Well, the virtual planning event for my Faith-Filled Annual Planning Experience is almost here. This Friday, our group of planners will gather to work on our annual planning for 2016. We will come together, virtually, three times during the day and then separate to do the work we have slated for ourselves.
It’s an unstructured day from the stand point that each of us will do the work we need to do for ourselves. There are no rules. Just the intention that the day is set aside for a pure focus on planning.
We have been pre-planning in November and building up to this day. If you have been following along, you know that I worked on prayerful consideration of my Life Verse, my Mission Statement, and my Life Intentions; completing my Inventory; creating a Vision Board and writing my letter to 2015.
This year’s inventory was a welcome change from the one I wrote in 2014. Last year, much was hanging in the balance. This year, with a little more grace and gratitude, I feel that I maintained much better alignment with my life and long term intentions, and completed some pretty substantial short term intentions as well.
There are still some looming carry-overs, but I feel confident that there is a plan to chisel away at them in 2016. While it’s sobering to have unfinished business, focusing on where I fell short is not only counter-productive, it is not allowing for grace. And, I choose grace. There is too much to celebrate and be grateful for so the focus goes there.
In my letter, I flow month by month through 2015 and focus on the positives. I thank 2015 for each of her lessons, the accomplishments, the gifts, and the answered prayers (so many answered prayers). God is moving in my life in unbelievable and nurturing ways. Sometimes the challenges ahead seem insurmountable. But, when reviewed in this way I am able to see the blessings in the trials or find a reason to be grateful and my letter becomes an outpouring of that. When it is complete, I have realigned with all the good in my life and I generally have a clear picture of what is important and where I may have set the bar too high.
Seeing this before planning the coming year helps bring focus. When I find that I was unrealistic with my timeline and my intentions in 2015, I can shift to create a new intention for 2016 that is in better alignment with that reality. The sober, compassionate look via my inventory and the celebration and thanksgiving in my letter helps me find a path that more clearly defines the real outcomes I desire for 2016 and shape the new intentions. Careful review of the past year is a powerful step forward into the new year.[tweetthis]Careful review of the past year is a powerful step forward into the new year. [/tweetthis]
It’s truly why I created my process. This step balances out my planning and helps me approach it from all sides. It also helps me to take a step back and give God credit for the work He is doing in my life whether there has been success or ‘failure’… and what that means for my focus in the coming year.
My focus on Friday is to once again create only three intentions for 2016… three intentions that will shape each part of my life in the areas I feel most called to shape. The day will be so valuable to me as I plan for the coming year.
Are you ready to plan for 2016?