Progress without aim

What if I build multiple businesses, become financially successful, and accomplish everything I set out to do... but realize I was running in the wrong direction?

Is that success? Or is that failure?

Throughout August, I've been reading one chapter of Proverbs each day. 31 chapters, 31 days. On August 19th, I read Proverbs 19:2.

Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.

That verse has stuck with me. I move fast. I love building things. Starting businesses. Solving problems. Taking an idea and turning it into something real. Tangible. And lately, I've realized I have a lot of movement, but I'm not sure I've spent enough time defining exactly where I'm trying to go.

What's the actual destination?

I've said I want to become a serial entrepreneur, build businesses, create wealth, provide for my family, give generously, create something for my kids. But what's the actual destination?

Stewardship for Christ is my North Star, and if that's true, then I need to know what that looks like before I keep running. What does faithful stewardship look like if I become a millionaire? How do I pursue wealth without allowing money to become my god? How do I protect myself from pride, comparison and the endless pursuit of more?

And maybe the harder question

What if I never become wealthy? What if I provide for my family, love them well, serve God faithfully, and never build the entrepreneurial empire I've imagined? Could I genuinely be content with that?

I don't have all those answers yet. That's why I've slowed down over the last couple of weeks. More rest. More Scripture. More prayer. Less pushing every venture forward simply because I can.

I'm still building. I'm still working. But I'm trying to stop confusing movement with direction.

Proverbs warns me that I can move so quickly that I miss the way. And Jesus gives an even stronger warning, in Matthew 16:26.

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?

So maybe my greatest failure wouldn't be trying to build all of this and failing. Maybe it would be succeeding at all of it, only to discover I was aiming at the wrong definition of success.

That's why, before I figure out how to move faster, I need to figure out where I'm going.