Book Review: Win the Day - Highly Recommend

Ever since I read In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day, I've been a fan of Mark Batterson's writing. The only book of his that I didn't enjoy was If. I wouldn't have picked this book for the title: Win the Day: 7 Daily Habits to Help You Stress Less & Accomplish More, but the author name alone lured me. You can count on Batterson to challenge you out of your comfort zone. He reminds we have a bigger God than we often acknowledge, one who can turn impossible dreams into realities if aligned with His will. Every time I read a Batterson book, I come away super-charged to pursue my impossible dream and my view of God enlarges. Batterson is a master at memorable turns of phrase (although, I'm guessing he borrows many of these sayings from other writers).

It is important to express one caveat. Some people have faulted this author for subscribing to New Age "name it, claim it" philosophy. They balk at his suggestion to use imagination to dream bigger and pursue more. I would venture to guess some of these critics present their arguments without actually reading his books. They hear of the story of a sage encouraging others to pray a circle around a person, problem, or project, and they jump to a conclusion that Batterson credits individuals as the source of their success. The author is very clear in drawing attention to God as the source of all power to accomplish anything. Our grit isn't enough; it must meet His grace.

Moreover, "in His will" is key. Batterson is not encouraging the reader to pray a circle around an idealized version of life where you ditch your spouse and find a better model. Plus, I believe God cares more about one-on-one evangelism than filling mega-church pews with thousands upon thousands. The goal is not numbers. The goal is souls. Like many mega-church leaders, Batterson uses too many personal examples, but he tries to return the focus from himself to the One who implanted and fulfilled the dream. So, I don't align entirely, but I don't fault him either.

Win the Day encourages readers to "do what lies at hand," and "live in day-tight compartments." Give your all to the one day before you. Here are a few of the memorable phrases I jotted down: "You may not be responsible, but you are response-able." "God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God." "Reverse engineer the people you respect." "If you do little things like they're big things, God will do big things like they're little things." Another one that I shared with my son (besides an outstanding illustration about why ranchers keep the runt of a litter), is "the key to landing your dream job is doing a really good job at a really bad job." I came away wanting to "seed the clouds," by dreaming big, thinking long, being present, and praying hard.

I want to spend some morning writing time processing some of his assessment tools. What is my signature story? What subplots have defined my life? Are there habits that are wasting my time, talent, and treasure? So, I will take time to list my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and then will ask, "What is important now?" I hope to identify symbols of my life that make each day more meaningful (an excellent story about a man who saved the ticket to a flight he survived because he was running late). This book is an excellent tool for honing in on the opportunity of each new day and pressing on toward the God-sized goals and dreams He has etched on your heart.

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If you're looking for more, listen to Jordan Raynor's podcast with Mark Batterson.