LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The beginning is the most important part of the work." Plato

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

It's a New Year, and this month we're going to talk about the word BEGINNINGS.

I love the cycle of life: seasons, rhythm, endings and beginnings. I sometimes struggle with endings, but when it comes to beginnings, I love to start fresh.

You can see this in the way I approach a New Year...

• I block out time the first week of the year to ORGANIZE. I go through files, I go through storage, I get rid of stuff, I find things that I've been looking for, but I love to get organized.

• I make lists! Lot's of lists... things I need to do, things I want to focus on, things I've ignored for too long. I just write stuff down, then work on organizing it into a system.

• I "let stuff go". There's always some "unfinished business", some unmet expectations or some regret. I make a conscious decision to just let that go. It does no good to keep carrying that weight.

I like New Beginnings because it's an opportunity to PAUSE, to TAKE A DEEP BREATH, and then START AGAIN!

I don't know how you do with beginnings, but Plato nailed it when he defined beginnings as "the most important part".

If you don't begin well:

• It's difficult to find traction and build momentum

• It's impossible to get a fresh perspective

• You spend more time looking back than looking forward

• It's a lot of work to define goals & objectives

• You end up working "harder" not "smarter"

If you struggle with NEW BEGINNINGS, don't freak out! Below I'll give you some practical suggestions on where to start.

As you look forward, what are you most excited about when it comes to NEW BEGINNINGS?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Christmas

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We've been on a journey this year, learning, listening and digging in and now as we come into December let's just PAUSE a little and catch our breath. As the year winds down, it doesn't mean we just stop all that we're doing, but let's change up the pace.

To read past quotes & thoughts.... CLICK HERE.

I'm going to simply share some Christmas Time Quotes this month, and encourage you to reflect, recharge, restore, reconnect, and then restart to the best of your ability!

Today the word is RECONNECT.

Charlie Brown figured this out when Linus broke down the true meaning of Christmas in the classic film, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Watch below...

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal." Johnny, Home Alone 2

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We've been on a journey this year, learning, listening and digging in and now as we come into December let's just PAUSE a little and catch our breath. As the year winds down, it doesn't mean we just stop all that we're doing, but let's change up the pace.

To read past quotes & thoughts.... CLICK HERE.

I'm going to simply share some Christmas Time Quotes this month, and encourage you to reflect, recharge, restore, reconnect, and then restart to the best of your ability!

The Home Alone Movies have always been a Christmas staple, and when I saw this quote, I laughed out loud. The quote was made famous from Home Alone 2, but as I read about it, it's actually from a made-up gangster movie that Kevin used to prank his enemies. The line has been quoted and used over and over in our home and probably in some of yours.

Last week I talked about ways to RECHARGE. Today I want to talk about ways to RESTORE.

When I talk about RECHARGING, I'm talking about "filling you up" or "refueling". I shared some ideas around The Replenishment Cycle and ways to qualify and quantify activities that actually help us to regain strength after being depleted.

The act of RESTORING is the idea of bringing something back to it's original state, or bringing something back to health.

Really different words when you break them out.

For me, RECHARGING is identifying things that give me energy. This week, that involved a 1-year old birthday party for my grand daughter Reese. It involved a 90th birthday party with my extended family for my aunt. It involved a visit from some good friends. Those things all gave me life and energized me.

As I've been thinking about RESTORATIVE actions these past weeks, I've focused on some simple habits and practices that I've ignored for too long:

• 2 Weeks ago, I began a stretching routine in the morning... again. Talk about the need to restore, but at 61 years of age, I need to take care of my body and one way is to just work on mobility and my muscles. It's amazing how this simple practice, 10 minutes each morning, has been loosening up my body and I believe "restoring" muscle & flexibility. I have a ways to go.

• 3 Weeks ago I returned to a simple PAUSE moment in the morning... reflection, lectio, scripture and gratitude. If "restoring" means to get back to health, this is huge!

• This week I'm doing a 3-day detox for my body, just pausing to reset, cleanse and bring some health back into my life.

I don't know what needs to be RESTORED in your life, but maybe this week is an opportunity and a reminder to identify some things that need to be mended.

Restore is about repairing, renewing and addressing things that have been diminished, damaged or lost.

What restoration needs to take place in your life today?