My Vision for 2020 – A Lost Blog Post
In all the social distancing chaos, I lost track of this blog post I began writing on January 30, 2020. I had been thinking about my choice of ONE WORD for the new year, but found it was more of a concept that I needed. And now as we step into the month of May 2020, I wonder even more about my vision for 2020. What could it mean in the depths of this pandemic? Here are my thoughts from January:
My Vision for 2020
Visuals help me to see and to focus on a message. For that reason, I love object lessons or stories that illustrate a point. So when I think about my word for 2020, instead of a word, I see a concept. This concept includes community, gathering, and connecting.
One way I refine an image in my mind or new idea is to create an image or vision board. These are not new. Corporations use them to stay focused on their mission and purpose. Individuals use them to see a way toward accomplishing a goal. Ministries use them to illustrate their underlying image and direction.
I have created several boards. One for my ministry of teaching and speaking to women. Another for my Pausing Retreats. And, this past weekend I created a small one for my 2020 focus.
A vision board helps me to clear the clutter and see what is essential. Once finished, I display it where I can see it clearly.
Ta-da, my vision in full view all the time.
There are a few reasons for creating a vision board:
Stay focused
Provide a quick reference to key ideas
Image of a goal stays in my mind
Enables me to assess new requests for my time – does it fit my vision?
Gives me jump off points as to how to implement my vision
Using this technique for my 2020 word. Honestly, I am still not sure I have chosen ONE WORD. It is more of an overall sense of something that is lacking in me.
Personally, I feel I need community and connectedness in my life. As a writer and speaker, I study, write, and create messages for my events and retreats. I pour into the lives of women and pray for their needs before and during events. Yet, I need the same accountability and prayer from others in my personal walk with Christ. I need to be fed and filled in order to feed my own soul.
In short, I need godly girlfriends to journey with me.
I need godly #girlfriends to journey through life with me. #ConnectingInCommunity Click To Tweet
I cannot pour out of an empty vessel
I learned a long time ago that I cannot give what I do not have. And so I need to fill my cup in order to pour anything kingdom-worthy into others. The idea of gathering and connecting with others is something I need poured into me.
My vision board is pretty simple but I think it captures the essence of my focus for this year (and probably the rest of my life). I will be contemplating how the visual boils down into a sentence. Because I know I want this to be practical and lived out in the days ahead…
…Fast Forward to My Thoughts in May 2020:
This vision for 2020 began to take shape in January and now that we are caught in the realm of social distancing, I wonder what God is up to as we step into the month of May. My need hasn’t changed, nor has my pursuit of putting this vision into practice. I am not sure how well I am doing, but it certainly looks different than I initially imagined.
Instead of gathering in person, I am using Zoom. Instead of getting out into the community, I take walks and converse with neighbors who are outside on our rural road. I discovered one neighbor’s wife passed away. I had no idea.
Finding Ways to Connect
During this shut down, I’ve baked and delivered cookies and sent notes in the mail with my contact information to those I haven’t seen in case they need anything. Texting has become my best friend as I send out short ‘thinking of you’ messages to family and church. Two friends connect with me daily to pray and share what’s going on in our lives.
Zoom meetings have been wonderful for my writer’s group, and the women who attended my last Pausing for R & R Retreat have also begun zooming. Being able to meet, see another face, and hear another voice goes a long way to bolstering emotional health. Something we all need right now.
Being able to meet, see another face, and hear another voice goes a long way to bolstering #emotionalhealth. #InCommunity Click To Tweet
Phone calls and Skype help to connect with my children and grandsons and care packages brighten their long days. They all live several states away so even before the social distancing, we lacked physical touch. But I am more aware than ever that words are powerful when we share our heart with those we care about.
Changes In Our Thinking about Community
This pandemic has stretched my thinking about what it means to connect, to gather, and to stay in community. I have a lot to learn. I’m realizing that my reach may seem small, but there are plenty of those in my neighborhood that could use a friendly connection. And, I think once this pandemic passes and the stay at home mandates are lifted, we may see a very different world around us. One who is hungry for connection. And one who has become inventive in ways to reach out.
What are your thoughts as we step close to fifty days of isolation?
How is your #ONEWORD shaping up during this pandemic and #SocialDistance? Click To Tweet
Be sure to add your comments by scrolling down to the bottom of this post.
Jeanne
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I enjoyed reading about your journey in writing this post. In God’s perfect timing, His Words penetrate our souls. What a great idea your vision boards are. And even though we now have to social distance, your need for community is not forgotten by God. Wonderful ideas for connecting!
Deborah, you are so right. God’s timing is perfect. So, maybe this message is for May rather than January. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts
As always, I love the way the LORD works..and the vision boards, I’ve not heard of that before.
In January you began listening, connect was one of the words for you, now in May it comes together. HIS timing, how sweet. We all need to reach out to others, find new ways to connect. Each of us are stretched in new ways.
Thank you, Jeanne.
Jan, I think this time of trial has opened up many new ways of doing things. Who would have thought that just a few months ago. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’d be happy to share more about creating a vision board too.
I don’t do “One Words” Ms Jeanne, but I sure did enjoy this post; especially the importance of remaining connected somehow to our friends and families. I also enjoyed your “vision board” example; I created a collage of my target audience for my writing, placing Christ in the center. Thank you for recovering and sharing this post. Wonderful timing ma’am.
So glad this encouraged you, J.D. and thank you for stopping in to share your thoughts. I think our ways to connect with others have and will grow exponentially during this time. It is good!
Hi Jeanne,
Ironically my word for the year was “rest.” Obviously I was not thinking of this extreme yet having to slow down and contemplate how I have been living and how that’s going to look different after this crisis is something I will be committing to prayer.
Sheree, this is definitely rest taken to a whole new level. Proving that we may be still but rest is so much deeper than that, isn’t it?! We can all look at the future through the lens of hope. Despite what it looks like on the outside, God always spins good from it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and hope you are feeling better too
We do need connection…especially now. Thank you for the tips and the great reminder. I’m intrigued by the Pausing retreat!
Thanks for stopping in, Kelly. I think this ordeal has really helped us to see what’s important. Connecting, visiting, fellowship…so much we took for granted before this. But we have also discovered new ways to bridge the isolation. And though not perfect, it goes a long way to being able to stay in touch. Thank you for stopping by.
As for the Pausing for R & R Retreat, you can find more info on my website. It would be a wonderful way to reconnect with God, find rest after a grueling season, and be together with other women in a small group setting.