Oh shoot! I forgot to call the gym to cancel my membership – again. I’ve been intending to do that for two weeks – I haven’t been there in two months! My life is full of good intentions – exercising, eating healthier, decluttering, re-doing the bathroom, etc. I certainly am intentional!
What is it that I am missing in my attempts to conquer my ever-growing list of goals? Strategy.
A strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve a major outcome. When submarine commanders are planning a mission, they have a well-thought out strategy, not just an intention. Why? Because they have to. If they don’t, they will fail. Their strategy is not a list of hopes or dreams, but specific, actionable plans which they use to accomplish their mission.
I have yet to sit down with my calendar to formulate a plan to renovate my bathroom. I need a list of supplies, a contractor, and weekly chunks of time I can devote to the task. Taking the time to THINK about what needs to be done, will help me to ACT. Being intentional just isn’t enough.
This also holds true for effective grandparenting. Suppose you have a grandson who has questions about what he sees at school or you have a granddaughter who struggles with self-esteem. Just saying to yourself, “I should do something” makes you an intentional grandparent. Grandly, however, promotes strategic grandparenting. THINKING, PRAYING, and then ACTING is what separates the strategic grandparent from the intentional. The proactive grandparent is more effective than the reactive.
Wanting to pass on your faith to your grandchildren is an excellent intention, but if it remains only an intention, it is insufficient. It isn’t a strategy.
An effective strategy for passing on your faith begins with identifying “what” faith you are handing down and then deciding “how” to do it. Our next article will begin a series that will help you with both the “what” AND the “how” of passing on your faith. We expect it will be surprisingly helpful.
Mary Giles lives in Lansing, Michigan, is a mother of one, and works part-time for Grandly.
Copyright © 2019 Grandly: The Strategic Grandparents Club.