Have you ever felt like life has thrown you a bunch of curve balls and you just don’t know how to handle it? That is how I have felt recently, and I have managed to rebound from that. Let me explain how I keep the proper perspective in view.

One of my bucket list items in life is to one day take a hot air balloon ride. I have flown in planes and looked out of the tiny windows to catch a glimpse of the ground far below, but a hot air balloon gives you a whole different view. You can see everything clearly. Hot air balloons typically fly at heights of 1500 to 3000 feet. This isn’t all that high, but it is high enough to get a good view of everything under you and see how it’s all laid out, and how all the different areas are connected to each other. Someday, I hope to experience a hot air balloon first hand.

You probably already know that we recently left a ministry in a community where we were fairly established and comfortable, to move to an entirely new town and a new church. With several kids in the mix, some of which are teens, that was enough drama to begin with. I am confident that God was highly involved in that whole process, and intentionally led us here, and is continuing to lead as we get settled and established in this new role.

I’m even more confident of that now, after being here for several months, even more so than I was during the transition process itself. Since we have moved in, our lives seem to have been plagued with one setback after another. With kids lamenting the move, grieving even – which is a normal process – we felt like it might take a while to get our feet under us. But when you throw a few other elements into the mix, such as a van accident, in which our van was totaled, though no one was hurt; a half dozen house issues, mostly plumbing; and a couple of other events that could have knocked the wind from our sails, we felt more than off balance. We felt defeated. I felt defeated.

But even in the midst of this, I have a resource that has helped me maintain a sense of purpose and balance in my life. It has been something to which I can turn to regain my perspective as needed. It allows me to have a 3000 foot view of my life, much like a hot air balloon.

Let me be honest and transparent with you. I have to admit that I had neglected this for a few months, and I probably could have regained this proper perspective if I had realized this sooner. But that’s where my own personal growth comes into this. Hopefully, I have learned a lesson in that alone.

You might think I’m talking about my personal study and devotions, or my daily Bible reading, or my prayer life. I’m not speaking of those things here. Those are all key elements of my daily life, and they have not suffered through all the turmoil of the past few months. In fact, those elements are what have kept me afloat through all of those things that could have been defeating.

What helped me to regain my proper perspective was my Life Plan. I have written about this tool more than once, and just last week, I wrote a brief article about how I review it in my life regularly. This is the tool that has helped me to regain the proper view of my life and my priorities. This is the tool that takes the 3000 foot view.

During the move, things got packed and moved and unpacked. And even though this resource was sitting on the shelf next to my desk, my daily routines had been disrupted, and I hadn’t been able to look it over as regularly as I should have. After setting aside some time in over the past few weeks to review it, my focus has been sharpened, and I feel like a big part of my life has regained a solid footing.

I have been able to refine my focus, which had blurred a little, and redefine my priorities. Or maybe it would be better to say I was reminded of my priorities, and how they all interact with one another in my life. A deep review of this document allowed me to soar above it and see the 3000 foot big picture clearly once again.

This is critical for me to be able to stay on track with my goals, and with the growth I believe God wants to see in all aspects of my life. This is why this is such an important tool for my life. If you haven’t taken the time to develop a tool and resource like a Life Plan, you need to. It has become an essential part of my life, my growth, and my strategy to see my priorities and goals fulfilled.

It helps me see the 3000 foot view.

Question: How do you maintain the proper perspective in life when things don’t go like they should? Do you have a tool like a Life Plan in place to help you stay focused on the big picture? You can leave a comment by clicking here.