Friend. Now is the time to get started on your goals for 2024. Too often we relegate the evaluation and planning to an hour or two on the day before the new year.
The truth is…You’ve been evaluating and planning your 2024 throughout the year.
It happened when you didn’t get the promotion you wanted. When you looked at your bank account and moved money from savings to checking. When you finally had the courage to step on the scale to see why your shirts are stretching a little more than the last time you wore that favorite gingham.
You see, you were evaluating when you got disappointed and frustrated. Why? Because the disappointment and frustration stems from your ideal and the real. Frustration is the result of things not being the way you envisioned…or like.
Too often we spend ZERO time sitting in that frustration to consider that we are being called to something higher and purer and more satisfying than we currently see with our physical eyes.
If you’re serious about trying to get better next year—mentally, emotionally, relationally, physically, spiritually, financially…(I think I covered all the bases in that list!)—then I want you to spend the next 12 minutes (1 minute for each month) and rehearse what that month was like for you.
If you want to be serious about changing, then stop and get a piece of paper or open up a document on your phone or laptop. Go ahead. List out (even if it’s just one reflection) what you would say about each particular month.
January: Disappointed with the weight I saw on the scale.
February: Discouraged that we couldn’t take that weekend trip to x.
March: Frustrated that I had to dip into Savings for that new swimsuit.
…
The KEY here is that you start each month’s evaluation with one of the following words/phrase:
“Frustrated that…”
“Disappointed that…”
“Discouraged that…”
Why do you want to start with these words? Because it forces you, by looking at the shadow of what isn’t, into the beauty of what could be. You are tapping into the power of your IDEAL pulling you out of the morose of the REAL.
Just try it! You’ve got nothing to lose except 12 minutes of self-discovery…