Andy Lee
There is a wonderful poem called “The Lifebuilder’s Creed” by Dale Witherington. It’s about the importance of ‘Today’. I’ve taken an extract and edited it slightly:
This year is the most important year of my life.
Last year with its successes and victories, struggles and failures
Is gone forever.
The past is past.
Done.
Finished.
I cannot relive it. I cannot go back and change it.
But I will learn from it and improve this year.
Maybe last year was a great year. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was the best year you’ve ever had. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was sprinkled with gloriously answered prayers, magical memories, and dream-come-true moments. Or maybe it contained much hardship, many tears and big disappointments. However it’s been for you, the good or better news is – The future is unwritten. And you get to write it. And what better time to do it than now?
Here’s three areas of your life to review, and reflect on as you move forward.
1. You. This is the natural place to start. This is your story and you play the main character. The choices you’ve made come from within you and helped create your experience. So how have you changed as a person? What have the experiences you’ve gone through taught you as a person? Are you more in touch with who you are, your value and your potential? In what areas have you grown and become closer to the person you were meant to be? Are you closer now to knowing your goals and achieving them than you were before? Have you become more aware of what you want? What will you do to grow this coming year?
2. Your Relationships. You were built for relationships. We all have a longing to be loved and to be valued. It is from this that we learn to love and value others. How satisfied are you with your relationships at home? At work? In Church? Online? Which relationships have blossomed and grown close to your heart? Which ones are causing more harm than good, and require a real conscious effort to make them work? What will you do to make them work? Do you want to make them work? Some relationships can be toxic. If you are concerned then I would suggest seeking advice from someone more experienced that you trust and respect. How will you approach your relationships in better ways going forward? What will you do to prioritise your important relationships? How is your relationship with God? How have you treated this relationship and would you be happy if it stayed the same for the next twelve months?
3. Your Environment. What’s your home situation like? Do you have a set up that encourages and enables you to be at your best? For example, let’s say you want to spend time with God, read the Bible and have quiet reflections on a regular basis. Have you got a place to do that, perhaps a quiet room with no distractions and a comfy chair? Or perhaps keeping in shape is one of your goals but the gym is either too far away or too expensive. Could you create space for home workouts, using Youtube videos as your gym instructor? How meaningful has your workplace been for you? How much are you enjoying what you do? If you’ve found yourself wishing for the weekend, thanking God that it’s Friday, and then getting a case of the Monday blues, then you may have lost your way a bit. Either change your attitude or look elsewhere. Life is more than just living for the weekends. How has Church life been for you? Do you go to Church? Are you buzzing to go, or has Sundays turned into a stale routine? Have you found your unique place within the Church? This speaks to your sense of belonging, and whether you have found your place of service. How are you using your gifts and talents? How will you step out and stretch your comfort zone this year compared to last?
One year from now you will want to thank yourself for taking action to grow yourself, be intentional with your relationships and improve your environment that’s made 2017 the best year of your life so far. This is not just an exercise to do in your spare time. If you take that approach, I guarantee you won’t get around to it. This is about setting yourself up for success. Occasionally good things happen by accident. But most of the time that’s not how it works. Success is where opportunity and preparation meet. The question is not whether opportunities will come along. The question is when they do come along, will you be ready?
May you receive insight, and clarity towards your goals and dreams. May you find God’s will for your life, and may you be equipped with all you need to live it out to the full.
“Though you cannot go back and make a brand-new start, my friend, you can start now, and make a brand-new end.” ~ John C. Maxwell