If You Want Things to Be Different, Do Something Different
Well here we are a new year. I love all the inspo on social media around this time of year, but I also see a lot of people who like to remind the motivated ones that “Hey, it’s just another day people!”.
Well in my opinion, a new year is very significant.
It’s a great opportunity to reflect on the year gone by and celebrate the wins, evaluate where you could have done things a little better, and take some time out to consider where you would like to be at the end of 2017. I realise the reality of work and kids and all the rest! So even if your “time out to reflect” means locking yourself in the toilet with a notepad and pen, it’s worth it.
Here are a couple of things that I do each year, that might help you kick off your 2017 well.
1. What is God saying to you for the year. Yes goals and dreams are awesome things, but only when they are the GOD dream for your life, are you on the right track. There are good things and there are God things. There are many good things I could do with my time and talents, but when I really seek God and find out the GOD goals for the year, that’s where I find my sweet spot. There is an ease from heaven that opens doors, that closes doors that are a waste of my time and I find myself in the slipstream.
2. Once you have them, put pen to paper. WRITE THEM DOWN!! Now these goals are not all career and finances and achievements. Absolutely not. What about that relationship you would love to see reconciled? What about how you process offence in your day to day life? What about how you respond to your kids when you are tired? Changes in these areas are your goals! Write them down. They impact not just your life but those around you, and in the long term will have a huge effect on your health.
3. Write an Action Plan – yea baby! This is what makes any goal happen. It’s all good to say “I would love to graduate a course by the end of the year”, but if you get to the middle of the year and you haven’t even enquired how to enroll, or looked at childcare options for your kids, nothing much is going to happen. Write down all the details in that action plan. Do you want to see your relationship with your Mum/Dad/Brother/Sister stronger? That’s great! Make it a goal, but now write the plan for what YOU are going to do to sow into that. (Remember it’s purely what you are going to do, regardless of their response, or lack of response).
4. Now that you have your action plan, put a timeline next to it. Each step in your action plan needs a completion date. Your goal of when you would like to do this by. This is what will keep things moving along. Remember these aren’t set in stone, you can tweak and re-evaluate as the year goes on.
5. Celebrate the small wins. It’s easy to just keep pressing forward and focusing on the BIG PRIZE or the BIG GOAL but hey, take a look in a few months and have you done step 1 of your action plan? Give yourself a pat on the back!
6. Share your list with someone you trust. Accountability is a great thing. Choose someone who believes in you and will encourage you when you need it.
7. Don’t be afraid to keep your list simple. I had a huge 2016! I hosted a full time radio show, I hosted four TV shows during the year, I finished recording and released an EP, had many great opportunities to speak to women in different meetings and conferences across Australia, managed severe pregnancy sickness for 5 months, and the list goes on….but in 2017 you know what? I would like to read more. I used to read a lot. I find it therapeutic, and during the fullness of 2016 I got out of the habit. This may seem like a little thing to you, but it’s the skipping the little things that create imbalance. It’s always the little consistencies that create healthy balance in life. Consider these things when you write your list.
Just a few things that might help you as you kick of 2017. The number 7 in the Bible represents completion. Believing with you that in 2017 you find all the pieces coming together to bring completion to those areas of your life that have felt incomplete.
Here’s to an awesome 2017!!
Em xxx