Happy New Year! I always have mixed feelings about a new year. It’s like a new journal… so much potential. Which also feels like a lot of pressure. Hence the mixed feelings. Anne of Green Gables liked to say that “Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it… Yet.” That’s sort of how I feel about a new year.
I think planning and dreaming about a new year is really important. I mean, technically, there is nothing magical about it. It’s just the turn of another day in a string of new weeks in another 12-month saga. But, I believe there is value in rhythms and seasons. I think it’s important for the health of my soul to have this regular pause. The turn to a new year is as good a time as any to examine your life and set new intentions.
But, in many years past, I let my planning and dreaming be bound up in a lot of stress and expectation from others. It went something like this: "What is my word for the new year? Do I even remember my word from last year? What if I pick the WRONG word? How will I reflect on 2018? What did I learn this year? Did any of my goals come to fruition? Did I make the most of my time?
What resolutions will I make for 2019? Is this the year I’ll finally nail my personal disciplines? Is my planner ready for the new year? Where are my color-coded pens and motivational stickers? Do I want to take up bullet journaling for real this time? Should I join a gym or one of the those get-organized classes or a ’30-Days to a New Me’ webinar or a book club or SOMETHING new? Oh, and how can I help the kids and the women that I lead do some reflecting and goal-setting?"
Hear me, friends. None of those tools/ideas is necessarily BAD. A word for the year or a bullet journal might be just the thing for you. But the point is not the medium. The points is that you live your life with intention and purpose. That you are driven by an overarching life purpose. So that even when you're doing the most mundane of tasks, you ahve a sense for how they fit into the bigger picture - of your day, your month, your year and, ultimately, your life.
Reflect, evaluate, dream. But do it with a sense of adventure and eagerness about living well and driving for a bigger purpose. Not a fresh planner or a new system. Systems are great but only if they serve you. Don't get stuck doing the reverse because some blogger or guru said to!
gasp!! Nope… that doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Listen, I grew a TON in 2017. It’s just that it was in ways I did not expect when I was journaling about it a year ago. So, be open to God’s hand in the midst of your planning and don’t let anxiety overshadow it. Instead, enjoy the adventure and see what God does to surprise you and grow you in 2018.
Shannon S. McKee is communicator at heart. She is a writer, editor, and speaker. She writes at www.shannonsmckee.com. She coordinates the Women's Ministry at Redemption Chapel in Stow, Ohio, where she is a regular teacher and mentor. She is passionate about helping women thrive from the inside out. Her other titles include: Grace-dweller. Lover of Rick. Momma to 2. Tea Drinker. Entrepreneur. Putterer. Consumer of Dark Chocolate.
Launching in the New Year with Intention
RHG Magazine & TV Guide TM - New Year 2019 © All rights reserved.
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