As the year comes to a close, there is one practice that should be built into our schedules: reflection. Ironically, as we enter into the holiday season, reflection is the last thing fighting for our attention. Instead we are often distracted by “bright and shiny things.” But incorporating reflective prayer about one’s day every evening is a powerful source for personal change, and reflecting over the past year can yield the same results.

We have a tendency to chase the urgent and overlook the important. However, if we never stop to assess how things are going, we cannot see where we are going. Just as living life without goals can result in aimlessness and wasted effort, our spiritual lives can suffer in similar ways without reflective planning. If this is your first time to do this, you may not have personal goals set yet, so these questions might offer a great place to start:

1. Overall, how are you growing spiritually?

2. What spiritual practices were you able to maintain successfully this year? In which areas would you like to see further growth?

3. Have you discovered a way to balance growth in biblical knowledge and spiritual reflection?

4. How was your work-life balance? What changes need to be made in this area?

5. How invested and connected are you in your congregation?

6. Thinking of the areas you are currently serving in, how well do they match your gift set and personal ministry goals?

7. Are you maintaining enough margin in your life to be healthy long-term? Or are you walking the road to burn-out?

   And if you do have goals and priorities set…

8. How have your activities this year matched up with progress towards your goals and priorities?

It is important to take time to look at where we have come in order to set a trajectory for where we are going. If you haven’t taken the time to set goals and priorities, now is an excellent time to begin. This should not be done without a great deal of prayer and reflection, which will help you identify a general direction where you feel called, as well as a mix of more specific short- and long-term goals.

Once you have some idea about where to begin, be sure to write all of this down and keep it someplace accessible. I recommend writing these thoughts on an index card, placing them in your Bible, and pulling them out every Sunday to pray over them. You can also put them in a note on your phone, with a weekly reminder to reflect on them. It is important to take time on a regular basis to review how you are spending your time with regard to these goals. Because with weekly tweaks and yearly planning, there is an increased chance of growth in these areas.

It is especially important that mentors are familiar with rhythms of reflection and planning. This is an area where we need to have experience before we can lead someone. One can stop to reflect and plan anytime, but for many this is a good time to begin. If you are guiding someone through this process, encourage them not to rush it. This is a process of discernment requiring prayer and waiting on God. It isn’t something that can typically be done in a single sitting. However, it’s an important catalyst for growth and change.