I think it goes without saying that this past year was another hard year for many of us in many ways. I’m not really one to set resolutions or get starry eyed about a new year because as I get older the more I realize the new year upon us will be another mixed bag of taking the good with the bad. Instead of looking to the world for confidence and clarity on the upcoming year, I’ve learned to press into Jesus and ask him for advance words and scriptures over the new year.
I learned this practice through John Eldredge from Wild at Heart Ministries. Clay and I look forward to listening to the Wild At Heart weekly podcast and have found it to be extremely grounding, insightful, and most of all hopeful. We can’t tell you how much we enjoy the mentorship and resources of John Eldredge and his ministry team. Click here to listen to the Wild At Heart podcast episode “Ready for 2022.” to learn more about praying for advance words from God and consecrating the new year.
I want to encourage you to take the pressure off to hear from God right away. The fun thing about living in daily communication and relationship with Jesus is that a word from him often then starts to confirm itself in many places. I’ve spent most of the month of January asking for confirmation about my advance words for the year and it’s fun how many different places I’ve seen particular words show up. Simply start by asking Jesus to show you and then ask him to confirm what you believe he is showing you.
If you are looking for a free resource on learning how to hear the voice of God, Clay and I love this sermon series “Frequency” by Robert Morris. It’s definitely worth watching!
One of my advance words of the year is: focus. I believe Jesus is asking me to focus on my lane and what God has called me to fulfill in this season. I’m choosing to focus on the things that really matter in life and to seek Jesus’s voice first before I allow the noise of the world to crash in like a tidal wave. I also have a tendency to focus on “more” and feeling like I need to do more and be more and do it all with constant ease and perfection. So the only “more” I’m focusing on is having more grace for myself. I’m focusing on a “less, but better” approach. Less screen time. Less social media. Less clutter. Less outside noise. Less comparing myself to others. Less shopping for things I don’t need. Less pressure on myself to perform and to be farther than I am.
I’m hoping this approach will allow me to focus on my goals for my business, spend quality time with my husband and loved ones, and keep me energized and motivated to show up and serve my online community and create the content I love and enjoy while being faithful to steward what I have been given in this season. I’m choosing to focus on what I can do and to trust God to do what only He can do.
MY 2022 GOALS TO SUPPORT ‘FOCUS’
+ Limit “scroll” time. While part of my job requires me to be on my phone, I went into my settings and limited my “scroll” time to 1 hour a day.
+ Unfollow accounts that don’t create joy or inspiration. If you’re unable to bring yourself to hit that unfollow button because it may be a family member or friend, utilize the “mute posts and stories” feature. Nobody will even know.
+ No social mediaI for the first hour after I wake up and the hour before I go to bed. This has already helped me focus and not be distracted by comparison. I’m fine with sharing parts of my life online but I don’t want to live my life there and miss the real life beyond my phone screen. I have to remind myself that most people who seem to live on their IG stories and show up all day every day have a team of people helping them manage their businesses and life.
+ No more multitasking. My brain can hold a lot of details at once and I used to pride myself on that but it can also make me feel scattered and pulled in multiple directions. I’m focusing on showing up consistently and creating content that serves my online community. One of my goals is to work with an editorial manager so that I can focus on where I need to show up and what work I need to work on and learn how to move forward and grow in my business and my goals without feeling like I have to keep all of the plates spinning on every social media platform.
+ Write it down. I’m focusing on consistently utilizing a planner, journals, and note pads for to-do lists. I’m trying to be more intentional about journaling and writing things down with pen and paper. Here is the planner I purchased from Amazon. I’ll also link my favorite resources below.
Scripture of the year: Psalm 65:11 NLT
You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
For the upcoming year, I’m focusing on what God can do with my ‘yes.’ I know this year will bring challenges of its own but I’m going to focus on God’s faithfulness and trust him through the process. I’m looking forward to 2022 with a hopeful expectation of all that Jesus will do beyond what I could hope, dream, or imagine for us as the church, for us individually, and globally. I’m praying that you may have that same hopeful expectation and focus on all Jesus is doing in your life and on the Earth in 2022.
Do you have a yearly word, scripture, or goals?
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