Looking Back...and Moving Forward

It's been a whirl wind ending to 2009. A non-stop frenzy of food, family, and football. We celebrated a wedding with extended family, Christmas with my little family of five, and rang in a new year with friends for life. We've watched so much football that I can't keep all the games straight but were able to watch our beloved Razorbacks pull off a win in the Liberty Bowl.

So here we are in 2010-- a new year, a new decade. The list maker in me has always felt compelled to make out goals for the new year ahead. I like new starts, new goals (even if they may look somewhat like last years goal). What I don't do very well is looking back and evaluating the past. I just flip the calendar and start over.

One of my pastors posted a link to a blog by Michael Hyatt called Leading with Purpose. He listed 7 questions to ask yourself as a way to reflect on the past year. I've spent some time the past several days answering these questions for myself and I thought I'd share them with you.
1. If the last year were a movie of your life, what would the genre be? Drama, romance, adventure, comedy, tragedy, or a combination?
2. What were the two or three major themes that kept recurring?
3. What did you accomplish this past year that you are the most proud of?
4. What do you feel you should have been acknowledged for but weren't?
5. What disappointments or regrets did you experience this past year?
6. What was missing from last year as you look back?
7. What were the major life-lessons you learned this past year?

You can read his article for yourself here, but I liked how he encourages us to give closure to the year past, "Declare it over, declare it complete".

So that's what I'm doing...

Stick a fork in it and call it done!

Happy New Year friends.
Gina