The Mirror Principle

When Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves …” he had the concept of what we now call a “Self-Audit” in mind.  By self-audit, we mean an assessment of self to know one’s current stand or position based on specific criteria.

Proper audits entail not just coming up with findings, but following through to ensure recommendations are implemented. Many raise and know findings, but they don’t remediate. Conducting a self-audit is like standing in front of a mirror. The mirror doesn’t show you how you looked yesterday; it shows you your current look, now. When you stand in front of the mirror and find that your collar is not properly done, you set it right immediately. Or you find that your make-up is weird, you rub off or blend it in. It is how you look today that matters.

In the Olympic Games, if an athlete finishes first during the preliminary selections but comes in last on the day of the final selections, he will not get the opportunity to contest for the medal. Nobody remembers his former performance.Most times, our last performance has the greatest significance and may even rubbish all the other good performances of the past. Even if you raised the dead last Sunday in church, and a member of your church sees you driving into a night club the next Friday night, it is finished in their mind, even if you repent from it. Your relevance to your employer is not too much of how well you used to deliver, but how you handle your current assignment. A football coach who won the league last season can lose his job this season. In marriage, your best show of love is not what you did during the honeymoon. The honeymoon was sweet, but it’s long gone and forgotten. Your best show of love is what you display today. You are the best pilot in the world—that’s fine—but please, land this particular plane that I am on board safely.

Here’s how to audit yourself. One, have the right goals for every area of your life—family, relationship, devotion, ministry, profession, investment, training and development, health, etc. Two, set timelines for your goals—daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly. Three, review progress and identify impediments. Four, reset timelines and celebrate your success.

Take some time this week to set/reset/review your life’s goals and also do a proper self-audit.

To be continued next week.

-Tope S. Aladenusi