HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I love new beginnings!

New calendars, new check registers (does anyone use them anymore?!), empty files, a new pile of books to read, new resolutions...and a new theme for 2010.

Did you have a theme for 2009 and if you did, how did it affect your year?

My theme for 2009 was to "renew my mind". I was curious to see how this theme would unfold for me. I have chosen a theme for many years now. Some years I really see how my theme just captivates me and affects so many different aspects of my life. Some years I fall short of what I hope to learn about my theme.

This year I shouldn't have been surprise how constant I was reminded of how and why I needed to renew my mind. My self-talk really took a beating as I became aware of how much of my self-talk needed to be improved upon.

I will talk more about my theme in abit, but for now, I would like to encourage any of you to consider a topic that you would like to go deeper in. I have found that a few guidelines made a difference to my growth in having a theme:

1. Pick a theme that is measureable. One year I studied prayer. Such a vast subject to focus on, so I narrowed it down to praying for my kids. I developed a system that would hold me accountable to praying for my kids in a very purposeful way. After 365 days, I had developed some strong muscles in this area just because I had chosen prayer as my theme that year.

2. Write down your theme. Sometimes I start a year with one theme, but as I write down exactly what I am trying to accomplish with the theme, I word it more succinctly and it becomes manageable.

3. Always refer to it in the present tense. This year I kept telling myself I was renewing my mind and therefore, I was thinking about such things. It kept me mindful of just what I was thinking daily, not just when I sat down to ponder my theme.

Choosing a theme each year has defined many years for me in very special ways.