I talked to a middle-aged woman a few years ago that had a European accent.  I asked her how she ended up living and working in the heartland of America.

She said she was attending the wedding of some friends of hers and they asked her to stay for a while. She said, “If I was to stay, I needed some money, so I took a job in a flower shop and I have been here ever since.”  Amazing!

What a great example of a person living out their life where LIFE plopped them down. No planning, no forethought, just allowing themselves to be blown about by the circumstances they encounter.

Life does not have to be lived that way.  Over the holidays, you could take some time to reflect on the past year of your life.

Writing your reflections in a journal can be enlightening as the years pile up.  Memories don’t serve us well. We forget too easily. And at times it is nice to read what you wrote five years ago.  It can remind you of decisions, recall what you thought was important, and help guide you in current affairs.

A journal can be a place to capture thoughts you have had, quotes that impressed you and a place to tell the story of the events in your life. (The link is an eight minute video of Jim Rohn on journaling)

Some people record their health progress, their financial progress, their daily to-do list and longer-term goals in a journal. It can become like a house you live in, only it’s in a book.

Some people keep a thankful journal.  They write at least one thing each day that they were thankful for. This helps train the mind to be thankful instead of being negative.

Some people keep a prayer journal.  They record things they want to pray for regularly as well as temporary prayer requests and then date the request as it was answered.  This is great for reminding yourself that God has answered many of your prayers.

Some people keep all these journals in the same book.  Some keep all the information in one entry, and some people divide the book into sections for each topic.

I kept a journal a few years ago as I went out witnessing one night a week. Part of the goal was to see what God would teach me.  I wrote every night when I got home and it was filled with much learning.

In some cases, as the book or pages fill up you might need to rewrite your prayers or daily goals to keep them on or near current pages.  This is good because the act of rewriting embeds them more firmly in your mind.

You might think what is the point?  Well, writing brings clarity to your feelings and thoughts.  This type of journaling is like building a home for yourself. It can be where your thoughts live on paper.  This can be powerful.  Some things, once you have written them down, no longer live in endless loops in your mind.

You might think no one would be interested in the journals when you pass away.  That may be, but one of my grandfathers died when I was six years old.  I would like to have been able to read about his life, but he kept no written record of his life. Now he is gone and with his death all his insight and wisdom.

My other grandfather went to seminary for a while, then decided to found a church and was a Sunday school teacher for the rest of his life.  I have heard he was deeply knowledgeable in the Old Testament.  I never talked to him about that subject, and he kept no record of his life either, and now he is gone.

Anyone that reads these kinds of journals will know that you were a serious student of life in general and some subjects in particular.

In the process of reflection, you could ask yourself:

• What or who most influenced me in the past year?
  What were the biggest events in my life this year?
  What were the books I read, (or for the millennials – what books did I listen to!)
• What inspired me this last year?
  What is my financial situation now compared to January last year?
  What bothered me the most?
  What did I learn from God’s Word that impacted my thinking?
  Where did I go?
  Who are the people that I am around the most?

If I had the year to do over what would I change? (Brian Tracy recommends asking this question weekly – If I were to start over looking for a job or starting a business what would I change?  Change it now!) This is not for condemnation, but the question is for getting a better direction for next year.

This type of reflection is easier to do if you have the habit of doing it regularly.
If you keep a journal, you could see what you wrote about last year and any progress you have made up to now.
Writing is a great way to cause our brains to process events, situations and thoughts.  It can bring things to clarity that might just be blurry now and easily forgotten.
Now the next part of reflecting is to look at the year coming up and decide what you would like to accomplish rather than just let the year happen to you.
Where would you like to visit?

What would you like to see happen in your job or business?
What would it take to see that through?
What decisions do you want to make with your finances? (Sharon and I have gone over this subject frequently and the more we go over it, the more our finances improve, and things get clearer and better.)
How many books would you like to read or listen to?
What topics would you like to learn?
What spiritual goals could you write down to accomplish in the next 12 months?
Maybe you need mentors to help with different areas of life.
(Bible teacher, CPA, nutrition expert or physical trainer)
Become more consistent in keeping a journal.
What do you want in life?  Define it in your journal.

Many times we do not know exactly what we want.  It is hard to get there if you don’t know where you are going.

By reflecting and writing down those reflections, you can guide your life and not be tossed around by circumstances.

So, over the holiday, take some time to reflect on your life and plan out a great year for 2021!

Living The Prosperous Life on purpose and with direction.