We are all familiar with the routine as we approach the 31st of December. People everywhere become overwhelmed with preparing for the new year and developing resolutions that they have commanded they will keep. Dates are being set for the next vision board party and excitement fills the air. It’s so exciting to be able to come together with friends, sip on a chilled glass of wine, and bounce ideas off of each other. But, here we are preparing to enter into another year and a cloud of unfulfilled dreams and visions hangs over our heads.
I’m not really sure who came up with the ingenious idea of developing “New Year Resolutions”. Was it really genius at all? I have yet to understand why so many people wait an entire year to begin planning. Life is full of “the unexpected”, and it is because of this that we should remain in planning mode daily. Life planning is something that we should be engaged in everyday making it a priority to identify our passions, evaluate where we currently are, decide where we want to be, and plan how we will get there. Why are we holding on to some made up idea that we have to wait 12 whole months when there is so much power in NOW?
When failing to operate in the NOW, we lose out on so much and for some it has meant losing out on their entire life. Whoever said that tomorrow is a better time? It’s as if we are awaiting some miraculous moment or event to take place which will push us further into our destiny. I believe that we have it all wrong. It is because of this poor way of thinking that we exit and enter into one year after another, feeling unaccomplished.
We have somehow become too entangled in the idea of bearing fruits and if not seeing the fruits of our labor manifest within a specific timeframe, become discouraged. We have somehow gotten to the point where we measure our successes by the successes of others never once considering that even the most successful person has their share of personal struggles too. When failing to operate in the NOW we open the door of torment on the dreams, goals, and visions that we failed to act upon. Be not dismayed and have no worry because there yet remains more time!
We’ve all heard before that once lost, time is something which cannot be regained. I have been sent to remind you of a few ways in which you can regain lost time. Yes, all hope is not lost and there is a way!
Regaining Lost Time Lost time can be regained through increased productivity. So, let’s review a few tips on how to increase our productivity in regaining our time as we prepare to enter into the new year:
- Make YOU a priority. There is so much that we are committed to including our families, jobs, community, ministry, etc. But there has been less of a commitment to ourselves, our dreams, and those things that bring us the most fulfillment.
- Schedule. We are all very busy, I know. And just like everything else in our lives we must schedule accordingly when setting aside time for ourselves. One of the ways in which I try to do this is by sticking to a daily routine within my home. The last duty of the night usually consists of preparing my son for bed. Once this task is complete, I know that the night belongs to me!
- Discover your passion and make it a part-time job! Pay yourself first. We are committed daily to providing for our families and rendering unto Caesar what is due to Caesar. But, what have we poured into ourselves? What steps have we taken to help turn our dreams into reality? Make the time to invest in yourself.
- Forget about it! Forget about the past, what hasn’t worked, or what has yet to be accomplished. The past is over and there is literally nothing that you can do to change what already is. The only significance of your past is that it can sometimes serve as a teachable moment as it relates to your future and areas of needed improvement. Remember, you have the power of choice. You can choose to do something with your NOW.
- Command your day. Life is a blessing and should not be taken for granted. When you rise in the early morning, speak to your day. Command that your day be blessed. Command that you will live above and not beneath and become the lender and not the borrower. Words not only have meaning, but they have power once released into the atmosphere. If you say it enough, you’ll eventually begin to believe it. Soon, you’ll be living out of your imagination.
- Don’t wait; act now. There is no need to adhere to the pre-set rule of waiting until the new year until you lay out all of your goals and plans. What would be the point when you can just begin now? There are no guarantees in what tomorrow may bring because it is not promised and may just be a day too late. Now that you have commanded your days, take the necessary steps to live it out. Someone is depending on you. With that being said, you cannot be too sure that that the creative idea or vision that you have can wait. Someone may need to benefit from what has been planted inside of you right NOW!
Sometimes, the very thing that you feel that you are waiting on is already waiting on you. You just have to walk into it. Let’s walk into the new year knowing that the wait is over because there is power in today!
Tamika Lynch,
A woman who was once unaware that she could have it all, now has it all. She is committed to empowering women to have the audacity to believe within themselves and to walk in their divine purpose. She dedicates her time to helping other women discover what their purpose is so that they may live the abundant life and encourages imparting into others the same. She advocates for the refilling of self; for no one can draw water from an empty well.