| Dear John Can we just agree that 2020 has been a messy, messy year? Plans suddenly cancelled, routines tossed out the window, changes (sometimes daily) in protocols we should follow and restrictions we must navigate can make every day feel like a never-ending hamster wheel. It’s been frustrating, sometimes scary… and just plain TIRING! This pandemic, with all its interruptions to our lives, is not over yet… so wouldn’t it be great to have something to look forward to as you enter the new year? After all, it’s the Christmas season. Many of us are celebrating Advent. This is the season of hope. As we rejoice in the birth of Jesus – a Savior sent to a hurting world – we are thankful for the gift of hope to all mankind, for now and into eternity. Many of us are taking a look at our Christmas traditions. We’re taking a look at what we have always taken for granted. Deciding what is really important. We’re laying down some things we have done for years. Downsizing our gatherings, our gift lists, our expectations. We’re simplifying. And some of us are picking up new things we maybe haven’t done before, like sending handwritten Christmas cards, or crafting handmade gifts. Maybe it’s time to go beyond just Christmas traditions and think about what’s really important in the scheme of our whole lives. What if you could package up the frustration of this past year and make a pivot to what really matters? You can do it - by asking this one simple question… “What does this make possible?” When you ask this question, you make room for new avenues to open in your mind. Suddenly, hope floats in. Ideas begin to come. And you think, “Maybe I CAN find some good in the middle of all of this.” The key to success is to decide what is most important to you, create some goals to reach for – maybe to improve your diet, train for a 5k, become a better parent or spouse, get a promotion at work, or start a business – and then take ACTION in a disciplined way. Vince Lombardi, one of the greatest football coaches of all time, said, "Once you've established the goals you want and the price you're willing to pay, you can ignore the minor hurts, the opponent's pressure, and the temporary setbacks." If you see every day not as an endless run on a hamster wheel, but instead as one piece of a much bigger plan… it becomes easier to run through obstacles and disappointments instead of letting them get you down. And you will become a WINNER. Dad wholeheartedly agreed with this. One of his most famous sayings was, “You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must PLAN to win, PREPARE to win, and EXPECT to win.” Because of this, he invented one of the most impactful goal planners there is. It’s called “The Performance Planner,” and it is designed specifically to help you gain insight and develop the habit of working toward your goals daily. It’s a great tool to help you see hope this season, get past the mess of COVID-19, and WIN in 2021. If you’re interested, you can check the planner out here. It’s being offered at a special price this month. What will YOU do this Christmas season to find and grab onto hope for the new year? Let us know if we can be of help to you. | 