The clock seems to be ticking all around us. We have a time schedule to keep in order to catch the train, to complete a project by the deadline, to graduate on time, to finish that much needed project around the house, and the list could go on.

If we are not very thoughtful and intentional about the schedules we keep and projects we place on our plate, we can end up just running, or just living, from one timeline after another.

As we continue on the journey to build and strengthen our character, there is a worthy timeline that often goes undetected but can make all the difference in our ability to reach our full potential and have a positive impact on those around us.

We all experience frustration and disappointment in our lives. Discontent is often the first step in bringing about change and creating something of value. Academic research and our own experience would demonstrate that we only move in the direction of making meaningful change when we are absolutely fed up with our current situation.

A worthy timeline that often goes unchecked is the time between our initial sense that change needs to happen and the time we actually begin to make meaningful progress to bring about the change. In reality, sometimes that timeline can go on forever on the most meaningful things in our lives.

The time we realize we need to continue our education, formally or informally, to remain relevant in today’s job market. The time we realize our family life is revolving around schedules and it has been a long time since we had a meaningful connection. The time we realize our waistline is growing at an unhealthy pace. The time we realize we need to get our household budget under control. The time we realize our anger has dampened the joy in our home.

The time we realize we need to make a change and when we actual starting making progress towards the desired change is a timeline worthy of our attention.

When the gap in time gets too long, we move quickly from the ranks of those with high self-awareness and a focus on reaching our potential to the ranks of mostly complainers, blamers, and excuse makers. When the timeline gets too long, eventually those around us realize we really don’t care enough to change, and our relationships begin to falter. Soon, we are on a short timeline to becoming irrelevant and losing our ability to have a positive impact on those around us.

We need to be careful that the old Credence Clearwater Revival song about “someday never comes” does not become an anthem for some of the most needed changes in our lives.

As we realize the need for change in our lives and we efficiently start making progress in an effective direction, we build and strengthen our character and Character Creates Opportunity to reach our full potential and have a positive impact on those around us.