It’s become a tradition every year, right after Christmas, to spend a weekend in the Twin Cities with my husband. Alone. We reconnect and very briefly take time to look back upon the year… just to make sure we didn’t completely blow it. Then, before we turn into a pillar of salt we turn ourselves around and look ahead.
2014.
A new year. The thing I love about new things is their cleanness. Straight lines. Simple ideas. The ability to dream. And boy, I can dream with the best of them!
I forgot to mention that our traditional after Christmas excursion ALWAYS includes a party with great friends at the famous Manny’s Steakhouse in downtown Minneapolis.
This year, while using the bathroom {at famous restraunt}, I experienced a slight disturbance when I overheard a woman throwing up in the stall next to me. I felt bad for her. After a momentary silence came this sound that words cannot explain, and she was sick all over again. Self induced? I felt worse for her.
Ugh…the Holidays, the New Year…oh, what you do to a girl! And now, we get all geared up to burst into another year and do this thing all over again. Life.
Planning, dreaming, starting another year over. No wonder some of us are sick.
I’m gonna make this easy for us. Keep it real.
1. Permission – Probably a favorite word of mine in 2013. Permission creates space between the heavy and light. It gives grace to the weary. A few weeks ago, gearing up, I purchased a blog planning kit. Let me be real with you, I’ve got ideas and dreams for this blog. Oh, the places we could go. But last night that plan laid on my lap like a ton of bricks and I felt this slow quicksand like sinking. My ambition is too lofty. What am I doing? I think I’m tired. Maybe I should just forget this whole thing. Yeah, quit being so planny and dreamy. Then, as if in sync, I read this blog post from Jennifer Dukes Lee. {Yeah, the plan was on my lap and the the ipad was in my hand. Multi-tasking or distracted…you can decide.} Her words. Her words reminded me of the truth. First things first, we don’t have to do anything more. We don’t have to be someone any different than the person God created us to be. Giving ourselves permission when we know deep down that we need to rest instead of work is, well, applaudable.
“There’s a better way to a new you. It doesn’t begin with a list of promises you’ve made to yourself, but a list of promises already fulfilled for you. For you! God made the resolution — to save a weary world — and He kept it. He’s the only God who keeps His promises, and then doesn’t require you to add to it — only to RECEIVE it.” -Jennifer Dukes Lee
2. Seasons – Everything in life has a season. A season to live, to die, to weep, dance, search, give up, keep, be silent, and a time to speak. We find the full list in the book of Ecclesiastes. Along with the other lessons that state; Life is meaningless….without God.
So, what’s your season? Time to till the ground {prepare}, plant some seeds {give life to another}, work the harvest {get your butt out there in the hot sun and do something with what you’ve been given}, or do you need a year of jubilee {rest}. You know where you’re at. If you don’t know where your at {I don’t believe you} then take 15 minutes of quiet. I promise you’ll unearth something. Identify it. Right now, give it a name, and claim it!
3. Create a Manifesto- Write a plan. There, I said it. But wait, don’t get sick on me yet. It’s not what you think. Remember, I promised easy. I took the purchased plan and made a bunch of chicken scratches on it. Then, after 15 minutes in a hot shower {seriously, best ideas are unveiled here} I came to my desk and whipped this up.
Simply put, I nailed a strip of burlap ribbon right in front of my writing table. Dug out a few close pins and pinned up some inspiration.
A quote.
A hand written agenda for each day of the week. Think BIG rocks. A focus for every day. I even specified my workout days {otherwise it ain’t happening}!
A picture.
A 2014 Manifesto. A declaration of focus. I used PICTURE words to identify my big rocks. Then, simply put, I wrote a few bullet points to clarify my hopes, wishes, and desired transformation for 2014. My manifesto was done in Pages {I’m a mac girl}. I used the Science Fair design in Posters. Dragged in my pictures and wrote a blub in the text box. Save. Print. Done.
How will you declare your motives, intentions, dreams, and desires for 2014? I say, go BIG from the heart. Stay SMALL at the start!
Fáilte 2014!
