With school about to begin, many students will get a syllabus laying out what they’ll need to do in each class to make the grade. It’s a great opportunity to reassess and set new goals.

All of us in the workforce could benefit from the same approach. Let me encourage you to take a breath, pause, and reset at work. Here’s how my syllabus for work looks this year:

• Take measure. Consider any goals you set at the beginning of the year. Measure how you did and, if necessary, reset for a bigger stretch or a more realistic target. Jesus tells us to take measure of our work – and our lives: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” (Luke 14:28).
• Seek wisdom. The book of Proverbs gives excellent advice on where wisdom may be found: “Plans go wrong with too few counselors; many counselors bring success” (15:22). Regardless, remember God is sovereign over our plans. The apostle James scolded people who would confidently say they would do this or that: “What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we shall live and do this or that,’” (James 4:15).
• Get on with it. Colossians 3:23 tells us to work as though we are doing our work directly for God – probably including following through on goals. Still tempted to sit back? Proverbs 21:5 has a message for you: “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

To help you take measure, seek wisdom, and get on with it, I suggest attending the DFW Technology Prayer Breakfast on October 5. There, you’ll hear from and meet some of the area’s most dynamic and influential leaders. Please join us. #DFWTechPB #FaithatWork

Steve Helms is committee president of the Dallas/Fort Worth Technology Prayer Breakfast.