Hey DDB family! I trust that you are well; if not, *virtual hugs and kisses* I truly hope that you’ll be much better after reading this post.
For those in the U.S., how was your Thanksgiving celebration? My celebration was pretty cool. Remember what I said last week: “For some strange reason, this year, I am not excited about consuming a large quantity of food as usual. Maybe it is because I really don’t feel like cooking. I plan on keeping it simple this year; I won’t be cooking a lot of dishes.” Well, let’s just say that I cooked much more than I intended. For some reason, I caught the cooking bug. Plus, my children were so excited and willing to help, so I thought, why not use it as a teaching moment. In total, I cooked eleven dishes with the help of my husband and my two older girls.
Our Thanksgiving menu consisted of turkey (of course!), mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, macaroni salad, grilled chicken, grilled corn, ribs, steak bites, suya, jollof rice, cornbread stuffing, cajun butter shrimp, and macaroni and cheese. For dessert, we had ice cream, apple pie, pecan pie, and sweet potato pie. The mac and cheese and the dessert were purchased. And everything including the home-cooked dishes came out delicious! Finger looking good! Needless to say, I overate and we still have some leftovers, sigh I need some self-control!
To top off the scrumptious food, cooking was not stressful as in previous years, because I cooked some dishes the night before and finished off the remaining dishes early the next day.
For the remainder of the day, we ate, relaxed, watched a movie and danced. It was a great day with my family. Despite the fact that we woke up to some disturbing news, we prayed about the issue and God came through. Yup, miracles still happen and I am so grateful to God that the day did not end in tears.
*****
Today is December 1st!!! Oh my goodness!!! The count down to the end of 2021 has officially begun. As always, I end the year with assessments on various levels and spend time envisioning the upcoming year. I plan to retreat, prepare, and relax my way into the new year. I usually end the year with so much going on, but this year has to be different. It is never a good idea to start a new chapter stressed out from the previous chapter. I plan to be intentional about getting rejuvenated and ushering in the new year on a high note.
How do you close out each year? As always, I love to hear from my readers. You all have been too quiet, I am tempted to go back into hibernation!
My preparation for the new year includes a lot of stillness and prayers. I have given up on personal ambition, I am all about God’s plans…there is no time to waste. Now that was easier typed than done because, in real life, God’s plan does not always look or feel good when you first discover it. Sometimes the journey to his Will could be long, hard on you, and full of trials, tests, storms, and all that unpleasant stuff. But trust me, it always turns out for good! It adds up, it makes sense and it brings about true joy and fulfillment. Most importantly the journey leads to people being blessed because you took that leap of faith and it is always worth it.
When I have the privilege to counsel people and encourage them to prepare for days ahead, I always encourage them to put pen to paper…or finger to phone/tablet/laptop and start writing. This is the best time to ponder and plan because once the holiday festivities begin, it gets difficult to simmer down. I believe that the best way to view your life is to consider every aspect of your life and synchronize how each area fits together…like a puzzle. No matter who you are, every area of your life is intertwined somehow. In order to be well-rounded, you have to be intentional about your entire well-being.
Let me break it down, if your health is poor it will impact your finances (medical bills are no joke)…it will also impact your ability to give your best and show up in other areas of your life. You can not perform ultimate in your place of work or in your business if you are constantly under the weather. You have to take care of ALL of you!
Here is an example of how my goal setting template for the new year looks:
- Spiritual Goals: _________________
- Marriage Goals: ________________
- Parenting Goals: ________________
- Family Goals: __________________
- Financial Goals: ________________
- Ministry Goals: _________________
- Career Goals: __________________
- Business Goals: ________________
- Health Goals: __________________
- Relationship Goals: _____________
- Recreation Goals: ______________
I further break down each category into subcategories and add specifics, including timeframes and an accountability plan. If you are the only one that knows about your goals, chances are they may not see the light of day. Having someone to hold you to your word and cheer you on along the journey is so necessary. I can not overemphasize the importance of the right relationships in one’s life. I am a lowkey loner but I owe it to strategic people that God has placed in my at various times, I can’t take credit for how far I’ve come.
In 2022, one of my goals is to step up my networking game and connect with people of like minds. I am interested in meeting people who are where I am heading to, I need to learn the ropes. I want to encourage you to do the same fam, it is time to take over and we have to team up with key players if we want to be ahead of the game.
As 2021, comes to an end, I want you to take some time out and take stock of how far you’ve come and plan to make progress where you are headed. We are a family, and we don’t give up, we don’t bow out!
With lots of love,
– Bunmi Adebiyi
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