Pastor to pastor: The best is yet to come

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The week after Christmas is the least productive week of the year for many people. For me, it’s the MOST productive.

Since 1993, the last week of every year, I have followed an intentional life evaluation process that has brought huge benefits and dividends into my life and my family.

My evaluation process has evolved and expanded over the years, and it has helped me make most of the important decisions in life. My family deserves my best. Midway Church deserves my best. The other people in my life deserve my best. So do the people in your life!

MOTIVATIONAL STATEMENTS

“Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” – Psalm 90:12

“… For whatever a man sows, he shall also reap.” – Gal. 6:7

“Everybody arrives somewhere in life. Some people arrive there on purpose.”

“Success doesn’t chase after you each day. Stupidity does!”

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you always got.”

THE OVERALL PROCESS

  1. REFLECT AND EVALUATE
  2. DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT AND WHY YOU WANT IT (What stirs you? What do you dream about? What are some of your goals?)
  3. DEVELOP YOUR PLAN
  4. TAKE ACTION ON JANUARY 1, 2022

FIVE (5) ESSENTIAL AREAS TO TAKE THROUGH THE PROCESS

  1.  MY HEALTH (Physical. Mental/Emotional, Spiritual)
    1.  Current Weight
    2.  Current Challenges/Problems
    3.  Current Good Health Habits
    4.  Current Bad Health Habits
    5.  A Summary of my Physical, Mental/Emotional, Spiritual Health over the past Year
  2.  MY RELATIONSHIPS (Who’s on the journey with me? How can I make their life better? What season of life are they in?)
    1.  God
    2.  Wife
    3.  Kids
    4.  Grandkids
    5.  Mentors/Mentees
  3.  MY FINANCES
    1. Income Sources (Current? Options for Increase?)
    2. Annual Income (Current? Options for Increase?)
    3. Savings (Current? My plan for increasing my savings?)
    4. Retirement (Current? My plan for increasing my retirement account?)
    5. Giving/Generosity (Current? My plan for increasing my generosity?)
    6. Debt (Current debts from smallest to largest. My plan to become debt-free?)
  4.  MY CAREER/MINISTRY
    1. How long have I been with my current employer?
    2. What has been my biggest contribution to my employer over the last year? 5 years? Entire employment?
    3. Would I be considered an “extra-mile” type of employee?
    4. Am l being successful?
    5. How can I improve? (Personal Work Goals)
  5.  MY TRAVEL/SPECIAL EXPERIENCES
    1. Where have I been in the past year? Special Experiences?
    2. Where do I dream of going? Special Experiences I dream about? How much will it cost? What is my savings plan for this? When can we go?
    3. Where could I take the special person/people in my life? Special Experiences? How much will it cost? What is my savings plan for this? When can we go?

I look forward to the evaluation process, and I’m glad you are taking the journey with me. For both of us, the best is yet to come!
___

Todd Wright is pastor at Midway Church in Villa Rica, Ga. This column first appeared on ToddWright.net.