<\/p>\n
5\u20264\u20263\u20262\u20261\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n And with that brief introduction, a New Year begins. I don\u2019t know about you, but this new year definitely snuck up on me. I wasn\u2019t really prepared for it. I probably say that every year, but in so many ways this year I didn\u2019t feel prepared to end one thing and start something new.<\/p>\n Maybe it\u2019s because the past year has brought so much change in my life. Changes in my job, my ministry, my house, my location, my friends, my church and even something as basic as changes in my schedule. Change can be hard. Change can be uncomfortable. Change can even be painful.<\/p>\n But everything healthy undergoes change<\/strong>. The same goes for us as human beings, too.<\/p>\n As you look ahead at this coming year, my challenge to you is to be open to change. But more than simply being open to change, it\u2019s important to actually do our part to create change. Changes that will benefit our life and impact our health – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.<\/p>\n One thing I can guarantee you is that this year is going to go by, and you\u2019re either going to come out the other side better, worse, or the same. Because life happens, but what we do with life is completely up to us.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for some changes to better yourself this coming year, consider taking on one, some or even all of these challenges:<\/p>\n 1. Practice Being Present<\/strong><\/p>\n The past few years have brought huge changes in our lives with the introduction of the latest and greatest technology. We\u2019re all totally \u201cconnected\u201d every single moment of the day. But often times, our connection to the inanimate trumps our connection to the intimate. We\u2019ve sort of lost the art of connecting to real people in real life. This year, consider setting your phone aside a little more, in exchange for more of real life. Instead of always catching the moment for Instagram, be deliberate about soaking in and savoring the moment simply for yourself.<\/p>\n 2. Learn to Budget (Money and Time!)<\/strong><\/p>\n Like John Maxwell says, \u201cTell your money where to go instead of wondering where it went!\u201d I would venture to say that this applies to money, as well as time – the most important commodities we have in life. So much of our time and money is frivolously wasted because we didn\u2019t have a plan for it. Instead of spending another 500 hours mindlessly scrolling through your Facebook feed, or spending another $500 bucks on the next fad, commit to using your time and money for something meaningful this coming year. When we\u2019re faithful with it, God has the ability to multiply even the little that you have. Be deliberate about planning your budget this year for both your money \u2013 and your time.<\/p>\n 3. Master the Art of Listening<\/strong><\/p>\n They say the average person listens with about 25% efficiency. That means that 75% of what\u2019s being said to us goes in one ear and right out the other. It doesn\u2019t take a mathematician to know that with numbers like that, we\u2019re missing a whole lot! So much of being a good communicator comes down to how well we master the art of listening. Work on being a better listener this year by blocking out distractions, looking people in the eye, engaging with empathy, and letting your guard down as you seek to understand before being understood.<\/p>\n 4. Start a Bucket List<\/strong><\/p>\n So often in life we wait around for the milestones of life, not realizing that every step of the journey holds value and significance. So stop waiting around for the next big thing, and start living life by creating a bucket list for yourself this year. As you\u2019re planning it out, don\u2019t just think extravagant (though that\u2019s always fun), but think meaningful as well: schedule an interview with a grandparent to glean their wisdom, share Jesus with an unbelieving friend (or 10!), sponsor a Compassion child, invite someone to church, or get creative with random acts of kindness. Whatever it is, stop waiting and start living. Create a meaningful life by doing meaningful things.<\/p>\n 5. Carry Less Baggage<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m not talking about traveling baggage, but rather emotional baggage. As a professional counselor (and the fact that I\u2019m human!) I know that we all carry wounds, pain, and hurts from our past. One of the biggest favors we can do for ourselves is look back just long enough to allow God to shed light and bring healing into the pain of our past. Find a therapist you connect with and take the time to dig deep and see how your past is impacting your present. Take the time to invest in yourself. You won\u2019t regret it.<\/p>\n 6. Read One Book a Month<\/strong><\/p>\n My father-in-law is one of the smartest people I know for simply one reason: he reads everything and anything in sight! Needless to say, with all the scrolling, pinning, posting and skimming our society indulges in, we\u2019ve sort of lost the value and importance of reading. Whether fiction, philosophy, theology, or psychology, pick up some new books this year and expand your knowledge about life!<\/p>\n 7. Get Involved in Community<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the most meaningful things you can invest in this year is people. The concept of community is such an important part in the life of a Christian because it is in the context of our relationships that we have the opportunity to learn how to give-and-receive love. Take initiative, have the courage to be vulnerable, and get involved in community like never before this coming year. We weren\u2019t meant to do this life alone, so let\u2019s not. (Start your own True Love Dates<\/em> Small Group by downloading this\u00a0Free 4-Week Curriculum!)