This verse keeps coming up in various arenas:

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

I am always invigorated to consider this invitation to co-labor with Christ. We each have a part to play and that is exciting!!! Do you want to put in effort with the Lord to plan your course for this coming year? What are your desires for 2022? Do you hope it is your most meaningful year yet?

Wise planning begins with reflection.

I can’t think of a better way to start the year than to carve out one hour of time to be alone with the Lord to reflect on 2021 and prayerfully prepare for intentional living in 2022.

Over a decade ago, Mark and I were gathering with friends at New Years to stay in a cabin together for the weekend. Being an extrovert, I was super excited for the endless conversation and energy buzz that comes from being with people from the moment I wake up to the moment I lay my head on the pillow.

I was surprised when a fellow extrovert of the group pulled us all together and passed out a worksheet. He asked that we all go find a quiet place on the property, spend at least an hour with the Lord, and reflect on the past year. Then we would come together to process what the Lord was teaching each of us.

I instantly had resistance. I groaned inside my head: a whole hour of silence? That did not sound appealing, especially when some of my favorite people in the world were all together under one roof! I didn’t want to offend my friend by being negative, so I agreed to give it a try.

I had no idea this would not only be one of the highlights of the weekend, but it would also spark a desire for intentionality that is still growing more than ten years later!

What if I invited you to get quiet and try the same thing today or sometime this week? What is your initial response? Is it full of resistance, like mine? Are you already making excuses why this isn’t for you? That’s ok! Are you willing to give it a try anyway?

If you are experiencing your own ambivalence over this practice, I invite you to simply pause and ask God more questions about it. Does He have something good planned for you with this exercise? What is the root reason you are resisting? Are you fearful of what you may discover? Would you rather spend your time doing something else? Is it easy to make excuses about why you are too busy? What would happen if you just gave it a try? I sure hope you do! In fact, I’m praying for you right now that He would make it possible and beneficial to do this exercise.

I’ve noticed over the years that when a new idea or thought comes into my head andis met with instant resistance, it is something I need to explore deeper. Is that my flesh or sin nature resisting? Is it Satan whispering half truths about why to resist? Is it Christ gently nudging me away from the idea? At times it has been each of these, so now I try to quickly recognize that it requires more curiosity and prayer to discern whose voice it is.

If you discern this is an exercise the Lord is inviting you into and if you are willing, join me in reflecting on 2021 and then prepare for our most intentional year yet in 2022! Even better, invite at least one other person to do this exercise with you so you can discuss your answers.

Feel free to answer these questions in a way that makes the most sense for you. Do you want to focus on all of them today? Do you want to break it down over a couple days? Maybe you prefer to process one question a week? Regardless of the system that works best for you, I hope these questions spur you on to delightful reflection and intentionality as you co-labor with God to reflect and plan!

What is my favorite memory from the past year? Why?
What areas of my life are going well (relationships, finances, spirituality, vocation, mental health, physical health, recreation, and personal development)? If I rank these in order, how does it reveal which areas need more focus?
What action, lifestyle, choice, or habit has proven most fruitful in the past 12 months?
What habits do I want to prioritize this year because they set me up for success?
What habits do I not currently do that I wish were true of how I spent my time? And what is one tiny change I could make to start moving in that direction?
What am I most proud of, in regards to the way I spent my time these past 365 days?
What is one way I regret spending my time?
What are a few lessons God taught me?
What Scripture was most meaningful to me? Why was it so significant this past year?
What are three ways I sought personal development this year? Were they fruitful practices?
How well did I care for myself physically?
What improvements could I make this coming year to care for myself better?
Which relationships were a joy?
Are there any relationships that are currently strained?
What is one step I could make toward repairing that relationship? Do I need to forgive anyone? Do I need to ask forgiveness from anyone?
How would my spouse rate our marriage currently on a scale of 1-10? How do I rate it? What are some reasons I gave it this number? If it’s not as high as I would like, which part is my responsibility for not rating it higher? If it is high and I am satisfied, what are the underlying reasons it received such a high rating?
Did I accomplish what I set out to accomplish?
What goals or ambitions were left undone?
Are there any action items I want to carry over to this year?
Who is someone I am especially grateful for? Have I told them?
Is there anything that needs to stop?
Is there anything missing that needs to be added into my life?
Do I sense God asking me to obey in any area?
What was the best book I read?
What is one topic or skill I want to learn more about this coming year?
Am I satisfied with the amount of margin in my life?
Do my values and my lifestyle sync up or clash?
Do my values/priorities align with the way I choose to spend my time, money, and talents?
Which podcast episode had the greatest impact on me? Why?
What is one thing I want to be true of me one year from today?
What financial decisions were wise this past year?
Did I make any financial decisions I regret? If so, why? How can I learn from it and avoid that in the future?
What is one financial goal I want to work toward in this year ahead?
Am I satisfied with my level of generosity? If so, how can I continue with this practice? If not, what is one way to stretch in this area?
Where would I rate my energy level on a scale of 1-10 most days? What are the underlying reasons for that number? Is there any action step I can take to move that number higher from now on?
Am I proud of the food I chose to put in my body? If so, how can I maintain these choices? And if not, what changes need to be made?
Did I move my body as much as I wanted and knew was best for me?
Have I been prioritizing sleep well? If so, what have been the payoffs? If not, what have been the setbacks? Is it worth prioritizing it higher?
How connected do I feel to community and loved ones on a scale of 1-10? (1 being total isolation and 10 being 100% healthily connected) What changes do I desire in order to move that number up?
What did I enjoy doing for play or recreation this past year? How did I feel after taking time to play? If I’m not playing at all, what is holding me back?
Am I taking the amount of breaks I would recommend to someone I love?
Am I speaking more or listening more? Would I like to change anything about that?
How do I think others experienced me this year? What word would they use to describe me or interactions with me? (feel free to ask trusted, safe people)
What is one area where I want to focus on and grow in the future?
What is one characteristic or fruit of the Spirit I want to ask God to develop in me?
What are 3-5 ways I can be more intentional this year to live the purposeful life I desire?
What do I need to continue?
What do I need to let go of?
Have I been a faithful steward this year with all that has been entrusted to me?
What themes am I noticing as I intentionally reflect on my life?
What is the smallest action step I can take today?
Am I ready to commit this year to the Lord? Can I freely say, “I surrender all”?

Jesus, please guide us all, Amen.
Love you,

Laura

About The Savvy Sauce

Practical chats for intentional living

A faith-based podcast and resources to help you grow closer to Jesus and others. Expect encouragement, surprises, and hope here. Each episode offers lively interviews with fascinating guests such as therapists, authors, non-profit founders, and business leaders.

They share their best practices and savvy tips we can replicate to make our daily life and relationships more enjoyable!