2012 is just around the corner and it is full of possibility. If you know me at all then you know I love the word “possibility” because it holds both the unknown and promise together!  The Bible talks about how God’s promises are NEW every morning! I love that.  In the same way, a new year marks fresh choices, fresh relationships, fresh experiences, and fresh impact!

As a Life Coach I have had the privilege to learn some good practices and have utilized some good tools so that I can set a course for the year ahead of me to be certain that I do, indeed, grow in areas of needed growth, have impact in lives I am called to love, keep my body strong and healthy in all the ways that I can, and to mature in my spiritual life.  I can’t simply “hope” to grow or mature.  I must be intentional to pursue new growth.

Each year I set aside a day to “retreat” and consider the year ahead.  I sit with my journal, my Bible, access to good coffee, and my Life Plan which is a list of the Accounts of my life that matter the most to me: Marriage, married sons and their wives, my parents and extended family, Health, My faith, My occupation, etc., etc.   I look at each of these accounts and assess my progress~ “do I need to make some changes?  add some fresh effort? address new issues? ”  If I recognize a gap I will write down new steps that I will add to my calendar so that my intentions for the year ahead are set in stone!! For instance, I love my parents so very much and if I want to be sure I spent quality time with them in the year ahead then I will need to be sure they are on my calendar weekly or monthly….IF they  matter they will be represented there. This is the same with my Health. When will I commit to exercise?

During my yearly “retreat” I also write down some fresh ideas, fresh dreams, and I try to come up with Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG), something far reaching that requires God’s involvement in order to see it happen.  It is so easy to become so busy in our lives that we simply cease to dream, we can lose passion, lose our zest for life. I know, I have done it myself.

Would you be willing to enter into this new year ahead prepared for action?  Would you be willing to take a day–just for yourself–to pray, make fresh commitments to your key Life Accounts, and to allow yourself to dream again?

Make 2012 a year where you LOOK FORWARD, MOVE AHEAD, and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!