014. End of Year Review and Vision Board

In this end of year BONUS episode, I share how I spend time reflecting on the Holidays and reviewing the year and then shift into planning the new year and a behind the scenes look at creating my personal vision board. Christmas Review For the last few years I have spent some time after Christmas reviewing how things went. I make notes about what brought me joy, what others enjoyed, and overall what went well. I also note what didn’t go so well or what we should do differently next year. I even record what food I made and what was liked best. This year the Lemon Lush cake was a hit but the peanut butter cake mix cookies - not so much! This may be a little over the top but I also save my gift list and any ideas I had but didn;t purchase. This gives me a headstart on my shopping for next year. Then I put these notes in a place where I will remember to look at them around October of next year so when I start planning for the Holidays it will refresh my memory. I used to put it in my paper planner but now I keep it digitally with just a note in my planner and a reminder in my calendar. Reviewing the Year It’s also a great idea to do this for your year. I enjoy looking back through my calendar and photos to remember all the things that happened throughout the year. It’s a jog down memory lane that can get emotional. It prompts me to be thankful for all the Lord has brought us through and the many blessings He has given us. Looking Ahead Then I think about the new year and think about places I want to go and people I want to see. Y’all know by now - I like to plan! But I’ve learned to plan in pencil and be flexible to what the Lord has in store. Instead of calendaring specific events, like date night the first Friday of the month, lunch with a friend every Tuesday, I think differently. More like date night at least once a month, lunch with a friend twice a month, family gathering every quarter. This way gives me more margin or space. I don’t have to be so specific. It allows room for important things that come up and keeps me from feeling guilty if something doesn;t work out. I think about self-care, relationship goals, career/business plans, and ministry vision. Then at the beginning of each month I can schedule the date night, lunches, and visits on my calendar around whatever else has made it onto my schedule. Vision Board After I go through this process I like to create a Vision Board as a physical reminder of what I feel is mine and the Lord's vision for the year. Then place it where I will see it each day. In the past it has been the screensaver on my computer. This year I’m framing it and putting it on the wall. Now, you can do this with a posterboard and cut out pictures from magazines or even print specific pictures if you like or you can do what I do and create a digital board. I have created a digital version the last two years and I just love it. I use canva.com which is an online program. It’s kind of like digital scrapbooking. They have a free plan and you can find templates to help you get started or you can create from scratch. Here is my “behind the scenes” footage of me creating my Vision Board in real time. It's a raw, unedited video so no judging! YouTube: How to create a digital vision board Connect with Jacklin: Effective Ministry Solutions Facebook Effective Ministry Solutions Instagram Preparing the Church for the Harvest Webpage Schedule a Call This episode was originally published on effectiveministrysolutions.com/episode014.