“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

PROVERBS 21:5 (NIV)

Here we go again, another one of those mornings that demanded my patience. I was off from work but still had to make my usual early drive to Madison for a 6:00 a.m. flight. I liked early flights, yet I often tested my luck by packing too late, forgetting something at home, or arriving at the airport within an hour of departure without counting the time it takes to park and get through security. TSA PreCheck usually gave me an advantage when I traveled, but that day was different.

I decided to be more mindful and planned to leave by 4:15 a.m. It was an hour to Madison, and because it was a smaller airport, I assumed it would be easy to get to my gate. There was one thing I miscalculated: I had to check a bag.

I was flying to San Francisco to take my mom on a birthday trip, a destination I hoped she would enjoy, and I was also going early to help her get ready.

Out of the house I went, in my car, passing mile markers and reflecting. Then it hit me. Shoot, I must check this bag. That quiet drive turned into a speedway. Seventy, then eighty, then ninety miles per hour became my top speed. I was determined to reach the airport in time to get that bag on the plane.

After about forty-five minutes of speeding, I made it. I found a parking spot and dashed to the counter. It was thirty minutes before departure. The clerk asked my destination. I told her. She responded, “It’s too late to get your bags on the plane.” The gate had closed.

I stood there in shock and with understanding, because sometimes what we experience comes from our own decisions. I was up early enough, but I played with time, and the result was missing my flight. I had to wait four hours for the next one, and I had to accept it.

You may not be missing a flight today, but you might be delaying a goal because you feel you do not have all the tools yet. Maybe it is a project you keep putting off because starting feels heavy. Delays cause consequences. No matter what you do, there is always one. The good news is you can choose a better consequence by choosing diligence over hurry.

Choose wisdom today. Plan ahead. Count back from your deadline and give yourself margin. Pack the night before, set the alarm fifteen minutes earlier than you think you need, and leave when you said you would. Tackle the goal in front of you with steady steps, and let diligence do its work.

As you think about the future, consider reflecting on where you are cutting it close, and calling it faith. I believe discovering that will help unlock your ability to be patient and not miss the things that matter during your journey.

Patience with planning protects your purpose.

Keep moving forward,

Dr. Key