This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a child-like “What’s next, Papa?” (Romans 8:15, MSB)
Good day, great minds! I hope it’s not too late to say a “happy new month and welcome to December 2022” to you. It’s been a good ride from January till now, and it has been God all the way. I’m so happy you made it to this point.
Last week, we checked out what it feels like to have someone like Dinah around us, the state she is currently in, and our responsibility to her. I am so happy and grateful for the reviews you gave, and I trust that you’ve made a new resolution in that regard. If you haven’t read the post, you are still on time. You can check out other blog posts as well.
Speaking of resolutions, hmmm, it’s the last month of the year, and it marks the end! It’s that time of the year when evaluations are done the most, and virtually everything is being evaluated. It’s that time of the year when it gets so heavy on our minds that we made some new resolutions in January, or penned down some goals.
It’s that time that so much pressure and tension is built in the air, as we open up certain pages of our book (our lives) to see how well we have done. Everyone around seems to have made the most of their time. Right now, journals are being revisited as we check out the pages we wrote our resolutions and goals. And as these journals are being opened, there are different emotions and expressions that we let out.
Yes, we indeed had expectations and targets that we set at the beginning of the year. However, for one reason or the other, those targets were not met at all or were met to some extent. Then, here comes a feeling of guilt or regret for the time we did not spend on being productive as we wanted. It feels like nothing had even worked out, and we feel so disappointed. And at times, we feel like we let ourselves down!
Whatever describes how you feel or see yourself right now, I have a request to make of you. I’ll ask that you take a deep breath as you let go of that unfair feeling or grudge that you hold against yourself. You are neither a failure nor a disappointment. You are still on track, and you are still going to make things work. It is not the end of the journey. Rather, it is only another time to pick up from where you left off.
Next, I’ll have you look inwards and search within. Perhaps, you need to also take a closer look at what you wrote in the journal. The answer you need is not so far away. It is only when you cast aside the thought of things that did not work out that you can have a clear view of what worked perfectly, even better than you thought it would.
I’m going to make a call right now, and it’s a call for gratitude. Be grateful for everything that has worked out fine for you, and a major one is your breath. This self-evaluation can happen only because you are still breathing fine. You are in the right frame of mind to reason and be willing to make amends, I think that in itself is a call for praise.
If there is only one major thing you can point to right now, it is a huge plus in your favour. How much more the number of defining breakthrough moments you can count and are still counting! Once again, be open, and allow gratitude to flood your soul!
One of the reasons we get pressured at the end of the year is because we feel it’s the “end”. Yes, a time in a particular season has come to an end, but it is neither the end of life nor an official end to achieving your goals. Therefore, I’ll request that you see December 2022 as a start to getting back on your track. It’s a relay race, and you are not yet at the finish line. Keep receiving the baton, and keep running with it. It is not over, not just yet!
I know you really wish you could go back in time to change some decisions or make some things better. Well, that is not possible! But the huge possibility and reality here is that you can do better and make great decisions, going forward.
One of the ways you can do better is first by putting the goal into writing. I know we are still in the early days of the month, but if your evaluation can come this early, nothing stops you from taking action early as well. You are only getting yourself prepared for the continuation of your race.
And then God answered: “Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run” (Habakkuk 2:2). This is to show you how important writing is, even God approves of it. What if you were not able to work towards the goal because it was only in your head? Remember the saying; “out of sight, out of mind”. Take a step today by putting it in words and on paper.
I’ll put a personal instance here. One of the wins I had in 2022 is opening this blog! I wrote it as one of my goals at the beginning of the year, although I did not pay much attention to it. You know when we say let me sha write it, that was the case as at then!
As the year progressed, it kept coming back to me that I wrote this stuff down. Every time I opened the page where it was written, my attention was always drawn to it. With time, how I was going to get my goal achieved became clearer, and I started taking steps in that direction. And here, what I just casually wrote that day has birthed this medium through which you have access to this post!
Now, you might be wondering what went wrong with the first one that you wrote. Perhaps, it was not plain enough. You have to put it in plain words and in clear terms. So, you still have to write it again. It could be the same goal, but this time around, you are writing in a way that will make it easy to take defined steps in getting it done.
When writing, you want to put a specific time. This is going to keep you committed and accountable. However, be sure not to put yourself under pressure. There is a lot that goes into your planning, and a learning phase could be involved. Therefore, timing that allows maximum productivity and a good state of health while at work is important.
How about setting up structures around what you want to do? Have you considered resources, both human and material? Are there people waiting on you, waiting for what you intend to do? This is a great gift that will keep you on your toes and help you achieve your goal in due time.
It is not just enough to write and set up structures. Always remember to carry out your evaluation, depending on the time frame for your goal. It could be daily, weekly, monthly, every quarter, or at the end of the year! A yearly evaluation alone isn’t enough, you have to keep checking back. It will go a long way in helping your accountability and reminding you of some things you wrote and might have forgotten.
Are there goals you can still achieve in 2022? Then, get to work! You don’t have to postpone, you can still tick them off your list. Never forget that you are not yet at the finish line. The journey continues!
I’m putting this as the last, but it is in no way the least of all. Remember to put what is on your mind and in your book in prayer. He says to “commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you” (Psalms 37:5, NLT). With Him on your side, you can be sure that it’s a success already. Always remember, you are on the winning side!
Wow, you have come to the last paragraph! Thank you for being a part of today’s ride. I wish you a happy celebration in advance. Of course, we’ll get to see again before the year runs out. Till then, stay happy!
