What Do You Want To Accomplish This Year?

The last calendar page of 2022 has been flipped and I’m staring square on at the first month of 2023.

A question has been posed:

What Do You Want To Accomplish This Year?

Hmmmm…

How does one answer that question given the anticipated AND the unknown variables ahead?

Can an answer so early in the year accurately reflect a reliable conclusion?

In my world this year I am looking ahead at my son graduating high school and making decisions about his next step in life – maybe college, maybe military, maybe both.  Our family dynamic by the end of 2023 will be minus one except for breaks/holidays (if we’re lucky).  My heart is already aching for the loss of his presence and rejoicing in the faithfulness of God to him and how He will direct our son in the path planned for him before he was born.

In my world this year my husband will be traveling to a handful of countries, jumping in full body-mind-soul to the invitation God’s extended him to be a more active partner in the gospel expanding God’s Kingdom.  I expect he will continue to thrive in his new position as International Impact Pastor.

In my world this year my daughter will shift to upperclassmen status in high school while juggling her emotions tied to her brother leaving home (they are close), earning her drivers license, maintaining good grades, advancing in Kyukido, engaging in school extracurriculars, meeting with her faith community peers, attending church and all the while trying to sort out who to trust and settling on where her identity lies.

In my world this year I will continue as wife and mom and home manager AND employed as our church’s bookstore manager, volunteering on the women’s ministry leadership team, spearheading our neighborhood gals’ book chat group (reading Live No Lies by John Mark Comer this spring), as well maintaining/deepening friendships, helping shoulder in prayer and practical acts of kindness when possible the burdens they’re carrying.

So, yeah – all that will already be happening.

Only God knows what unexpected sorrows and joys are also around the bend, likely to shake things up and reframe perspective.

Given all that, I’m still faced with the question:

What Do You Want To Accomplish This Year?

Here it is:

I want to reach December 31st with the confidence that I have :

  1. Chosen to find joy no matter how rough life is.
  2. Prayed about EVERYTHING that goes on in my mind and life.
  3. Been faithful to find reasons to express gratitude whether times are good or hard.

where do those concepts come from?  I Thess 5:16-18.

Basically, like my friend who is about to spend the bulk of this year training her body that shares space with MS to run a marathon in October – with a goal of finishing that race, enabled by consistency and endurance and perseverance and the secure hope that the finish line IS obtainable – I want to show up each day ready to practice joy, intercession and gratitude expecting to gain strength and agility in these areas in order to be spiritually fit for the grueling marathon that life is.

That’s it for 2023:  Joy.  Intercession.  Gratitude.

 

 

 

 

3 Comments on “What Do You Want To Accomplish This Year?

  1. Pingback: How To Visualize Goals for the Year - Life In Psalm

  2. I so love this post! ❤️ So many nuggets to gather and I find it an inspiration as I ask myself what I want to accomplish this year.

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