Faith Fundi’s Post

REFLECTING ON THE YEAR AND LOOKING AHEAD We cannot deny God’s goodness, as our lives and businesses are a testament to His grace. Despite the challenges we face, there is always a reason to be grateful. Taking time to reflect on the past year and plan for the future provides an opportunity for growth, learning, and intentional goal-setting. It’s important to approach this process strategically, ensuring our thoughts and actions align with our aspirations. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help reflect on the year and move forward: Reflection 1. Celebrate Accomplishments– Recognize and appreciate the milestones you’ve achieved. 2. Identify Challenges– Acknowledge the obstacles you faced and how they impacted you. 3. Analyze Successes and Failures– Evaluate what worked well and what didn’t, drawing lessons from both. 4. Evaluate Relationships– Reflect on the connections you’ve built or maintained, considering their impact on your growth. 5. Assess Personal Growth– Review how you’ve developed emotionally, mentally, and spiritually over the year. Moving Forward 1. Release Negativity– Let go of any lingering negative emotions, thoughts, or experiences that may hinder your progress. 2. Focus on the Present– Concentrate on what you can control in the here and now to build a solid foundation for the future. 3. Embrace New Opportunities– Stay open to new experiences, challenges, and possibilities that can help you grow. 4. Practice Self-Care– Prioritize your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. 5. Stay Positive and Resilient– Cultivate a positive mindset and develop strategies to navigate obstacles with strength and perseverance. By following these steps, you can reflect on the year meaningfully and move forward with clarity, resilience, and optimism for the future.

Tomorrow is just another day. A fresh beginning to a new year, a clean page on life’s calendar, a symbolic start to better intentions, clarity in focus, or maybe nothing more than a simple sentimental morning to contemplate the parade of your life thus far. I hope you will use the day off work with a little extra time to clear slates and imagine how the new year might unfold for you. Others will wake desperate for aspirin and coffee, football distractions or to clean up wild night messes before sleeping away the day’s remains from which they only recently arrived home. I suspect more than a sober few will be thinking deeper thoughts throughout the day. Plans for self-restraint, how to be a little nicer, quit a bad habit, or start one better. For curious and contemplative minds the options are limitless. So, applause to those making use of this new day as a personal prompt for positive change, at least in thought, if not in deed. It’s a good day for it. Some require an external catalyst, a nodal event, or an arbitrary date of a year to propel them into deeper thoughts and richer inner lives. Shocked or startled, they may shake to their cores, begging for change, repeating that awful truth that once again, they waited for something to force their hand. Regardless, there is a glorious redemption that the only difference between last year’s regrets and this year’s successes is just another day, like today, and how we will use it.

A goal to achieve. Wow, finally a new year! I feel very encouraged and ready to hit it. The truth is that each person starts the year differently, so I asked some of my friends how they feel when a new year arrives, what things they do and if they are up for something. These were some of their responses: - "To be honest, I don't set many goals for myself because I know I'm not going to meet all of them, but I feel happy to finish a year and be alive." - “Sometimes I feel good, other times I don't give it much importance, it all depends on how the year ends. I do have goals, I start with approximately seven. " - "Usually, I wait for the new year in a reflective way, I do an analysis of what I want and how I feel at the moment." - "When I start the year I feel that I have the responsibility to fulfill everything I want and to create habits that help me to improve myself." - “I don't think I'm good for this. A new year has arrived, I still want to do the same as always." Do you identify with any of these responses? Each one of them have a common factor: They all set at least one goal. Whatever your attitude for this new beginning is, it's important that you also have goals to make this year a meaningful one. Goals help us build on something, creating discipline and responsibility along the way. What things do you want to do? Set goals that you know you can reach, but that challenge you at the same time. As long as we are alive, we'll always have the opportunity to change and improve, so take advantage of it. One time, a friend told me that he had no goals, that he was going to let everything go with the flow. Do you think he's going to have a meaningful year? The possibilities are slim. Things don't just happen, we have to make them happen. God didn't bring you to this world to live without meaning, He wants to see you grow, improve yourself and achieve what you want. He is already very clear about the plans he has for you. Our goals in life may change, but God remains the same, always ready to strengthen us and help us achieve anything under His will.

How will you chose to spend your first day of your next year of 2025?

