*Please forgive the original post that went out earlier today with the pictures in code form. When it was viewed prior to sending out, everything looked perfect. Unfortunately, sometimes technology just doesn’t cooperate.
How do you navigate personal change? When it comes to your spiritual life, how can you establish new habits in your daily routine for lasting change?
For you and those you lead, this is an important topic. When you embrace the change process and understand the steps involved, you will be more able to help people take the necessary steps to not only navigate an inflection point but to sustain the new reality by taking the necessary steps. Let me give you an example.
I’ve written about my spiritual journey, beginning with the desire to grow spiritually. I joined a cohort in the fall of 2021 to do a deep dive into spiritual formation (one blog where I mentioned this is: Unleash Your Faith: A Bucket List Adventure). As part of my journey with the cohort, I worked through the Ignatian Exercises under the guidance of a spiritual director, integrated regular spiritual retreats, and traveled to Iona, Scotland, for our last intensive to experience the rhythms of Celtic spirituality. Today, I continue to meet regularly with my spiritual director.
The process I went through can be illustrated in the diagram below.
My spiritual formation journey began with an INFLECTION POINT. Dissatisfaction + Curiosity were the catalysts to DISCOVERY. Discovery began with observing what healthy practices looked like to grow spiritually. As I observed new practices, I reflected on what would work for me. And in discussion with my classmates, professors, and spiritual director, I decided which ones I would attempt.
That led to ACTION. I created a plan which now includes my Daily Office using the lectionary, regular retreats at Iona House, and annual assessments. My spiritual director keeps me accountable, helps me fine-tune my plan, and discovers nuances that keep the plan fluid. And then I take action. I’ve found the inclusion of time away on retreat to be the great “multiplier” in my life and ministry (I’ll have to expand on that in another blog at some point).
I highlight the Breakthrough Circle for a couple of reasons:
- Personally– It could help you in your personal, spiritual, or leadership journey. As I walked through the steps in my journey, I resonated with each aspect of the process. Also, as I note below, the book that unpacks the Breakthrough Circle will give you a greater appreciation of how to intentionally navigate this in your life.
- Ministry – It could help you come alongside people who are navigating a change in their lives. I’ve written a lot about disciple-making, and this is a great tool to use to help people focus on the change they want to see in their lives. In a ministry context, it will be invaluable to train others in your team to equip them to help others navigate change.
- Family and friends – This might be a tool you can use with your spouse, children, or significant others in your life. I have not introduced this yet to my family; however, both of my adult children have experienced significant change this last year in their vocation and education. I reckon both would benefit greatly from doing an After-Action-Review to see the steps they took, so they are better equipped for the next big change in their lives.
I discovered the Breakthrough Circle in the book Breakthroughs Are Everywhere: A Guide to Making Big Shifts in Your Life and Work by Curtis Carnes. The author is a passionate Jesus follower. The book references faith, but is not a distinctly Christian book. It is written for a secular audience, specifically leaders in the marketplace.
*You might remember that the “Learning Circle” originated with Michael Breen in his work with the “Order of Mission” and 3DM. Mike created a series of shapes to make the discipleship journey more accessible to younger generations. Curtis Carnes received permission from Mike to use and adapt this diagram to the Breakthrough Circle.
I found Curtis’s story of his personal breakthrough compelling. The Breakthrough Circle makes a significant contribution to understanding how the process of personal change works. Below, I want to offer some helpful questions to engage a person in their discipleship journey.
Questions to help a new disciple process the Breakthrough Circle:
- What change would you like to see in your spiritual life?
- What is the motivating force?
- How committed are you?
- Who do you know that can support you?
- What is the next step you need to take to solidify the change?
- What would you like the impact to be at the end?
- Who else can you bring along with you?
Now, I want to suggest that you buy a copy of Breakthroughs Are Everywhere: A Guide to Making Big Shifts in Your Life and Work. It is simple, clear, and easy to read. This makes it accessible to a broad audience, which you can adapt to your particular context.
Photo by Sergey Turkin on Unsplash
