Questions to Thrive in 2021

Which “tense” do you live in? Do you live your life more in the past, present, or future tense?

Some may live in one of these tenses more than the others. If so then it will show up in how you live your life.

Primarily Past Tense Life

Those that live primarily in the past will have two pathways. First, your life may be ruled by regret or shame. You focus either on your own personal mistakes or the mistakes that others have caused you. It consumes you to the point of never being able to move forward from that moment. This makes you stuck at that time, which interferes with your ability to make decisions for today and the future.

The other side of living in the past is reliving those glory days or moments constantly. You tell the same heroic stories of triumphant victories. They are good stories and they fill you with pride. But it may also make you rely so much on those moments that you don’t try new adventures or take new risks. You still get stuck living in the past accomplishments.

Primarily Present Tense Life

There are dangers for you when you live primarily in the present. The first is that you are so focused on the here and now that you don’t make plans and preparations for the future. You go with the flow of the day that you neglect tomorrow. There are little to no goals for your life. There is no direction in your life. You may enjoy the day. However, after many years, you may wonder what you have done or where you are headed.

The flip side of living in the present only is that you make the same mistakes from your past. There is no desire to reflect and learn from past mistakes. It may be to avoid the pain and hurts of the past. This creates a cycle of poor choices. It’s like you are on a hamster wheel of life. You keep spinning and keep repeating the past.

Primarily Future Tense Life

There are issues for you who focus just on the future too. One is that you are pessimistic about the future. You are constantly worried and fearful of what will happen in the months and years ahead. There is anxiety and paranoia that the worst things will happen. This fear cripples them to not try new things or explore new opportunities.

The other side of this is that you are always planning for the future. You are so focused on setting goals, plans, and strategies for your business, work, home, and personal life. You are constantly scenario planning that you miss out on the present. You are unable to appreciate the here and now. You can’t appreciate the people in their lives as well as enjoy the brief moments of joy and laughter. You go through life with checklists so that they can move forward to the future as quickly as possible.

Which one do you primarily camp in? No one lives in just one tense. We jump between them throughout the day. Some of us may primarily focus on one of these. There needs to be a balance of all three.

I think moving into a new year is a great time to do this. It is a time to reflect on your past and plan for the future so that you can enjoy the moment today. Here are some questions to help you process.

Process the Past

“I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes. I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.”

Psalm 119:59-60

We need to “consider our ways.” We need to think through and reflect on the choices and decisions we have made. Have we chosen to include God or exclude God in our plans and calendars? We need to think through the ways that we have obeyed or disobeyed God.

As you reflect on this past year, think through some of these questions and consider your ways:

Questions to Reflect for 2020:

1. What was your word, verse or phrase from 2020? How did that play out this year? (if you did not have one then what word would it have been?)
2. What were some of your biggest high moments of the year?
3. What were some of your lowest moments of the year?
4. What did you learn about yourself in 1-2 sentences?

Process the Future

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

Proverbs 16:3

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 19:21

How do both those verses ring true?

The closer you are to God, the more you will do what God wants. The farther away you are from God, the harder it will be to distinguish the world’s plans and God’s plans. You will be more confused and anxious because it’s harder to hear God. You will also be able to understand your own passions, desires, and God-given purposes. They will intersect when you know God and know yourself.

This is a good time to listen to God as well as share with God what your hopes and dreams are. It is a conversation that needs to be had. God wants to hear your hearts and dreams as well as for you to hear his heart and dreams for you too. Here are some questions to help you navigate that.

Questions for 2021:

1. What are your hopes and dreams for 2021?
2. What are the challenges (negative beliefs or things) you foresee?
3. What are the 1-2 things you hope to accomplish?
4. Who do you want to become?
5. What is the verse, word, or phrase that God wants you to hold onto for 2021?

When you reflect on the past year and look ahead to the following year, you will appreciate your present moment. You will be grateful for what God has done in the past and hopeful for what God has for you in the future. This means you will experience his joy and peace at the moment. This means you can trust in God right now with your future because he’s been faithful in your past. You can choose joy and worship rather than worry and fear.