New Year…New Growth Opportunity

Never in my years do I recall seeing and hearing such a widespread and overwhelming display of fireworks as we experienced around the globe on New Year’s Eve this year! Beginning a new year usually brings to mind a fresh start. But this year, it meant even more. Last year (2020) just seemed like such a huge mess all over the planet. And we have all been eager to see what a new year will bring. (I’m not even going to touch what has been happening in the last couple of days in D.C. – that isn’t the point of this post.)

Many people like to make “New Year’s Resolutions” to declare the changes they intend to make in the coming months. Rather than dwelling on bad habits or thinking in absolutes, I am inviting you to prayerfully consider what one to three aspects of your life you will deliberately cultivate for growth this year. And invite your preteen, adolescent, and adult children to do the same. Discuss the following questions together. Encourage one another. Your growth areas can be in any facet of your life: Cultivating a spiritual character quality. Learning and mastering a new skill. Expanding an area of knowledge or experience. Facing old fears. Improving your physical health. Pick whatever matters to you – an area of life you know will be truly rewarding as growth comes. But don’t start too big or too broad. Pick one, two, or three specific elements of life to grow this year. Once you have some months of sustained growth in that select area or areas, you can add a new focal point or two with confidence. Here are some questions to help you experience real meaningful growth:

What aspect of your life do you want to grow this year?

What practical steps are you taking to cultivate that growth?

How will you set yourself up for progress, rather than setting yourself up for frustration?

How will you measure and recognize your growth?

What will you do to maintain that growth trajectory?

Who can you look to for wisdom who is already ahead of you on this particular path of growth?

Who will you enlist to actively help you grow in this area of life?

How and how often will you celebrate your growth?

Enjoy the journey! Celebrate your progress! Keep moving forward!!!