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So I’d like to paint us a scene…👩🏻🎨🖼️
It’s Sunday, January 3rd, 2027.
You are snuggled up and cozy sitting in front of last year’s Christmas tree, hot, creamy coffee in hand, pen and paper in front of you.
Wait–you take your Christmas tree down December 26th?
Excellent. I commend you. 👏
This is my projected scene, though, and I love sitting in front of that lit Christmas tree–just like I described above, and how much better to do so AFTER all the holiday rush is over.
✅ ☕️ Hot beverage.
✅ 📝 Pen and paper in hand.
✅ 🔍🪞🤔 Looking back.
✅ 🔍🪟🤗Looking forward.
Can you see it?
So…I’m looking back…
And here’s the question I’m going to ask future Mary–after Christmas, before the coming year has gotten into full swing…
Hey Future Mary, what would you do differently if you could go back to now and live the next 12 weeks again?
What would you pay more attention to?
What would you choose to enjoy and even relish?
Where would you put more effort?
What did you stress about that you shouldn’t have?
What will you wish you had done?
Those are big questions, I know. Borrowed from Viktor Frankl, who said:
“Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you are about to act now!”
Admittedly–that's a little harsh, but I've used that principle for years and it's served me so well.
As of the time I’m writing this, we have 12 weeks left before the year is up. 🗓️⌛️
And personally, I don’t want those months to just slip by in a haze of busy-ness, and decision overwhelm, and panic-shopping, and urgency and time constraints.
So–here’s what I’m doing about it.
I’m looking back. 🔍🪞🤔
- What happened this last quarter? What’s happened so far this year?
- What’s been most memorable?
- What have I learned?
- What has changed and how?
- How am I different?
- What is my starting place right now?
I’m tapping into how I feel. 💞
Not to be an oversharer, but this VERY thing prompted an unexpected and unwanted crying jag earlier today. But there we are. Apparently I had some big feelings to work through. 🤷🏻♀️
And I didn't even KNOW it...
And now–I’m not sure I could even articulate or explain any of that whole situation, but I feel so much better. 😅
I’m not suggesting you manufacture big feelings.
For me, though–I’m listening to my own heart–and trying to find any sticking points.
Are there any thoughts or memories or even anticipations for the future that make me tense up or feel like a dog that wants to just low-level growl?
I definitely prefer to work through that NOW and not take any of that with me!
Some of those feelings are due to long-standing frustrations due to actual, real stuff. So with that in mind…
I’m identifying what I want to address.
A while back I shared about our utility room that flooded due to a washing machine malfunction. Thankfully I knew it right away and we were able to literally sweep all the water away quickly enough there was no real damage.
But as I was sweeping, I thought about how chronically frustrating our utility room is and has been.
It made me think about how often we just live with addressable issues that are chronically problematic.
A new washing machine was bought. That was one frustration that went away.
I called a contractor because the lay-out and dryer venting has been an on-going problem and as I was sweeping gallons and gallons of water I was ready to fix EVERYTHING!
WHY have I just let this go???!!!! 😡😩
It turns out that re-configuring that room isn’t $4200 worth of frustrating. At least, not right now.
BUT–now we know what a solution could look like. And we know what it would cost.
And it’s not something we’re letting happen to us.
It’s something we’re choosing to optimize as is.
I can’t fix every single thing on my someday list between now and January and I suspect the same is true for you, too.
But I can prayerfully consider the biggest, most important items on the list and start making strides forward to go into 2027 with greater peace.
Here, though, is my actual favorite:
I’m (prayerfully) dreaming of what could be. 🙏🏻💭🥰🙌🏻
I don’t know about you but there are plenty of instances where I’ve limped across the year’s figurative finish line.
I made it, but arrived beaten up, exhausted and depleted.
For example:
- I got all the presents under the tree but could barely keep my eyes open to watch anyone open them.
- I hosted the guests but my mind was still on the unfinished to do items on my way too long list.
Like Martha in the Bible story, I was “troubled and anxious about many things.”
This year our holidays look different. We’ll see all our kids over one of the major holidays but not all of them at once.
A few questions I'm asking myself:
- Whether or not that’s the case, what do I want our holidays to look like? Feel like?
- What feelings can I work through and address NOW so I don’t get all weird about it then?
- Christmas giving with adult children is no longer a giant lego set for each of them (though let’s face it–my guys all STILL love a giant lego set!)
- So what do my husband and I want our gifting to look like?
- I’ve come to figure out that we have friends and family who give the same gift every year–thoughtful, generous, helpful gifts. There is something to be learned there, too…
My business has grown by leaps and bounds.
I’VE grown by leaps and bounds right along with it.
What do I want to look back and be able to say happened in these next three months?
The Bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for. (Hebrews 11:1)
Things hoped for…
HOPED for.
This isn’t your typical “hope” the way hope gets used in everyday language.
"Do you think this will work out?"
“I sure hope so…” 😬🤷🏻♀️ someone answers plaintively.
If faith is the substance of things hoped for–then hope itself is providing the blueprint for faith. It’s painting a specific picture. 🧭🗺️
The Bible also says that by faith the worlds were framed… (Hebrews 11:3)
When God spoke the world into existence, there was precision and order in the intention and in what came to be.
The Bible also says that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly ABOVE all that we could ask or think according to the power at work in us. (Ephesians 3:20)
Those verses alone encourage me–time spent prayerfully imagining what I want the rest of this year to look like isn’t frivolous and it isn’t selfish. In fact–I believe intentionally imagining, praying about and participating in the life ahead of us is entirely consistent with how God created each of us to live.
As for me, I’m not sitting around waiting to see what happens. I’m prayerfully considering what I’m hoping for, and then praying for it and actively participating in my own life!
This has me excited.
I’m believing God for a strong, blessed finish to this year.
I’m praying the same for you.
So–join me. Spend a little time–likely no Christmas tree yet, but I highly encourage the warm, cozy beverage while you use these as journal prompts:
I’m looking back. 🔍🪞🤔
I’m tapping into how I feel. 💞
I’m identifying what I want to address. 🤔📋
I’m prayerfully dreaming of what could be. 🙏🏻💭🥰🙌🏻
Oh–and one last one.
Remember the Frankl quote?
Think ahead:
The year is over and now you’re looking back.
What will you at that time wish you’d done?
Now go do something about it.
Because Future You is sitting in front of that Christmas tree waiting to look back on a ROCKING end of 2026–in whatever way “rocking” might look to you.
Let’s give Future You something good to look back on and a fantastic starting place, too!
❤️❤️❤️
Mary
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