A Fruitful Year - January, A Time to Prepare

Are you ready to begin A Fruitful Year? I have written a bit about it here and why you should join.

January is a time for preparation. At the end of January you should have prepared yourself, written your goals, found an accountability partner, and answered some of the journaling question.

Just as a gardener prepares the field before the planting so we should do that with our goals and plans for the year. I think too often we jump into the year with all kinds of thoughts and plans but we have not taken the time to prepare and to evaluate our goals. Don't be tempted to skip this part. It is part of reaching your goal for the year.

• Begin to prepare yourself spiritually. This is a spiritual journey even more so than just getting things done. 
• Prepare yourself mentally. So much of how we grow and achieve it through our mental. 
• Prepare yourself physically. This will require you to be physically ready for a task so begin getting sleep and fuel your body with good food.
• Set your goals. Make sure they are achievable. Think about why you have listed that goal. 
• Post your goals where you can reference them and keep them in front of you as you go through the year.
• Find an accountability partner to encourage you and keep you going. This will help you succeed. 

I will give some journaling questions through the month. Here are just a few to consider as you think about preparing yourself mentally.

What are some of the phrases or words that you often say to yourself?

Are these truthful words? What does God say about the words you say to yourself?

How can you speak God's truth to yourself?

What is holding you back? Are you ready to grow and deepen your relationship with the Lord?

Beth