15 - A New Hope

As we reach the end of another wonderful Mass celebration, our focus shifts to the new year that lays before us. 2021 is as a blank slate, a new canvas ready to be painted on. All of our Members should keep to the important task of setting goals for the coming year. Time will fly by if you let it, and this is the perfect time to start setting goals and refreshing your connection to the faith.

This doesn’t have to be anything grandiose or too detailed. Prepare as much as feels comfortable, it should not feel like a chore or an obligation. But do keep yourself accountable! Merely writing things does not hold the same value as attaching concrete goals and timelines - plan for a finish date, and work backwards: where is the halfway mark, where are the checkpoints, when should I review my progress and see if things need to change? These are questions that call for answers, and thinking about them is the sort of work your spirit needs.

Now, I’ve had conversations with Members who make an interesting point. They question whether this comports with the First Keystone, and our quest to be efficient, competent and autonomous. Namely, is writing and planning all of these things efficient? Would it not be more efficient simply to do those things?

The answer, unequivocally, is yes. Think of baking a cake - unless you’ve done it many times, best results call for following a recipe. This requires preparation, thought, and care. You have to think about each of the steps, you have to plan ahead - winging it will certainly get you a baked good of some kind. Whether it will be edible is anyone’s guess. Don’t be the one bringing that to the party.

Doing this will also give you an important benefit that most people miss! Just think of all those times you’ve thought that your to-do list seems endless or that despite how hard you work, you never seem to get anything done! This is a classic trick our mind plays on us, always trying to get more done, to feel productive and push for accomplishments. No matter how much you do, escaping this internal struggle is nigh impossible.

However, this can be turned around by reframing the worry - don’t think of just how much there is to do, but reflect on all that you have accomplished! Allow yourself some gratitude at how far you’ve come. This can be done by looking at your goals, and seeing how many have been completed. Look at all those checkmarks on the lists you made. Look around all the things that were not done, that did not exist mere weeks and months ago! Seeing how much you’ve done will reenergize your will to push on - it will also help you analyze which things you did most willingly. This will help you meet the Fifth Keystone, to seek and follow your calling in life. The things you loved doing should be your guide - follow them!