2024: The Year That Tested Us To anyone reflecting on this year with a heavy heart, this one’s for you. 2024 wasn’t easy. Maybe you faced unexpected challenges—setbacks that left you questioning what’s next. Maybe it was the year of doors closing, plans unraveling, or waiting for opportunities that never came. Maybe you felt the strain of balancing it all—your career, your family, your own well-being—and wondered if you were doing enough. And as the year winds down, you might feel like you’re holding it all together with sheer determination and a quiet hope that 2025 will be different. But here’s what I hope you see when you look back: ➔ The strength it took to navigate the uncertainty. ➔ The resilience you showed in adapting to things you didn’t choose. ➔ The courage it took to keep showing up, even when it felt impossible. 2024 may not have been the year you dreamed of, but it was a year of growth, grit, and lessons you didn’t know you were ready for. So whether you’re closing this chapter with relief, gratitude, or something in between, I hope you hold onto this truth: You made it through, and that’s worth everything. Here’s to moments of peace, clarity, and hope as we welcome a new year. You’ve earned them. Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Rest: A Reflection for the New Year Here we are, standing on the edge of a new year—another chapter nearly written in the story of our lives. As I’ve been reflecting, searching for profound words of wisdom to sum up this season, nothing came to me at first. Instead, I realized something important: my mind is at rest today. And that’s the word that resonates with me—rest. We live in a world that moves so quickly. Our days are packed, our minds full of swirling thoughts, plans, and worries. We wear busyness like a badge of honor. But when was the last time you truly rested? Not just slept, but stopped, breathed, and allowed yourself to simply be? Rest is a gift we often overlook. It’s in those moments of quiet that we can reset, find clarity, and connect with what really matters. Rest allows us to step into the new year not just with determination but with peace. As we prepare to cross the threshold into another year, I invite you to pause and ask yourself: What does rest mean for you? How can you embrace it more in your daily life? This New Year, I hope you’ll find moments to rest—not just for your body, but for your mind and soul. Because in rest, we find renewal. Here’s to stepping into the New Year with a little less hustle and a lot more grace.

Dug this one out again 🙌 My 10 favourite New Year's reflection questions: 🛣️ Memory Lane 1. What were the big moments, memories, and milestones from this year? 2. What things do I look back on most fondly, that brought me the most energy and joy? 3. What things do I look back on less fondly, draining my energy and weighing on me throughout the year? 4. What am I most grateful for Last Year? 🗝️ Key Area Reflection 5. Which area of my life received the most attention? 6. And which area of my life received the least? 7. Is this the right allocation of my time, energy, and attention? 🧐 Self-reflection 8. What's the single biggest bottleneck to my continued growth? 9. If I repeated my weekly actions every week for 5 years, where would I end up? Is this where I want to end up? 10. How am I complicit in creating the conditions I say I don't want? https://lnkd.in/gsr82KXa

🍃 🍂 As we enter September, it is a good time to reflect on the months of 2024 that have passed. For many, this may involve assessing goals achieved and those not achieved, and reflecting on the reasons behind both. This morning, as I was listening to the radio, I found myself reflecting on this very topic. At the beginning of the year, I made a list of intentions, some within my comfort zone and others that took me out of my familiar territory. However, as the months passed, I realized that many of these intentions remained unchecked. This truth at times led me to self-doubt and self-judgment, did not let me see my progress, and did not help me with motivation. 🍁 🍂 However, in this introspection, I also recognized that I had embarked on unexpected journeys. I had accomplished things that were not on my original list, revealing facets of myself that I had not anticipated. I realized that while having a plan is beneficial, life often has its unique trajectory. God’s will can take us down unexpected paths, leading to personal growth and discoveries we might not have otherwise made. So, as we embark on this new month, let’s remember that it’s okay if our plans don’t align perfectly with our initial intentions. The beauty is in the unexpected, in the detours that lead to unforeseen growth. Let’s embrace the journey, trusting that life’s path is unfolding as it should and that our greatest lessons may emerge from the places we least expect. What about you? Have you been reflecting on your year? 🍂 🍁 🍃

Are you beginning this year better than you did last year? Be brutally honest-are you stepping into this season with improved habits, clearer focus, and stronger discipline, or are you dragging the same excuses and distractions that held you back before? If you're not willing to change, don't expect your circumstances to. Growth demands effort, and if you don't put it in, you'll stay stuck in the same cycles year after year. The reality is this: your life will only improve to the level of your disciplines and priorities. Stop expecting a better year if you're not willing to make better choices. The quality of your life is shaped by what you do consistently, not occasionally. If you want to see real transformation, stop waiting for the perfect moment or ideal motivation. This year will only be as good as the decisions you make daily. Choose wisely-your future depends on it.

The start of the year carries so many expectations. A time for fresh starts, ambitious goals, and plans to achieve more. But what happens when the energy to match those aspirations just isn’t there? Maybe you’re someone who sets the bar high. Every year, you strive to grow, achieve, and push yourself further. But life doesn’t always follow the plans we set. Personal challenges, unforeseen circumstances, or just sheer exhaustion can make it feel impossible to move forward. If this is where you find yourself, it’s okay to admit it. It doesn’t make you weak or less capable. It makes you human. The truth is, you don’t have to carry the weight of the world all at once. Sometimes, simply getting through the day is enough. And while it might not feel like progress, it’s still movement, because you’re still here, trying. Here are five gentle ways to ease that weight: ✔️ Make connection a priority. Let someone you trust share the load. ✔️ Set boundaries to protect the energy you do have. ✔️ Offer yourself compassion. This season doesn’t define your worth. ✔️ Build small, intentional self-care habits, no matter how simple they feel. ✔️ And remind yourself that you’re not alone in this struggle. If your year hasn’t started the way you hoped, give yourself permission to take a step back. Rest doesn’t mean failure. Pausing doesn’t mean giving up. It means honouring where you are and finding the strength to move forward, one small step at a time.