, and come with the guileless candor of childhood. If we do this, without doubt God will quickly respond.

Patience

…or “slow down” as I’ve been referring to it recently. This one started to emerge all the way back in August of 2011. It kept showing up throughout the Fall and — despite my attempts to push it aside — it kept bubbling up. Ironically, I had to slow down to even understand what this meant.

I’m driven by change. I crave it. If something is not moving, I can spot it and get it moving again. This trait has served me well in several areas of my life, yet there is a nasty side effect — impatience. If I don’t feel like change is happening at the proper rate, I will try to “help it along.”

Everything in me resists the urge to slow down. Slowing down means stagnation. Slowing down means missing opportunities. But slowing down can also mean solid growth — not “flash-in-the-pan” bravado.  Slowing down can also mean waiting for the “right time” — not just jumping at the best option available in my time.

I’m learning that some things just take more time than I’m willing to give them and this year I want to give them that time. I have the ability to make things happen just fine on my own … without God. My challenge is simply to resist this urge. To not step out in front of Him — to not feel like I must “help things along.”

This is terribly difficult for me — which usually means its worthwhile.

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Ok, now it is your turn…share your 3 goal words!