5 Thoughts to Evaluate in Preparing for 2020

by Jeanne Takenaka, @JeanneTakenaka

Please tell me I’m not the only one who began 2019 with hopes and plans and expectations. 

I set my timelines for completing projects. I accounted for vacations and family events so I could work around them. And I embarked on accomplishing my goals.

And, here we are at the end of 2019. If I only used my calendar to evaluate my achievements and saw the things still not accomplished, I’d feel depressed.  

The best-laid plans rarely go as expected. This year held real-life events that shaped my writing life. I walked through some hard situations and came alongside hurting friends and family members. It meant my time was spent in ways I couldn’t have anticipated.

We all have years when we invest the hours and energy to do the work, but the yield isn’t what we expected.

As I prepare for 2020, I’m using these five thoughts to guide my perspective:

What brought me joy? In my writing life it was learning how to rewrite effectively. In real life, joy came from making memories with my family.

What disappointments did I grapple with? I’m journaling the lessons learned in my disappointments. Most of them challenged me to grow closer to God and to seek His face over what I wanted. 

Are there things I can do differently next year to avoid some of these same letdowns? I’m evaluating how I to do things differently or more effectively next year. 

What went right this year? It’s good to see what we’ve done right and see what will work for next year’s goals. 

What went sideways? Sometimes, things go sideways because of choices we make. This can be fixed. We figure out why those choices didn’t work and consider how to do things differently next year. 

Other times, things go sideways due to circumstances beyond our control. Events occur that derail our best writing intentions. There are times when we can adjust our writing to accommodate. But, there are also times when we need to let go of our timelines. 

The final thought to reflect on as we head into 2020 is the truth that we share this path with our Father. We have a role in accomplishing our goals and dreams, but so does He. If we’re trying to take on responsibilities that belong to God, we’ll become discouraged and worn down. 

This writing life is a melding of working hard toward our dreams and deadlines but not negating our real life people and situations. Sometimes we must sacrifice one for the other. But always, we must seek the Lord and evaluate to make sure we’re walking where God’s leading us. 

Our essence is interwoven with our Father. Accomplishing isn’t solely up to us. We walk and work in communion with Him. 

As we prepare to enter a new year and a new decade, let’s pray through and think through how we can walk and write well with our Father. 


Award-winning aspiring novelist, Jeanne Takenaka, writes contemporary inspirational fiction that tackles real-life issues with a heart to draw women closer to God and those around them. She lives near the mountains in Colorado with her amazing husband and two exuberant boy-men. She loves being God’s girl—always learning about His grace, hanging out with friends and enjoying a great cup of coffee. When she’s not writing you can find her with a camera in her hand, looking for #alittlebitofpretty in her days. You can connect with her on her blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

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