How Do You Plan to Live Your Story

Happy New Year!

It’s New Year’s Eve, the day/night when many people make resolutions they will break before sundown on New Year’s Day. I’m not much of a resolution-maker since I’m such a promise-breaker, but I do love to spend some time looking back over the previous year and looking forward to what God might do in the new year. If you’d like to join me in any part of this, here’s the blog version. If you’d like the prettier version with lines for writing answers, then be sure to subscribe to the blog, and you’ll get a PDF in your (e)-mailbox!

The “Where Have I Been, Where Am I Going” Planning Exercise

Background: This enlightening exercise helps us survey what God has done in the past and draws us to look for what he will do in the future. When we are persuaded that God is presently working his kingdom plan, we are motivated to set goals and keep running the race toward them with endurance.

Suggestions: Either schedule out four thirty-minute periods over the next week or one two-three-hour planning session (put it on your calendar or it won’t happen). Or, gather for a planning session with some friends or your small group or your spouse; work together and separately on it.

Part 1

1. Ask, “Where have I been?”
2. Ask God to remind you of the significant events, changes, accomplishments, and losses of the past year.
3. Write down your top three in a short sentence or phrase. (Remember, things actually change in our brain when we write).
4. Look at major areas of your life (relationships, spiritual and emotional health, work, finances, play) and write two-three sentences about changes you saw, for better or for worse, in 2019. (In the Story Planner Exercise, I provide a fancy grid for this, but you can make your own).

Part 2

1. Ask, “Where are you going?”
2. Pray, “Lord, show me where to go.”
3. Write down the top three events/stories/challenges/goals you would like to see accomplished in 2020.
4. Look at major areas of your life (relationships, spiritual and emotional health, work, finances, play) and write two-three sentences about changes you want to see in 2020.

Part 3: Write Your Story

1. Pray about which story to write.
2. Now, write for ten minutes. Choose one of the top three and write an imaginative story as if the goal were accomplished. Date it: January 1, 2021.

Here is my example:
Prayer: Lord, show me which goals matter to you the most.
Ex. I want to hear from at least ten people that my devotional, The Waiting Room, helped them find peace and hope as they waited during a health crisis.
So I will write a “fictional” but also a faithful and hopeful account of how that happened.

Author’s note: The above example is taken from last year’s exercise, and guess what? That happened! I heard from many, many people how The Waiting Room has encouraged them as they walked through a health crisis! Thank God for that sweet answer to prayer!

To help you write the story, you can answer the following questions:

1. What concrete actions did you take?
2. What challenges did you meet?
3. What actions did you take to overcome the challenges?
4. Who prayed for you, encouraged you, kept you going?
5. What did you see God do in the process?

Part 4: Make Your Plan
(In the Story Plan Exercise, there’s also a nifty chart for this, but you can make your own).

1. Review the “imaginary actions” you took to accomplish your goal.
2. Make your plan of action. Write down three things:

• What four-five steps do I need to take?
• Next to each step, write the date for it to be completed.
• Put a reminder on your calendar to make a note about the outcome—if you completed the step and what happened if you did.

Now you know what to do. If you try it, I’d love to know how it works for you, what you learn through doing it, how I could improve it (there’s always room for improvement!)

A Prayer about Making Goals and Plans for 2020

Lord God,

We are so glad that you are the ruler over our lives. You planned and created the world, and yet, you have taken the time to make plans for the good works we will do to advance your kingdom and to bring you glory. Thank you for the opportunities you give us. Thank you for the grace you show us. Help us to live the story of faith, hope, and love you have written for us. Amen.