Intentional.
One of my favorite words. If there is one thing I have learned as my life continues to grow more crazy with a child (soon to be children), and many activities between between me and my husband, health for us comes through intentionality.
Have you ever gotten through a year and thought, where in the world did that year go? What did I accomplish? How did I advance myself in my life?
I have. And it was a very eye opening experience: If I am not intentional with my life, my decisions, and my direction, I will easily get swept up in the day to day and let another year pass me by without taking the reigns and promoting the direction that I desire my life to go.
There are many ways to set an intentional direction for your year. However, there are two powerful things that, when done at the beginning of the year, have found have given me profound direction amidst the busyness throughout the last few years.
1. Select a single word that sets the direction for your year.
Sounds silly. How can one word describe a single word. But if you take time to really pray about what God wants from your 2021, I believe he will give you a word that will guide the direction of your year.
My husband and I have been praying about our year for 2021, and feel that God gave us the word:
Legacy.
We are making some major life changes in this year, and believe every one of them is guiding us to creating a legacy for our future children and generations to come.
Your word should be a daily reminder/theme that you filter your thoughts/decisions through. What does God want to bring into your 2021?
2. Specific Goals in 7 Categories.
Goals can never be accomplished until they are specifically defined. Without being identified and defined, they will never become more than ideas and desires. This list is not all inclusive, however, these are the categories that my husband and I use to focus our minds and hearts on what God wants to do in our year. In addition, defining these goals helps to hold us accountable, and keeps us focused. These goals need to be measurable, attainable, and healthy. The categories include
1. Health
This includes physical, mental and emotional health. What are your specific, measurable goals to help you accomplish all God has for you in 2021. How will you protect and support your mental and emotional health?
2. Faith
What is your specific plan to grow in your faith in 2021? How will you hold yourself accountable with prayer, meditation and Bible reading? How will you take steps forward in your specific, God-given calling?
3. Intellectual
What will you do to challenge your mind in 2021? For me, this includes a setting a goal reading list in areas that I want to learn more about and challenge my mind in 2021.
4. Social
How will you make investing time in edifying friendships a priority in 2021? Are there people you are called to mentor/invest in? What adventures do you want to partake in this year?
5. Career
What are your specific, measurable career goals this year? If you have a long term career goal, what are you going to do this year to take a few steps closer to achieving that goal?
6. Financial
What is your plan for greater financial health in 2021? Do you plan to pay off debt? Make a big purchase? Save a specific amount of money? Give generously?
7. Family
What do you want to experience with your family in 2021, and how are you going to make it happen?
Since I am a planner, naturally I have created a template to help me organize my thoughts and plan out the year. Once I have mapped all of these ideas out, I will type them out and then hang it where I can see it everyday and be reminded what I want my year to look like.
If you are ready to be intentional about planning out your 2021, enter your email below for a free word template of this document where you can type your own thoughts and create your plan.
Happy 2021!
