“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
Proverbs 29:18
2020 is an amazing year.
The ball has dropped and the lights are down. 2020 is fully upon us. So whether you’re jazzed about the new year, still feeling the holiday blues, or coping with PVDS (post-vacation depression syndrome), the time has come to move forward into this new year. The sentimental resolutions made on New Year’s Eve (if you even made any) are already forgotten. So I ask, are serious about making some real change? Will Christmas bring forth the birth of Christ’s light inside of you? Will the new year bring forth a renewed spirit to live more fully with purpose and passion?
Here are three thoughts to get you ready for the 6 Steps to Success exercise and creating your Vision 2020.
One, bring forth gratitude as you recall your strengths and your wins from 2019. The brain has a negativity bias, which means you’ve probably done a good job at holding onto last year’s bad experiences, but a bad job at holding onto the good ones. Go back through the year, identify those wins, and let them springboard you into your vision for 2019.
Two, bring forth compassion as you embrace the challenges and barriers that lie ahead. Too often we will either try to ignore our struggles or we get consumed by them, either way taking an antagonistic approach to those parts of ourselves that we don’t like. The antidote is to bring compassion. Welcome those parts as your teachers and learn from them. Only then can you move through them to reach your vision.
Three, bring forth action. The only way this whole thing works is with action. New year’s resolutions fail because there is no teeth to them. They’re just nice ideas without a plan. Admit it, you need some structure. You must write out this exercise. When you write, use the present tense and positive language to tell your brain what you are actively doing now. Write concrete steps that you are taking now. Review the 6 Steps to Success monthly, updating each step as appropriate – especially recognizing your wins & writing your concrete steps for the coming month.
Yes, 2020 is an amazing year. Let’s make it so.
2020 Vision – The 6 Steps to Success
- From where do I draw my strength?
These are your best resources to embolden you to take on your vision.
- What are my wins from 2019?
Consider progress made in all areas of life – personal, professional, relational, physical, spiritual, financial, etc.
- What challenges am I facing in my life right now?
Consider challenges in all areas of life – personal, professional, relational, physical, spiritual, financial, etc.
- What is my vision for 2020?
Dream globally into your vision – courageously vision where you really want to see yourself this year.
List specific, tangible goals to focus you vision.
- What stands in the way between where I am now and this vision?
Consider both internal and external barriers that inhibit you. Usually we hold ourselves back more than any external factor.
- What steps can I start taking now toward my vision?
List concrete steps toward your goals identified in Question 4 as well as steps to address the barriers identified in Question 5.
Consider what resources you may need to access.