Finishing Well: Ending the Year with Intention

We’re all familiar with the excitement and determination that builds up in the air at the start of a new year.

Expectation vs. Reality

If you’re like me, you had big dreams for 2024. You created a beautiful vision board, wrote down lofty goals for every area of your life, and started the year strong. You decided that this was going to be your year.

But if you’re really like me, you saw some of the items on your vision board come to life and had other goals completely fall off your radar. 

I, for one, experienced several unexpected wins and losses that have given me a fresh understanding of God's ways and will for my life. And for that, I’m grateful.

But the reality is that for a lot of us when things don’t play out the way we expect them to, it can leave us feeling defeated and even bitter. If we’re not careful we might even find ourselves labeling the whole year as terrible and neglecting to acknowledge the progress that we did make.

Avoiding Burnout and Embracing Self-Preservation

Earlier this year, I tried to pick up running as a hobby. But to make a long story short, I don't think it’s for me. However, for the few months that I tried to make it stick, it taught me a lot about self-preservation.

When I first started running, one of the things I would do was start too strong. I would run too fast, exert too much energy, and end up limping to my car at the end.

But over time, I learned that the key to a successful run was to start slow, push fast in the middle, and then finish slow.

Historically, my game plan for the end of the year mirrored my original approach to running. I tried to push too hard and burned myself out trying to do all the things for the sake of finishing the year “strong.”

But this time around I’m doing things differently.

Finishing Well vs. Finishing Strong

Instead of trying to finish strong, I’ve decided I just want to finish well.

Instead of burning myself out by trying to sprint to the end of the year and play catch up, I’m just going to do what I can. I’m choosing to reassess my priorities, be disciplined, create balance, and strategize for the new year.

And I invite you to do the same. Don’t allow hustle culture, perfectionism, pride, or guilt around not accomplishing all your goals lead you to burnout and rush the product.

Instead, commit to finishing the year well. Be prayerful, be gracious to yourself, and be intentional about what you’re going to do differently next year to maximize your time and potential.

Looking Ahead with Intention

This year may not have gone according to plan, but that does not mean it was a failure. God still approves of you. He has still called you. He is still waiting for you to manifest the gifts and dreams He’s given you. He’s still a gracious God who recognizes that we are dust. His strength is still perfected in our weakness.

So as we approach the end of the year, here are three things you can do to finish well:

1. Revisit the goals and plans you created at the beginning of the year. It can be hard to look at plans that didn’t actualize. However, reviewing them allows you to determine if your priorities have shifted and which goals you’d like to carry into the new year. It's also an opportunity to celebrate the things you did accomplish.

   
   

2. Reflect on the roadblocks that stood in the way of your progress. Did you lack accountability and actionable steps, or did a major life event stand in the way? You already have the blueprint, but you need a game plan to make it happen and a contingency plan for when life decides to life.

   
   

3. Set aside time to pray and fast. Ask God what you should prioritize. Ask Him to reveal the things that prevent you from bearing fruit. Partner with Him as you write the vision and develop the strategy for the new year. Because at the end of the day, no amount of planning can sustain what God has not ordained.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:8

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