Planning my Extraordinary Year
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer
On Christmas, I shared with you what I believe it takes to have an extraordinary year. Today, I want to share a bit more about my year-end reflections and how I make my plan for the new year.
For over a decade, I’ve been very intentional about planning out my life rather than aimlessly going from day to day. As much as I’d like to be a person who journals, I’m not. It’s just not in me. However, I firmly believe reflection turns experience into insight. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” So, since I’m not a journaling person, I created my own system with seven questions that I answer daily. I created a template in the Evernote app to make it as easy as possible. Evernote also allows me to add photos which really helps capture the events and experiences I want to remember. As of this morning, I have 3,656 days of examined life. During the days between Christmas and New Year’s Day, I reflect on the previous year to see what changes I may want to make in the new year, and I love reliving my highlights as I look at the pictures.
I know I have shared my year-end reflection process for many years, but I have another annual task that I don’t think I’ve ever shared: picking a word for the year. I spend several weeks each year thinking and praying about my word for the year. Having one word that I can focus on, use as a filter for decisions, and helps set my mindset is so empowering. In the past, I’ve had words like “opportunity” and “reimagine”; last year, my word was “unifier”. This year, my word is…drum roll please… “purpose.”
I added the statement “Living Out My Purpose” to my daily planner sheet and my daily reflection template in Evernote. I also added it to my vision board that hangs next to my desk. All of this helps me keep the word at the forefront of my life. Many years ago, I asked my wife to be my accountability partner, and she helps me stay on track. Yesterday, I took the time to share with her what “purpose” means to me in the various areas of my life.
- Purpose in my marriage
- Purpose as a father and grandfather
- Purpose as a pastor in my church
- Purpose at MACNY and in our community
When I am engaged in these areas, I want to live out the purpose God has called me to. When I need to make decisions, I ask myself, “how will this further my purpose?” If the answer comes back that it doesn’t or it works against it, it’s a quick “no.”
As I start the year, I’m using my purpose to impact choices regarding my health. If I believe God has a purpose for me in the four areas listed above, I need to take the time to be healthier so I can have the stamina I need. Am I scheduling my days so I can be at my best or am I burning the candle at both ends? Living out my purpose will have me saying “no” to more things, so I can commit fully to the best things. A wise man once said, “Sometimes you need to say no to the good to make time for the best.”
These intentional acts will help me make 2025 an extraordinary year. How about you? What will you do this year to make it extraordinary? I would love to hear from you.
Happy New Year!