by AG
Chelsey and I have been fortunate enough to be able to do a planning retreat three of the four years we’ve been together. It has been a great way for us to both reflect on the previous year and look ahead at the one to come.
A few weekends we did out latest retreat, and it proved to be one of our best yet. Here are some things we learned that helped us make it effective:
- Get Away.
If your life is anything like ours, staying home and trying to discuss bigger stuff in our marriage wasn’t an option. The small things around the house already suck the bulk our time away, and adding a kid to the mix doesn’t make it any easier. We know that to make our weekend effective we have get away from our normal routine.
Whether you choose to go to a hotel, cabin, or even a retreat facility, finding a quiet place that is relaxing, and conducive to discussion is vital. Finding a place that has a similar spirit both as an individual and/or a couple to yours isn’t always easiest park, but can really set the tone for the weekend.
- Have a Plan.
Getting away is one thing, planning for the year is another. What do you talk about? How do you use your time? Those are all good questions. I’m sure there is plenty of guides available, but I’ll share the one that we used.
Through work, we have financial planning services through Ronald Blue. As part of that service, they gave us a document on how to spend our weekend. This document provided a list of questions in seven areas: spiritual, marriage, family, social, financial, physical, and vocational. While not all questions applied, this provided a great reference for our time. They have two versions: one for married & one for singles.
- Break Up the discussion times.
Discussing and planning for a year isn’t always an easy thing. There might be some tough topics which need addressed. Or maybe finances and numbers are overwhelming. Either way, you need to plan other activities for the weekend as well. This might be a movie, a good book, games, or a venture out if you are some place new. Have fun. Enjoy the time and when you reconvene to the planning, you’ll be ready to focus.
- Commit to follow-up.
At the end of the weekend we had two pages of notes and action items which we have resolved to look at. Some are things to buy, some are just things that we need to continue to discuss. Be prepared to bring home things that need follow-up.
- Begin planning another one.
Anytime you set make a plan, you need to follow-up with time to review it periodically. Although life is never finished, it’s always good to reevaluate where we are. Figure out a schedule that works for you, whether it’s ever 6 months or 5 years, make a plan to follow-up this retreat with another one in the future.
by AG
I enjoy new beginnings, even when they are a simple as a change in the date. The start of a new period of life - whether it’s a new year, a new day, or a new job - brings a renewed hope for change and growth to come. It’s a chance to look back and reflect, as well as chance to prepare and pray for what’s ahead.
2010 came in quietly. I spent a quiet evening at home with the wife, doing what we do most every evening. Our ability to venture out to parties has decreased with Logan, and that’s fine with me. It challenges us to slow down a bit which is a good thing. We spent the evening reflecting back on 2009, but also the past decade. One thing is for sure: life looks really different then it did in 2000.
New beginnings doesn’t always mean our concerns and problems go away. Sometimes we wish they would, but we still have to deal with the hard stuff that was challenging us before. And sometimes, new beginnings bring new challenges. I look forward to how these things will continue to help us grow.
I haven’t set many resolutions for 2010. I’m a goal-oriented person, but haven’t sensed the need for a list of goals like I had for 2009. The one goal I have set, and started already, has been to read the whole Bible this year. I think that could be the most important things for me to do, so to have goals beyond that one, seem like they could be more distracting than beneficial.
I did decide to start 2010 with a new design for my blog. If you are a subscriber in Google Reader or another RSS reader, click over to check it out. I still have some clean-up to do, but I’m happy with what I’ve come up. I hope to write more in 2010, so I felt there were some things I wanted to change before I could do that.
I hope all of my readers had a wonderful 2009, but even more, I pray you have a great 2010.
by AG
A few months ago I blogged about the name Logan James and where it came from. Well on July 31st, we actually were able to take Logan to camp and share the story with him. Here's some video from our first trip to camp:
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