The Key to a Successful Year

Hello again everyone!

Welcome back to A Bold and Daring Spirit this new year. I have made a lot of plans and exciting goals to put into action this year, which I hope to talk more about soon. But unfortunately, I was hardly a few days into the new year when my eagerness quickly turned into exasperation when I found myself trying to get it all together at once.

Organizing, scheduling projects, monthly business prompts/reminders, planning promotions, lists, blogging, design planning, family life, etc. And I couldn’t figure out the best place to start because, after all, it all needed to be done now. Or so it seemed. And in all honesty, a high percentage of stress came from doubting whether or not I would actually be successful in accomplishing any of these plans this year.

I’m sure you can relate.

However, it was soon apparent that my perspective was all wrong. I wasn’t simply penciling in the needs of the day to day and struggling with organizing a busy schedule. I was preparing myself to fix all the “wrongs” of last year. I was looking at this new year saying, “Here’s a second chance to get things right for a change.”

Have you felt that way about the new year, as if it were a second chance to fix things?

Obviously it’s not wrong to look back and readjust for the future. But thinking we can fix it all in one year is illogical. With this mindset we clearly set ourselves up for failure and disappointment because there is no room for unavoidable human mistakes or situations beyond our control. We have fallen into the trap of thinking that if we put our minds to it we can simply “fix” any and every problem that comes our way.

While I was subconsciously fighting with myself (struggling between trying to fix everything and not risking the effort), I encountered a precious piece of advice from a fellow believer.

Rebekah Baird (@HelloModesty), sister of Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal of GirlDefined, said,

“As we enter this new year one of the things I’ve really been learning is that it doesn’t matter how many things you get done if you don’t grow in your relationship with God. This year I don’t want to worry so much about all the things I ‘get done’ …I want to focus on learning about God, growing closer to Him, and trusting in Him more.”

I knew this truth already but I needed reminded of what was truly important.

Perhaps you do too.

I spent a few long years trying to make things happen according to everyone else’s standards and the result was endless frustration. Only when I completely surrendered to the Lord’s will, and stopped listening to the world, did I find calm.

The same goes for approaching the new year. I can make all the plans and lists I want to, filling my planner up with tasks, but the responsibility, and especially the unavoidable failures, will do nothing but weigh me down.

What is more important than checking off our to-do lists is our status with our Heavenly Father. When we are at peace with Him – when we are close to Him and acting in His strength – that’s when we will find peace amidst the limitless responsibilities.

The truth is, the defining point between a successful year or a failed year is whether or not we are focused on our relationship with God. As Rebekah said, what’s more important is that we focus on,

1. Learning about God,

2. growing closer to Him,

3. and trusting Him more.

These have become my new goals for 2020, and they are going at the top of my planner.

What are your goals for the new year?