At last, Christmas is behind us. As a tech director this can be a bittersweet time. There is something exhilarating about having “all hands on deck” and working hard to produce an excellent Christmas service. On the other hand, it is nice to finally take a deep breath and enjoy not having to feel the pull of making sure everything is done on time and that you are not neglecting your family and personal life.
So congratulations on a job well done. Sure, there may be some things that you look back on and wish you had done a better job with, but everyone feels that way. The point is that you did your best, you worked hard, and the Kingdom of God is better off because of it.
Now what? The New Year is here and many people will sit back and resolve to exercise more, eat less, and stop a variety of nagging addictions. How about you? Do you have a long list of resolutions that are rarely kept? Or maybe you are the type that picks one or two things and really sticks with it. Well, let me propose a resolution for you. Resolve to regroup.
Resolutions usually tend to deal with surface issues, like how I look and how I feel. But my challenge to you is to take things a bit deeper. Resolve that you will take one day in January, the first week if possible, and devote the entire day to reflection and regrouping.
You may need to take a day off, but if you pitch it properly your pastor might encourage you to do it on a workday. In fact, it could be a good idea for the entire church staff.
You should dedicate an entire day, and even consider going away for the night if you want. If you are married you can do this with your spouse, just make sure that you devote some time to being alone, as well.
So what will this day look like? This is certainly not a day to return that ugly sweater Aunt Bertha gave you, or to go see that big blockbuster movie that came out during your busiest time of the year. This is a time to reflect on your life and see what changes God would have you to make in the coming weeks, months, and year.
Make sure that you have a notebook or gadget with Evernote nearby at all times. This will allow you to write things down so you don't forget all the breakthroughs that you make.
Start it Right
Start the day in prayer and God's Word. This doesn't have to be fancy. Simply ask God for wisdom for your day. If you don't have something specific in the Bible that you want to read, read the Book of James. If you get any thoughts, ideas, or to-do list items simply write them down so you can come back to them later.
The Reflection Lists
Now, you will make two lists from reflection on the previous year or whatever time frame you choose. The first list you make will be everything that you accomplished that you are pleased with. Include in this list the things that you did that gave you energy—both personally and professionally—like cycling, taking a hike, or a vacation you loved; basically anything good that happened that you had some level of control over.
The next list will be the shortcomings, the failures, and the mistakes that have been made. However, also include the things in this list that drained you and took your energy away, even if they weren't a failure or a mistake. Maybe it was a seminar you went to, a project that drained you, or a relationship that felt like it was sucking the life out of you.
Now read back over the “bad” list and go through each scenario and try to figure out what you could have done to make that situation better, more successful, or less draining. Then write down your observations.
Once you have gone through your negative list and have compiled a list of solutions, go through your “positive” list and circle any of the things that you want to make sure you continue to pursue in the coming year.
Compare these new lists that you have and try to combine as much as possible. For example, if you went to a seminar that you hated but read an instructional book that you loved, combine those into “find books for further study, instead of seminars” or something like that.
The Goals List
Once you have compiled a concise list based on your thoughts and outcomes from the previous year, it's time to start dreaming a little and writing down some goals. Write an unfiltered list of everything you would love to accomplish, this year or for the rest of your life. It's your list, so do it however you want.
Then go back and read over it a few times and consider the things that are attainable in the near future. I would encourage you to keep this new list short—like two to five items. Less is more. The longer the list the less likely you will accomplish any of it. These are things that you are absolutely committed to doing in the coming months.
The Plan
If you have rushed through the above processes, stop and go over them again. And this time, imagine the training and planning time that an athlete takes as they are preparing for an upcoming race or game. In other words, be incredibly thorough.
Before you actually start to write out a plan, it is important to spend a bit more time in prayer. Then go back over the lists to make sure you haven't missed anything and that you have included everything you feel that God is particularly drawing you towards.
Then, write out the plan. You can write it as a list but I prefer to write these things down as sentences and paragraphs. “I plan to do [this] by doing [various steps] because it gives me energy and glorifies God,” etc.
Ideally, the plan you come up with should be relatively short so that you can read it every day. As you read it you will continually be reminded of the vision and dreams that God has put upon your heart.
In closing, let this New Year be one where you accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God, and do all that He has called you to do.
