New Year Like a New Patient

After working in pharmacy for several years, you naturally build a rapport with your patients. You recognize their name when it’s called. You greet them with a smile or ask about their children or grandchildren. You notice the change in temperament when they’re in pain. You know who is likely to be friendly, and sadly, who’s likely to get on your last nerve.

There’s a certain comfort with the familiar.

Not so with a new patient. He presents new challenges. She brings unfamiliarity. On approach, you don’t know if she’s a stay-at-home mom with 3 kids or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. You have no idea of his long hours spent building his small business or the financial strain this illness presents to his family. You don’t know whether they’ll be friendly or cantankerous, patient or hurried, inquisitive or uninterested.

“New” brings uncertainty. You can never anticipate what to expect.

But new brings blessings, too. Embedded within new is the chance to impact another life or have theirs impact yours. New presents an opportunity to forge unique relationships. New offers the option to grow and move outside of the comfort of the familiar.

This New Year presents the same challenges and opportunities. Unfamiliarity. Unpredictability. 365 days of uncertainty looming ahead. No guarantee that previous results will dictate future outcomes. No daily promises of clear skies and bright sunshine. But there is the assurance of opportunities to make an impact, make a change, and make a decision to grow where you’re planted.

And the confidence we have as Christians is that though we don’t know what the future holds, we know Who holds the future. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He’s in control and remains intimately involved in the details of our lives to ensure we reach our intended destination. He authorizes the challenges, problems, and winding road ahead to grow us, develop us, and progressively mature us into who He created us to be.

So this year, starting with this week, intentionally seize each opportunity to maximize your “new” in 2017.

1. Erase preconceived expectations. Perhaps you’ve experienced some failures in the very areas you are focusing on this year to improve. Or maybe you’re resting on past successes instead of advancing to bigger and better. Whether previous defeats or prior wins, the past has passed. Today, look ahead, script a new outcome, and press forward to accomplish that which is purposed (Philippians 3:12-14).
2. Embrace the unexpected. Curve-balls are coming your way. Unplanned events will pop up. Opposition to your goals will occur. But don’t be derailed by these occurrences or complain when they arrive. View them as indications to reset your focus on Christ to determine how He plans to use the unexpected good, bad, and ugly to work for your good and His glory (Romans 8:28, Genesis 50:20).
3. Endure the awkwardness. Faith is risky. It requires deliberate action to abandon what’s familiar and safe in pursuit of worthwhile goals…outside of your comfort zone. What if it doesn’t work out as planned? What if I fail? The real question is, “What if you never try?” You’ll deny yourself the opportunity to experience Jesus bridge the gap between your inadequacy and His sufficiency (2 Corinthians 12:9). This year, choose action over comfort, impact over mere activity, growth over stagnation. And watch as God rewards the faith He declares pleases Him (Hebrews 11:6).
4. Eyes on the bigger picture. As the “new car smell” of this year fades, you’ll need visual reminders not only of the goals you’ve made, but of the reasons you made those goals in the first place. When your efforts seem fruitless and the initial motivation starts waning, recalling your “why” will serve as accountability to your true intentions and encouragement to keep going. Your 2018 self will be happy you stuck with it.
5. Evaluate your progress. Establish markers (daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly) throughout the year to review your goals. From experience I know it’s easy to veer off course when you lose sight of the destination. Reminders keep your goals in top-of-mind positioning, increasing your likelihood of accomplishing them. And evaluating your progress toward said goals ensures your actions consistently align with them. Course-correct when you’re off-track and reward yourself when you make progress.

Whatever your goals are for 2017, know that you can accomplish them. And I look forward to providing a weekly dose of inspiration, motivation, and practical application to propel your year to the best one yet.

Comment below with your 2017 goals. What do you do to stay on track?