Let’s face it, 2020 was a year that most of us would not mind forgetting! As we begin this new year we are thankful for new opportunities and are for the most part, excited to turn the calendar.
How can we get the most out of this year? What can we do to make sure it’s better than 2020? Here are 3 things you can start doing today to make your 2021 the best year you’ve ever had!
1.Make Jesus the priority
One of my favorite scriptures talks about building a house and having a foundation, it’s found in the book of Psalms:
Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders work for nothing. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the men who watch over it stay awake for nothing. (Psalm 127:1)
Unless we build our lives this year with Jesus as the foundation, we’re building a life that won’t last through every trial. What does this look like for us this year?
This year, when you have choices to make, people to hang out with and stuff to do, just take a moment and make sure Jesus is the driving force for the choices you’re about to make. Our emotions tend to be the driving force in our lives and if 2021 is going to be great, we’ll need a strong foundation… we’ve learned this from living through 2020 🙂
Having a quiet time everyday really helps to make sure Jesus is the center and the foundation. In that time is when you surrender everything to him such as your wants, desires and needs allowing him to lead you. When Jesus is the foundation of everything we do we’ll see our lives mirror these qualities: wisdom, self-control, forgiveness, compassion, patience, kindness and peace.
2.Community
Who will you be hanging out with 2021? Other than making Jesus the foundation that question is the single most important question to answer this year. Who will allow to influence you? Will you be around people that inspire you to rise higher, to dream and be creative?
Who you hang out with determines who you’ll become… it’s everything. This year I encourage you to hang out with people who care about you, not people who encourage you to make unwise choices. Find someone or a group that is trying to follow Jesus, get some authentic community this year and I believe you’ll be on the right course. If you aren’t a part of a local church currently, I encourage you to find one and start being consistent in going. I’ll help you find a church if you’d like 🙂
3.Be disciplined
What will you do to be disciplined this year? What books will you read? When will you excercise? When will you be intentional about your hobbies you enjoy?
These are good questions to begin thinking about right at the start of the new year. Discipline is the one key ingredient to success in life that most people lack. If you are disciplined at what you do and you love Jesus, I’m telling you there’s nothing you cannot accomplish.
What habits will you be intentional about forming this year? Being disciplined is an art and I encourage you to not go through the year living day by day with no passion going to work, going home and repeating over and over. Dream up something, ask Jesus what he wants for you this year, find some new books to read, start a new workout routine, anything to help you become disciplined. A simple practice I do everyday that keeps me focused is to write on my whiteboard a list of things I’m going to do that day. I write everything on the board from praying to taking out the trash, to writing. It keeps me focused and driven. What will you do to be disciplined?
Comment anything you want to start this year and let me know! If you want book suggestions drop a line and I’m happy to share what I’m excited about reading this year 🙂 Thanks, for reading, happy new year, and the best is yet to come!
Bryant Westbrook 