Your Daily Wisdom Nugget

For the full trek click on https://wisdom-trek.com/day-12/

The Compass and The Clock

The compass and the clock will only bring value to us if we know how to use them properly. These are two very important tools with two very different purposes. We do not want to confuse the two.

Let’s look at the true story of Roald Amundsen and his trek to be the first team to reach the South Pole in 1911. His destination was known from the very beginning, and that never changed. His compass provided the direction that he needed to be successful. It allowed his team to stay on course. The compass always pointed to his “true north,” which in his case allowed him to head in the opposite direction since he was heading to the South Pole. He never had to fear about the direction he was heading because his faith was in the compass along with some maps from those who had attempted the trek before him. His effectiveness was driven by this faith in his compass and the guidance from the maps.

As a person of faith and a Christ follower, I follow God’s Spirit as my compass and His Word as the maps. I am confident that on each day’s trek if I put my faith in these “tools,” the direction for my life will remain true.

Not every day is easy. Some days will be bright and clear, and we will see for miles. Other days will be shrouded in fog, and we will easily lose our way. As long as we have our compass to guide each day, though, we can be sure that we are heading in the correct direction.

Secondly, the Amundsen team meticulously planned that they would march 20 miles every day. No more, no less regardless if conditions were good or bad. In reality the distance varied slightly, but he also knew that if they we going to reach close to 20 miles, they must move at a certain pace each day, which would take a certain amount of time. He relied on his clock to ensure that they marched 20 miles each day. Roald Amundsen knew that the time allotted would allow them to meet that goal. He determined to be efficient with each day.

To learn more of Roald Amundsen’s 20 mile march, I suggest reading Jim Collin’s book titled Great By Choice. Discounted books can be ordered through the links on our Free Resources page.

It seems that our lives today are so driven by the clock that we forget to use our compass. Our days are so jam-packed with activities that we lose perspective of our overall destination. We have become a world that is efficiently ineffective.

We must use both the compass and the clock to be effective and efficient. To gain wisdom and build a living legacy, we must keep our eyes on the summit while we plan what each day’s activities will entail.

[spp-tweet “A compass provides a sense of direction, purpose, vision, perspective, and balance. A clock measures duration and the expenditure of time. Both are important.”]