Tiger Woods’ successful career started just one golf swing at a time. Success. This term has taken on a brand-new definition while reading through “Win the Day.” Author Mark Batterson deliberately takes the time to mark out a single chapter dedicated to teaching a hopeful reader that success is how you measure it. We have multiple moments in a day, each carrying their own measuring stick of success. I learned that I am the one who holds the measuring stick.

The only way I can effectively meet the demands of a day is if I define what it means to be successful in the task(s) at hand. While many may argue about the various definitions for success, Batterson directs my attention to the very real fact that we will ultimately perform to the level of our belief in all matters of life. Batterson shares, “If you want to win the day and make it into a masterpiece, you’ve got to start by recognizing it for what it is.” I was forced to stop and think. What do I ACTUALLY believe about my day? Do I truly believe the day that I get to live in right now is a masterpiece? 

Every day I have to choose to tell myself a story about what I am doing.  Batterson helped me to think about the meaning behind what I do on a daily basis. I find myself often wanting to skate over the basics of my day to day believing the “big” overshadows the small. The truth is, I have to get small to be big. To be big enough to handle all that God desires to give me, I have to choose integrity today. I have to build a strong work ethic with my assignments today. I have to take make a conscious decision to believe that what I do today is a part of a much bigger picture. Before seeing that larger picture, I have to look to the puzzle piece labeled “Tuesday”. As I look to this puzzle piece, I have to be intentional about where I place it. How you and I move in a day is creating the framework for the greater story we are telling ourselves.

Our present moments matter for decades to come. How I see my today will affect the way in which I live today. So, what is success? Success “is doing the best you can with what you have where you are.” This reminds me of when God meets Moses as He is calling him to be a part of freeing the Israelites. Moses begins to give the Lord a myriad of excuses as to why he was not qualified for the one task. But God simply asks him “what is in your hand?” What God wanted to accomplish in Moses was preceded by Moses first recognizing who was behind him as he went to complete this task. My choices are linked to the bigger picture. It wasn’t just a staff in Moses’ hand, it was a tool to be used for the Israelites journey to freedom. It’s not just a Monday, it’s the day that my team gets stronger. It’s not just a paper, it’s my professional development. It isn’t just grocery shopping, but rather it’s teaching my family to lead a healthy lifestyle. It’s not just another day, it’s a masterpiece. How will you choose to view the tasks of today and every day after? If we will use what we have, to the best of our ability, where our strength dfends the miraculous can begin. We must recognize the end from the beginning. I have to name the day before me and determine my success from the beginning. We can win the day by winning the task. “What’s in your hand?”