It’s the perfect time of year to pause and reflect over the last year and contemplate and intend for the coming one. Over the last 2 weeks, I’ve been working through Lara Casey’s book Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live on Purpose with an intent to cultivate what matters in 2016.
One of the exercises in the book is to examine what has been working in the past year so you can carry it forward into the new year. For me, having a regular conference or seminar experience has been pivotal in developing my professional skills. The Grove Consulting Company’s Graphic Facilitation Skills Workshop was probably the best experience of the four I tried. On the other end of the spectrum, having a goal for trail running (six half-marathons) helped me stay in shape. What has been working for you? What would you like to carry forward to 2016?
As you might expect, the most improvement occurs when looking at what has not been working in the past year and that is the next part of the exercise. For me, the way I manage my time has not been accruing to the purposes I would like to accomplish. For example, I spend too much time worrying. Matthew 6:27 says, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Nope. So any time at all spent worrying is wasted time. Especially when that happens in the wee hours of the morning. What hasn’t been working for you?
The lessons I learned from this examination are that having a goal in trail running is good for me so I’ll be setting one in 2016. In addition, rather than spend my time on worry, it matters way more to spend it with others.
I have another week or so of exercises in Lara’s book to go but already I am liking how my January is shaping up with my new intent to cultivate what matters and to live on purpose. I know that doesn’t mean everything will be neat and tidy but I am in a better position to make decisions as things come up after having done the work than before.
How’s January looking for you?
If you’d like to learn more about this process, check out Lara Casey’s blog.
Jennifer Hartnett-Henderson 
Love this, particularly re: the wastefulness of worry! I can relate since I gravitate to worry and anxiety, and Sean resonates with the experience of early morning “BWs” (brain whirlies).
Greetings from Krabi, Thailand for Happy New Year. We’re staying behind a mosque at a great place run by Muslims, so we receive early reminders of spiritual anchoring through call to prayer at early and late hours! We did 3 ascents on vertical karst at Railay Beach yesterday and it was a great rock climbing workout. Thank heaven the coaches on the ground spoke some English!
On the bike trip, we bathed and rode elephants and heard a Lahu choir on Christmas eve in Thathong in the northern hill tribe area. Even though they are from a Tibeto-Burman language group, they’re Christians, so we heard 4 part harmony of their hymns, arranged by their pastor. Quite the cultural kluge since they were wearing their traditional dress.
Sending xoxoxo to you & Paul and eager to catch up on 23 Jan.
*Kathryn Welds* welds@post.harvard.edu +1 650 740 0763 mobile *LinkedIn | **Blog **|**Google+ ** |Twitter @kathrynwelds * *| Facebook notes *
On Thu, Dec 31, 2015 at 1:30 AM, Jennifer Hartnett-Henderson wrote:
> Jennifer Hartnett-Henderson posted: ” It’s the perfect time of year to > pause and reflect over the last year and contemplate and intend for the > coming one. Over the last 2 weeks I’ve been working through Lara Casey’s > book Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live on Purpose > wi”
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