New years are wonderful. They hand you a reset button so you can reengineer your life.
I’ve lived through beautiful years, mediocre years, hellish years, and years that were beyond mention, worthy to be repressed.
Granted, much of what happens to us is beyond our control. But we are in control of our reaction to what takes place.
Several years ago, I discovered a certain recipe for posturing myself for having a great year.
In this UNFILTERED article, I want to share with you four ingredients in that recipe. This isn’t an exhaustive list, of course. But these ingredients can help you position yourself for having an awesome new year.
1) Select a “word for the year” to focus on.
Sounds simple, but I’ve been doing this for many years. For example, here are words I’ve used for different years in the past:
Reset.
Beginnings.
Calm.
Power.
Peace.
Simplify.
I usually write the word somewhere visible in my study. So all year, I give my attention to the specific word.
I also build parts of my year to align with the word.
The word of the year gives me tremendous focus, turning my year into a specific theme.
Choosing your own word for the upcoming can do the same for you.
How do you select a word for the year?
Ask the Lord to give you a theme for the new year. Over the next few weeks, be conscious of any ideas that come to mind. Usually for me, within a few weeks, a word emerges that resonates with my heart.
Once it does, it’s important to write it down in a visible place that you won’t miss. You’ll want to see it regularly. Then begin engineering your life for next year based on that word.
2) Design your dream year.
This is a simple but powerful exercise. It’s not exactly goal-setting (which I cover in my PROLIFIC Audio Program), but it’s the precursor to it.
Here’s how it works. Pick a day where you can carve out an hour for this exercise.
Grab a notepad and pen. Or a blank word-processor screen, if you prefer to type.
And then dream. Dream of what a perfect year looks like. Include your personal life, your job, your career, your ministry, your family, your friends, your health, your finances, your education, etc.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
~ Psalm 37:4
Make a list of things you desire to see happen next year in all those areas.
So dream. And then write.
Be specific. Don’t be afraid of thinking big.
Dreams help identify what’s most important to us.
Writing them down allows us to excavate our hearts, revealing “on paper” what our highest priorities are, for better or worse. It also clarifies and highlights what we want God to do in our lives.
As the days pass, go back over it, edit, and add any new dreams that come to mind.
Your “dream year” will be wet cement for your goals and prayers.
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
~ Proverbs 16:3
3) Set six to twelve goals that you want to see come to pass next year (I usually create ten).
The Bible encourages planning in harmony with seeking God’s will. For example,
“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”
~ Psalm 20:4
“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
~ Proverbs 3:6
“The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.”
~Proverbs 12:5
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”
~Proverbs 15:22
“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
~ Proverbs 16:3
“Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.”
~ Proverbs 20:18
“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”
~ Proverbs 21:5
Goal-setting is a critical part of planning. Here are several things I’ve learned about how to effectively set goals:
1) Write each goal down and mark the date next to each goal when you want to see it come to pass.
2) Make each goal highly specific.
3) Review the goals each month in the Lord’s presence, asking Him to bring them to pass.
Every December, I write out my goals for the upcoming year.
Examples off the top of my head (these aren’t my personal goals, just some samples to give you an idea of how to write them out):
I will read 5 books from cover to cover by July 1st.
I will lose 10 lbs by April 1st.
I will give away $1,000 extra (from what I gave this past year) to those in need by December 31st.
4) Stretch yourself to invest in something new that will grow you mentally and spiritually.
The key word is “new.”
It’s common for people to invest time and money in gym memberships to enhance their bodies. No problem with that. Who doesn’t enjoy getting “buff” (until March rolls around and the gym crowds dwindle).
Yet few Christians today will invest their time and money in opportunities that will produce long-lasting spiritual and mental growth.
For me, the best way to do this is to invest in courses, seminars, events, and masterminds.
These have been so life-changing for me that I began creating my own.
As an author, I’ve come to believe that having someone read a book of mine is like serving them an appetizer.
But a course, a master class, a conference, seminar, or mastermind is like serving them a full buffet.
It’s a high-octane, full-immersion, deep-dive into the content. And the transformational impact is far greater.
Years ago, my default reaction to anything that cost money was “I can’t afford it.”
Later I discovered that many of the most valuable things in life come with a price tag. And after looking at what I was spending my money on, I changed my priorities. I virtually always could afford it … if it was important enough to me. The same with my time.
So consider investing in something — anything — new that will stretch and challenge you spiritually and mentally during the upcoming year. This step alone can be a game-changer for you.
Leave your comfort zone and stretch yourself. It’s the only path to growth.
A few examples:
If you’re in ministry, consider joining our high-level Mastermind for preachers and teachers next year.
If you’re an author (aspiring or actual), consider getting the SCRIBE online training.
For a deep dive into my goal-setting process and all my productivity hacks, check out my PROLIFIC course.
For all my Master Classes, join The Deeper Christian Life Network.
(Some of these are wait listed. So make sure you type in your email address correctly, and you’ll be notified by email when each one opens.)
In other words, make a quality decision that you are going to invest in improving your life, business, and/or ministry.
(A quality decision is a decision that you will stick to come hell or Hiawatha.)
A life-principle I’ve learned – admittedly later than I wish – is that if you’re unwilling to invest in transformative learning opportunities, everything in your life will probably remain the same.
That goes for your ministry, your financial situation, your business, your relationships, etc.
Consequently, I regard training, seminars, masterminds, events, and courses as necessary investments that I can’t afford to let pass.
To a wonderful new year!
Your brother in the costly but glorious quest,
fv
Psalm 115:1
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