<\/p>\n 8. Be Actively Generous<\/strong><\/p>\n We can all afford to be more generous. And generosity is such an important thing to foster, because it really shapes the condition of our heart. The more we can give to God, the world around us, and those in need, the more we realize that the most valuable things are not our possessions, but the sharing of our possessions. Open your heart and learn to give this year. Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be as well.<\/p>\n 9. Expand your Cultural Competency<\/strong><\/p>\n If we\u2019re not careful, it\u2019s really easy to become ethnocentric isn\u2019t it? In the short 12 months I\u2019ve spent overseas, the experiences I\u2019ve gained from interacting with the world (outside of \u201cmy world\u201d) have been transformational! Because interacting with different races and cultures has the ability to expand your view of the world, enrich your daily life, and give you a better glimpse of both God and eternity. Expand your cultural competency this year by visiting a foreign country, investing in new friends, trying new experiences, or inviting someone unique into your life. Take part in God\u2019s great mosaic of life, because it\u2019s his masterpiece.<\/p>\n 10. Get a Mentor<\/strong><\/p>\n No one has been more influential in my life than my mentors. They\u2019re people who have invested in me, taught me, loved me, and poured into my life. They shaped me into the person I am today. But they didn\u2019t stumble into my life by mistake, I had to seek them out. Find someone who you look up to, someone whose life reflects who you want to be in 10 years, and ask them to meet with you for lunch, for coffee, or for dinner. Invite a mentor into your life this year, and watch what happens.<\/p>\n 11. Become a Mentor<\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes it can be hard to see ourselves as a \u201cmentor.\u201d In fact, I was recently asked to mentor someone and my first reaction was, \u201cMe? What do I have to offer?\u201d But the truth is we all have something to offer. Whether it be support, prayer, a listening ear, or our life experience, find someone that you can pour into, disciple, and encourage this year. Because like the Proverb says, when we refresh others, we\u2019ll also be refreshed.<\/p>\n 12. Plug into Ministry<\/strong><\/p>\n What are the talents and passions God has gifted you with, and how are you using those talents for him? That\u2019s an important question to answer in your pursuit of becoming the person God made you to be. Whether or not you realize it, you have so much to offer the world around you. And as you give you will quickly learn that service is actually sort of \u201chedonistic\u201d – because it truly feels better to give than to receive.<\/p>\n 13. Be More Active<\/strong><\/p>\n Even in our 20\u2019s and 30\u2019s, we could all use a little more physical health and fitness in our lives (um\u2026especially those of us in our 30s). Whether that means joining a gym (and not just through February), running a marathon (err\u2026maybe start with a 5K), parking at the end of the lot and walking the rest of the way, taking the stairs at work, or eating healthier foods – take inventory of your life and examine the changes that need to be made as you strive to honor God with your body more this year.<\/p>\n 14. Start a Prayer Journal<\/strong><\/p>\n I love keeping a prayer journal. In fact, it blows me away because I get to look back at my life and see all the things that God has done. It reminds me how he came through, and challenges me to believe that he knows best. It builds my faith and teaches me to trust, especially when trust doesn\u2019t always come easy. Start a prayer journal this year, and write down your prayers, your praises, and your petitions. Be diligent in bringing your request to God – because he\u2019s faithful. And it\u2019s in the asking that you receive.<\/p>\n 15. Dig Into God\u2019s Word<\/strong><\/p>\n This one is for me this year. I really want to dig into God\u2019s word in a new way. I asked for \u201cThe Message\u201d version of the bible for Christmas, because I\u2019m desiring to see God\u2019s words with new eyes and an open heart. Sometimes, in our familiarity of God\u2019s word, it can seem to grow stale. But the problem isn\u2019t with his word, it\u2019s with our heart. Commit to feasting on God\u2019s words this year, asking for transformation in your life. Because there\u2019s nothing more satisfying than blocking out the noise of this world, and instead being filled with his Truth.<\/p>\n Whether you take on just one or even all of these challenges, may we all strive to make this year the best one we\u2019ve ever lived.<\/p>\n Because life happens, but it\u2019s completely up to us how we choose to live it.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s to the Happiest New Year yet\u2026..<\/p>\n Article ran originally at True Love Dates. Used with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n Debra Fileta<\/strong> is a professional counselor, speaker, and author of the book\u00a0<\/em>True Love Dates: Your Indispensable Guide to Finding the Love of Your Life, where she writes candidly about dating, relationships, and how to find true love. You may also recognize her voice from her 100+ articles at Relevant Magazine or Crosswalk.com! She\u2019s also the creator of the True Love Dates Blog! Connect with her on Facebook\u00a0or Twitter<\/a>!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Photo Credit: \u00a9iStock\/Getty Images Plus\/shironosov<\/span><\/p>\n Publication date<\/em>: January 6, 2014<\/span><\/p>\n Originally published January 06, 2015.<\/p>\n