You’re a Christian. You’re a leader.

You see others succeeding and wonder why God has not opened your door of success. What magic lever do you need to pull?

I’ve struggled with this self-judgment for years. And still do so often.

Here are the things I had to stop doing to finally feel like a successful Christian leader.

Believing Every Thought Rattling Around Your Head

If you weren’t already aware, we tend to lie to ourselves. We give credence to floating thoughts that have no basis in truth or reality.

Then we have the audacity to believe them.

Stop doing that.

If a thought is not helpful, kind, or true, then it needs to be recycled.

Defining ‘Success’ By The World’s Standards

What is considered success seeps into our minds like osmosis from our friends, teachers, and families.

One of the hardest things to overcome as Christ's followers is trusting God’s version of success versus the world.

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? - Matthew 16:26

Your task? Sit down for thirty minutes and question what success really, really, really is. Does it align with your God-design or the worldly mold?

Avoiding Failure Like The Black Plague

We have a silly human word for failure: setback.

There is no failure that is actually a step backward. Especially for Christians.

If you spent the last two years pouring into a relationship and were dumped last month, the relationship was not a failure. You are not a failure.

You did the best you could with where you were in the moment. You learned a lot about yourself.

You learn nothing if you never take a chance in a relationship by opening up your heart and exposing your vulnerabilities.

Every failure has a lesson. No failure is a true setback.

As Christians, we trust that God works through all things, good or bad.

Bad Habits, Obviously

You haven’t dropped those bad habits because you don’t want to stop doing them.

You enjoy the thing, despite how far it pulls you from your God-design.

Most people don’t drop bad habits because it is hard work, but you don’t have to be most people.

If you don’t want bad habits to become regular habits, then it’s time to make changes that most people are not willing to make.

Here is a free form to help.

Seeing Forward As The Only Form Of Progress

Our society idolizes forward momentum, and it is one of our grandest blunders.

Forward momentum is excellent; it snagged us space travel, talking speakers, and cures for deadly diseases. I’m a big fan.

But we lie to ourselves if we think the only way we progress is by pushing forward.

History. Data. Memories. Experiences.

These are all things behind us and hold immense value—more value than we often give credit for.

Steal away 30 minutes to reflect on where you have been and where you are going. The former will guide the latter.

Tolerating Self-Judgement.

Judgment gets a bad rap.

It's a useful thing. It holds us accountable for what matters to us and can lead to positive change.

The problem comes when we judge ourselves harshly and fail to break the cycle of negative talk.

There comes a point when we have to run away from these judgments aggressively.

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, - 2 Timothy 2:22-24

One more thing. . .

I’m going to be releasing a companion workbook for A Story on Purpose. In this weekly workbook, a professional coach and I share insights to help you unlock your inner potential.

You will have a self-paced guide covering

• Five leading principles to overcome your struggles and make your goals more reachable.
• How to focus on what truly matters and let go of distractions that hold you back.
• Six areas of your life where you can turn ordinary tasks into extraordinary achievements.
• The power of your mind and how to shape it to your advantage.
• How to manage stress and create a work-life balance that works for you.
• The importance of fear and how to use it as a guide, not a hindrance.

Many people search for meaning, but it's not something you stumble upon by chance. Purpose is cultivated and created.

If you’re interested in learning more, click here.