Recently a friend asked me to take part in a 30 Day Writing Challenge. We share similar Big Future Goals, so it makes sense to share accountability. Her plan would take no more than 10 minutes a day, but when I counted all of the unfinished projects I have taken on lately, giving up those 10 minutes felt exhausting.

I crafted a sweet rejection email back to her, but could not hit send. Feeling foolish, I realized I was not willing to give 10 minutes a day to pursue a dream I have for myself, a dream I believe will bring glory and honor to God.

When you do the math, 10 minutes a day adds up to 5 hours over the next month. That is .695% of my next 30 days.  Yes, POINT SIX percent. And the hilarious part is it took me longer than 10 minutes to figure that out because I could not believe the number was so small.

Of course, when I thought about it like this, I quickly deleted my email and wrote back, “YES!” I was honest about my obstacles and reservations, but I also have an obligation to be honest with myself about where I should devote my time and energy. This dream of mine deserves both.

As a Christian, I believe each one of us is purposed for good, life-giving work and service. Scripture tells us that our life’s mission is prepared in advance by God for a specific Kingdom purpose.

God’s Masterpiece implies that we are already designed brilliantly, but it also leaves room for finishing touches. Think of it like a beautiful garden—insanely wonderful to look at and experience, but needing water and trimmings regularly to maintain. There is future growth and beauty to behold when properly cultivated.

In our lives, this cultivation happens because we are “anew in Christ.” With the Spirit’s help of sanctification, we have put off our old ways (the ways of humanness) and put on the ways of the Spirit.

Two key fruits of the spirit stick out to me as I prepare for this 30 Day Challenge: patience and self-control.

When setting goals for my future hopes and desires, I often feel overwhelmed by today’s demands and put off future dreams to tackle…well, in the future. But the tricky thing about the future is that it is always a long way off and therefore, so are my dreams. So instead, I have to break Big Future Dreams down into Attainable Goals Today. I need patience to realize it is these small, daily steps that build the foundation of the Big Future Goal.

Secondly, I need self-control. I typically use the word “intentionality” here because it helps remind me that I have the responsibility to ensure my time, energy, words, and heart are being used purposefully. With this mindset I can honestly assess whether my action is matching up with my vision.

Remembering my identity as a purpose-filled masterpiece with strengths of patience and self-control, I can willingly say YES to this 30 Day Challenge because I am saying YES to a Big Future Goal.