“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
– Proverbs 29:18

 
2020 was an amazing year… just not in the way we expected.

Did those goals you set at the beginning of 2020 get derailed? Or were you able to still carry through on some of them? Or did you not set any at all?  If there is one thing we learned from this past year, it’s that there is a lot outside of your control that will influence you. So that means you have to focus and take action on what is in your control. 

Last month, I talked about A Season of Hope.  To carry forward that hope into the new year, you need to have a plan that focuses on what is in your control.

That’s where Vision 2021 – The 6 Steps to Success comes in.  It is an exercise that I started several years ago, and it made a huge difference. See, I used to set some goals for myself at the beginning of the year but wasn’t consistent in working on them.  Sometimes they would be met, other times not.  I learned that I had to become serious if I wanted to see real change.

So if you are serious about making some real change, I give you this exercise. If you want the new year to bring forth a renewed spirit to live more fully with purpose and passion, I invite you to embrace this exercise.

Here are three thoughts to get you ready for Vision 2021 – The 6 Steps to Success exercise:

One, bring forth gratitude as you recall your strengths and your wins from 2020.  The brain has a negativity bias, which means you’ve probably done a good job 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 in to your vision for 2021. As challenging as 2020 was, we need to practice gratitude more than ever.

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 get consumed by them. Either way, we are antagonistic 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 are 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 it monthly, updating each step as appropriate – especially recognizing your wins & writing your concrete steps for the coming month.

2021 is an amazing year.  Let’s make it so.

2021 Vision – The 6 Steps to Success

1.  From where do I draw my strength?

• These are your best resources to embolden you to take on your vision.

2.  What are my wins from 2020? 

• Consider progress made in all areas of life – personal, professional, relational, physical, spiritual, financial, etc

3.  What challenges am I facing in my life right now? 

• Consider challenges in all areas of life – personal, professional, relational, physical, spiritual, financial, etc.

4.  What is my vision for 2021? 

• Dream globally into your vision – courageously vision where you really want to see yourself this year.
• List specific, tangible goals to focus on your vision.

5.  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. 

 6.  What steps can I start taking now toward my vision? 

• List concrete steps toward your goals identified in Question 4 and steps to address the barriers identified in Question 5.  Consider what resources you may need to access.