Preparing in advance for the actual planning day really helps me get the most out of the Faith-Filled Annual Planning Virtual Event I have scheduled for December 5th. The elements I work through in pre-planning are more life and past-oriented than future plans. Getting them out of the way helps frame what I will work on as I prepare short-term intentions for the New Year.
I set aside four hours on my pre-planning day because I already have a mission statement, life verse, and life intentions. Participants interested in implementing these elements will want to work on them before planning their new year, and should set aside six to eight hours over one or two days to get this foundation in place.
My pre-planning day:
- Prayerful review of my mission statement
- Prayerful review of my life verse
- Prayerful review of my life intentions
- Complete my inventory
- Write a letter to the passing year
- Complete my vision board for the coming year.
Sometimes I take an evening aside from the pre-planning day to do the vision board with friends, it’s a fun experience this way.
To complete my pre-planning, I pull out the annual planning binder I have designed for myself. This binder is in my office and I refer to throughout the year.
The piece that takes the most time here is completing my inventory. I pray my way through this and try to be as honest as possible. If I think of new inventory questions I add them so that next year I can answer those as well. While I have an inventory outline in my planning kit, your inventory should be developed to meet your own personal needs as you move forward.
When I am finished, I type up and print out my new 2014 inventory, and move my old 2013 inventory to the “Past Years” tab in my binder. The new 2014 inventory goes behind the Inventory tab.
Do you complete an inventory as part of your annual planning? I would love to know.