In the wake of 2020, and with great desire to set my own pace for 2021 rather than be tossed and tumbled along with the crowd, I’ve been doing some vision-setting. I’m sure we all have done this in some way, and I wonder what it would look like for us to make a more formal effort this year?
Why?
It’s easy to lose track of who we are and what we want, especially when so many changes have happened in the past ten months. What’s more, we live in a media-based society that barrages us with feedback. Instead of one or two ideas about how to parent, workout, eat, shop, cook, spend our time, what to read, we have access to 300,000. We’re getting out-among-people less and viewing curated views of their lives more. And then we compare our lives to the pictures others post on their best days—when we’re feeling at our worst — and wonder what’s wrong with us.
Through my faith, I believe that God gave each of us unique gifts that are exactly in line with our intended purpose. When we are vertically and horizontally aligned — using our gifts in accordance with our purpose — we have confidence in who we are and can do what we do. Amazing Grace!
Even if you and I may not share the same view on the Giver of our gifts, we can agree that each individual is unique in her or his set of strengths, weaknesses, experiences, and perspectives. The more humbly we approach the world—with curiosity and questions instead of concretes, assumptions and labels — the more open we are to discovering these gifts and, ultimately, our commonalities.
So as the worries and doubts of 2020 have been shouting, I’ve been tuning my ears instead to the inner message of who I am and who I want to be in 2021. I’ve been doing this work in a variety of ways, and so can you.
I journal, spend time in the Word, meditate, exercise my body and mind on my Peloton Tread, and turn to people who see me as I want to be seen, need to be seen, and who know my heart. Inevitably I remember my gifts: compassionate attunement to the people around me, a love of learning, and a drive towards excellence.
What feeds my soul? Helping others discover themselves and their purpose. So I do it because I’m equipped to, not because I have to. So I feel fulfilled—not burdened.
And about that more formal effort to vision-set: we improve the things we track. Let’s use this proven concept to set our own pace for 2021.
- Use The Wheel of Life tool to take a look at your current level of satisfaction
- Take your 5 most important categories from The Wheel of Life – the ones that represent the roles you play – and record your vision of what would be a 10 in each category.
- Edit these “10” descriptions to set your vision for 2021
On Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 9 a.m. I’ll be hosting a 15-minute micro-webinar where I’ll walk you through how to use The Wheel of Life tool to take inventory of the important areas in your life. Once you’ve completed The Wheel of Life, you’ll have a bird’s eye view, which makes it easy to identify the areas where you need improvement! To get more details about the “Using The Wheel of Life to Set Your 2021 Vision” micro-webinar, please check out our event page on Facebook.
When we study the rhythm of our own lives, we can figure out what works for us. And by “works for us” I mean satisfies our souls. And the pace we set becomes our personal best.
If you’re interested in learning more about how you can use The Wheel of Life and other methods to change your life, stick with us! We’ll be adding future micro webinars to the Yellow Parachute schedule. We’ve also got a bunch of really great resources for parents on the new Parent Resources page on YellowParachute.com.
Cara Thorpe
Founder & Visionary
Yellow Parachute Learning Partners
www.yellowparachute.com
612-361-7266
