Write It All Down: A Track Record is Like a Condom

Durex is known as the company with the best condom adverts ever, and I know you may feel like I am doing the LinkedIn thing where I bring up the most ridiculous example then squeeze a "business insight" out of it. But this is about to get weirder, because we are going to talk Bible and condoms in the same article. Watch.

The Bible plainly speaks about man's first major job as stewardship. "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Genesis 2:15) That's the job. God provides and you look after it.

You are given gifts and blessed according to your own measure (Romans 12:6). What you do with it matters. Biblically, the laws of physics matter too. For every action there is a consequence, equal and waiting. You reap what you sow.

So there are consequences to not looking after what you have. Let me tell you a story.

A rich man goes on a trip and hands his money to three guys to manage. Five bags of gold to the first, two to the second, one to the last. The first two get to work and double theirs. The third? He takes his one bag, finds a quiet spot, digs a hole, and buries it. Then dusts off his hands and goes to nap, very proud of himself for not losing anything.

The boss comes back. The first two show their returns and get promoted. Then he turns to our friend with the shovel, who says with full confidence "I knew you were a hard man, so I got scared and hid your money. Here it is. You're welcome." No interest. Not even bank interest, which the boss points out. He calls him wicked and lazy, takes the one bag, gives it to the guy who already has ten, and throws him out. (Matthew 25:14-30)

So the little you have is taken from you if you cannot take care of it. Taking care of it gets you trusted with more. A good track record protects you from shame, loss and unwanted "fruit." This is where the condom comes in.

If your actions have consequences whether you like it or not, then tracking how you use your resources protects you from the unintended ones. It's that simple. You writing it all down helps you learn what to let happen and what to prevent. I know it's a reach, but the condom got you reading, and it's a warning to guard your heart.

Write it all down. How you spend your time, your money and your energy.