For many years my new years resolutions started off highly focused, and then by the end of January I had forgotten what my resolutions even were. That is when I finally realized that a resolution for the new year wasn’t working for me.
However, what i have found to be helpful is an end of year life assessment. I reflect and refocus on the things that mean the most to me. Then I make changes where it seems appropriate. The way I have done this has changed a bit over the years.
At first I would look at four key important area’s of my life.
Head, Health, Heart, Home
- Head – Am I continuing to learn and grow?
- Health – Am I eating, sleeping and exercising on a consistent basis?
- Heart – Am I focused on things that I am passionate about?
- Home – Do I have a good relationship with my family and friends?
This continues to be a helpful starting place for me. But, I also found that it seemed to miss some key areas in my life. So, I started looking at my life in these key areas:
Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Financial, Recreational, Educational, Relational, Vocational, Avocational
- Spiritual – Am I living for God?
- Physical – Am I eating, sleeping and exercising on a consistent basis?
- Emotional – Am I engaged in the moment, hearing and feeling what is happening around me?
- Financial – Am I properly managing money for today and tomorrow?
- Recreational – Am I spending time doing things I love to do?
- Educational – Am I continuing to learn and grow?
- Relational – Am I investing in the relationships around me?
- Vocational – Am I working effectively in my employment and do I feel comfortable that I am working as if I were working for Christ?
- Avocational – Am I giving my time, money or support to a charity that is doing good for the community?
While this set of questions may seem exhaustive, it challenged me to look at my life more holistically and to identify areas for me to focus.
This method clarifies my “why”. I’m not making changes for this year (like a new years resolution). I am making changes for my life.
The ultimate goal is to assess my life and then make changes where necessary.
Over the last several years I have been trying to align my life with this passage in the Bible found in Mark chapter 12. It summarizes the primary aim of my life. When Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment, He answered:
The greatest is this, ‘Here, O Israel, the Lord our God is One. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ And the second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’. There is no commandment greater than these. Mark 12:29-31
If Jesus had simply stopped with the first commandment of loving God with every aspect of my life I would have plenty to work on. He shifted my old “Head, Health, Heart, Home” to a focus on loving God with my “Heart, Soul, Mind, Strength”. And He didn’t stop there. He made sure I loved others as well.
I could spend my life making these two commandments my primary focus. And if I do, I believe I will have lived a very satisfying life.
My life is not just about loving God.
My life is about loving my neighbor also.
Below I have aligned the greatest commandments of Jesus with the nine focus areas I mentioned earlier.
Here is how I am using this:
- Open and print this document. It is a bigger version of the life map above and also has a section to keep track of what you have achieved.
- Laminate the document (or, print several if that’s easier).
- Take time considering which area or circle you want to focus on. Identify a change or goal you could make in that area. This could be for today, this week, or for the next year.
- Write the change or goal down in the appropriate circle (in dry erase marker if you laminated it).
- Once complete, erase that goal, and make a new one in another circle, or in the same circle.
I have plenty to work on.
Love and blessin’s,
Dave
