THE LAW OF TIMING

Moments

Have you ever had that moment in life where it just seemed that you were in the right place, at the right time, and everything fell into place?

You know that one moment in time (cue the music and sing along,” One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston). We’ve probably all had those moments when everything just seemed to work. Then, there are the moments, regardless of our best efforts, when things simply did not work out or they worked in a different way, other than what we had anticipated or hoped for.

For whatever reason, these moments always seem to come at certain seasons in life. You know there will be seasons of big change, opportunity, challenge and then there are the seasons where it seems like nothing is happening, moving or changing.  Yes, we’ve all been there.

Farmer's Market Conversations

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been visiting the Green Street Farmer’s Market in Huntsville on Thursday afternoons. This market features local fresh produce, baked goods, food vendors and more. Since I’ve been particularly interested in finding a side hustle for fun, I’ve been talking to the vendors to get ideas on how they got started, how did they find their passion in the craft, etc.

On one visit, I was chatting with one of the vendors who sells sourdough baked goods. I asked him how he got started in this business and he said, “I lost my job”. He shared that he lost his job on a Friday afternoon, and after a few different job opportunities that just didn’t feel right, he and his wife had the idea to sell her baked sourdough bread that she had been making as a hobby.  

Fast forward over 2 years later and now they sell their goods throughout the area. And he left me with this, “Man, I get up every morning at 4AM to put on bread for the day and I’ve never been happier.”

“Go find your passion, man”-Market Street Vendor

The Law of Timing

In The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John C. Maxwell, Maxwell discusses 21 laws that impact leadership. Law 19 is The Law of Timing. In this law, Maxwell states, “Timing is everything. Reading a situation and knowing what to do are not enough to make you succeed whatever you are pursuing. Only the right action at the right time will bring success…”

The Law of Timing requires understanding, maturity, confidence, decisiveness, experience, intuition, and preparation. In short, you must have the knowledge, intuition, and maturity to know when a decision is correct, the confidence and decisiveness to act with intention, and the experience and preparation to back you up.

While Maxwell relates the Law of Timing to leadership, the same principles of this “law” can be applied to other areas of life when it comes to timing. Sometimes you must know when to be still, move, or change direction. You can have all the understanding you need, maturity and confidence to make the decision, the decisiveness, experience, and intuition to guide the decision and the preparation to make it work, but if you can’t sense the “timing” and “ebb and flow” of such a decision, you may miss the opportunity.

To learn more and go deeper into the Law of Timing, check out John C. Maxwell’s book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – Maxwell Leadership.

Every Moment has a Timing

Recently I had the privilege of encouraging a dear friend and colleague as she pursues a new career opportunity. While it seemed for a season, no door would not open, a door of promising opportunity opened. As she shared the details of this opportunity, I could see how this moment was written just for her and sense the excitement in our conversation. As we chatted, I echoed her excitement and shared “God’s plan is always on time. His plan is never one moment too late nor one moment too early.” It is the Law of Timing.

As I’ve gotten a little older, I understand in a deeper way that every moment (not just the big moments) has purpose, a strategic timed purpose under heaven. No, we may not be able to explain why things did or did not happen, why opportunities came or went or why the timing seemed just right or just slightly off.

Fear of Failure

Do you have a dream in life or business, one that might require perseverance, a big step of faith outside your comfort zone? Ok, maybe way outside your comfort zone. Maybe an elusive personal goal you’ve been working toward? Making a dream become more than just a good idea takes great courage, it takes overcoming fear of just about everything, including oneself. At times, I am my own biggest obstacle.

For most professionals, the fear of failure is probably one of the most dauting obstacles to overcome. No one wants to be seen as a failure at something, especially within the business community. Because failure is like the scarlet letter “F”.

If we begin to apply the Law of Timing principles, understanding, maturity, confidence, decisiveness, experience, intuition, and preparation then our fear of “F” has less a hold on us than before.

I know that sounds so much easier said than done. You are correct.

I started BestLife50 for moments just like these. Moments to encourage one another, to empower others and to believe in one another to take that next step. Many times, we simply need someone to come along side and believe in us. Be that for someone today.

Here are some questions that have helped me shape my vision and purpose on this journey. Maybe they will help you.

1.     Am I doing this for the right reason?

2.     Do I believe in myself and my decision?

3.     Am I listening to my gut feeling?

4.     Have I done my due diligence to prepare myself for this moment?

5.     Have I assessed the cost?

As I’ve gotten older, I find myself being more reluctant to take bigger risks. Whereas when I was younger, I was much more likely to take greater risks. I like to think of that as maturity and understanding of the law of timing (whether in leadership or in life).

In closing, let me encourage you to chase your dream (it won’t chase you), pursue that side hustle or business you’ve been wanting to pursue. As I encourage you, I am encouraging myself to pursue it, to take a big step, a step of faith way outside my comfort zone.

Where are you at on this journey? Do you have an idea or dream that needs wings?

Please share your story in the comments. Your success, your failure, your dream.

I’m Jason Thrasher and this is BestLife50.