Time to Reflect and Prepare

I know. Christmas is just a few days away, and there is just a bit more than a week left in 2024. Many of us are winding down work, heading into the home stretch, and/or looking forward to some time off ahead. Last week, we talked about giving, which is a great way to finish up 2024 with that heart to give and benefit others with all that has been given to us. So now that you are winding up the year, what better time than now to reflect on the year that is coming to an end? As you reflect there are many aspects to look back on, and I encourage you to not just do this in your mind, but put pen to paper. Some of them may be easy to just jot down from memory, but some may take some calculations to see what you have actually accomplished.

Here are my key areas of reflection and what they mean so that you can finish off this year feeling good about your accomplishments and maybe challenging yourself to be more intentional in 2025 to do more.

1) My relationship with God: I know some of you don't believe my way, so feel free to move on to point 2, but without a doubt, in my life, this is the only way to start. How have you grown over this year? Bible Reading, prayer time, closeness? What could you have done more of? Do you feel closer or more distant than prior years?

2) My Family: How is my family doing? Think back to those good moments and the struggles throughout the year. Remember you have to think all the way back to January, so don't miss out on a great New Year's feast you may have had or that early Spring time away. As you think through these things, focus on those positive areas first to see how things have gone throughout the year. But then, do not steer completely away from some tough times as well. What did you learn from them or what could have been different?

3) Work: No matter whether you are a stay-at-home Mom or working somewhere, we all have aspects of our lives that are work. What went well this year and what challenges did you face? What do you want to change going into 2025? As we look back at the year in work, we should be growing, we should be learning and we should be getting stronger in some areas. Similar to other areas, think through the positive first, but then do not steer clear of the areas that could have been better, or the challenges you faced.

4) Financial: I would not be a financial coach if I did not have this in there. Now I believe if you take care of God, take care of your family, and take care of work, these goals will start to come along with those, but they cannot be forgotten. How have you done saving this year? Or maybe you were focused on paying off your debt, so how much did you pay off? Keeping an eye on those things shows your attention to this. It grows more and more important as you get older, but cannot be forgotten when you are young, since it will compound towards the future.

Now, go take some time, sit back for 30-60 minutes, and reflect on 2024, if you are married, or with someone else, it is a great exercise to do together. See where you are aligned, celebrate some wins together, and start to pave the way for 2025. If 2024 was a challenging year for you, then take some time to make 2025 a great year and begin to put some groundwork in place for 2025 to be the best.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and a blessed 2025 ahead. Next week, I'll take a break from posting, so we will come back in 2025 to look at the goals and focus areas for 2025.