Benchmark yourself

As a Church one of our values is Benchmarking. This basically means we are consistently learning from others, evaluating ourselves against them, and figuring out how do we move our mission forward better, faster, stronger. Which I love, cause I love our mission, I mean who doesn't get excited about seeing a life change for the better.

As inspiring as benchmarking can be, there's also a danger. When you keep looking at those who are ahead of you, it can start to feel like you're always behind, always lacking, always trying to catch up. And every now and then you just gotta stop looking ahead and look behind. Look back and celebrate, to remind yourself just how much distance has been covered and how much change has happened.

These moments are great moments to celebrate, to say thank you to Jesus for what he's done and what he's doing, to say thank you to the teams of people around you who are collectively pushing together towards a better end. I love these moments of celebration.

But something I'm learning is that I not only need to benchmark as a leader, but also as a person, as Matt. I need to be personally looking at who's ahead of me in their marriage, their finances, their parenting, their fitness, and all the other areas of life. I love learning from them and then pushing myself. Cause I want to bring the best me to my marriage, my boys, my friends and family, to my church. I want to fully be the best version of me that God created.

But I'm also learning that as much as I need to look at who's ahead of me, I personally need to pause every now and then and look behind me as well. And that's what today was.

My love and enjoyment of running is slowly returning. I loved running the mountains as a teenager but as I got older I also got out of shape, blew an ACL, gain 70 pounds, and that love of running just started to cost too much, hurt too much.

So any attempt of moving quickly through the mountains were anything but enjoyment.

About two years ago I wanted to do the work to come back from a blown ACL, to chip my weight back from above 260 and to refuse to settle into "mid-life," I simply wasn't quite yet ready for that.

So I did what any sane and motivated human would do, I went and ran a 5k up the side of a mountain, you know like you do when you're wanting to make a change. Go big or go home I guess. I ran up to "pulpit rock" if you're familiar with AT trail near the Hamburg area, and that run, HURT. Like seriously I thought I was officially crazy. My sides were exploding, my legs were numb, my joints felt wicked unstable, and I couldn't believe that at some point in history this sorry excuse of a body would have actually enjoyed this.

I questioned if my love of running in the mountains, if my love of running at all, was officially over.

But I saved the screen shot of that run's data and I cherish it.

Cause now, two years later, that screen shot reminds me of what consistence small steps in the same direction over time does to someone.

It reminds me that even when I feel like "settling" and sliding towards 40, I don't have to.

I reminds me that God really is able to do more in us and through us then we could ever imagine.

So here's to benchmarking against others, pushing ourselves to get better. But also to pausing and celebrating just how far you've come. The ground that's been covered and the life change that's happened in YOU.

When you think back on the past two years how much ground has been covered? How different is your marriage? Faith? Finances? Fitness? Do you find yourself with lots to say thank you for? Or lots to help motivate you forward for the next two? Either way, here's to celebrating today, and benchmarking forward.

Cheers to you.