Planning for the Year

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:

Courtesy of Iminfocus on Flickr
Used with Permission

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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.
   
5. 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.