Woah 2017 is almost over.  Did you miss it?  Did you live in the moments, capture every transition that took place in your life?  Guys, did you mourn the migration of your hair from your head to ‘other parts’ parts of your body?  Did you celebrate anything major?  Or maybe did you miss out attempting to capture the perfect picture of the moments that you missed the actual moments?

I don’t know about you, but as 2017 comes to an end I’m eager to move forward and press into 2018.  I think 2018 is going to an amazing year, I’d even say it’s going to be my best year I’ve ever lived.  

I’ve already started to set some goals for my 2018.  These goals will help me mature into the person I believe God is wanting me to become in order to accomplish the things He has in store for me to accomplish.  

As easy as it would be for me to press on toward 2018 and not pause and reflect I know I must.  There’s a misleading saying that I’ve heard throughout my life, “Experience is the best teacher…”  As I’ve not only gotten older but matured I’ve come to realize that this statement is lacking.  It’s not complete.  If that were the case then we’ve got to mature just by getting older.  If that were the case I wouldn’t be tempted to relive my glory days in high school and retell those stories.  Uncle Rico wouldn’t keep reminding us that he could throw a pigskin a quarter mile either.  Do you know an Uncle Rico?  Are you an Uncle Rico?  

Don’t just get older this year, don’t just go through 365 days and not mature or get better.  

I’ve put my top 3 tips below in how I’ve matured and maybe they can help you out as well.  

1. Evaluate your experience.  While experience can teach us a few things, it’s not the best teacher.  Evaluated experience is.  Take time to evaluate your 2017.  How did you mature?  What was great about it?  What sucked about it?  How did you fail?  How did you succeed?  Take time to write your responses in a journal or diary whatever you want to call it.  I have had a file on my Evernote that I look back over at times and answer those same questions.  
2. Write a statement of who you want to become in the coming year.  This statement can have goals, it can have character traits you’d like to have in your life.  It can be as big or as simple as you’d like.  Write something down that you’ll be able to look to and remind yourself over and over again throughout 2018.  Put a reminder on your phone throughout the 365 days to look at and through this statement.  Instead of waiting until the very end of 2018 you’ll be able to adjust according because you’ve taken this statement seriously.  Any goal worth achieving needs attention and intentionality so this helps you in both regards.  If you don’t give your goal or statement attention or intentionality you’re wishing and hoping, but not really doing your part to mature.  
3. Break 2018 into quarters like you would in a business fiscal year.  In the coming days think through habits or disciplines that will help you accomplish your statement from #2.  In that quarter develop 1 habit/ discipline that will help you accomplish it.  If you choose more than 1 you won’t actually accomplish any.  At the end of 2018, you’ll have developed 4 habits that will help you become who you actually want to.  

I’m believing 2018 is going to be the best year I’ve ever lived, but I don’t want to just waste 365 days of possibilities of maturing and bettering myself.  Enjoy the time to pause and evaluate and give yourself attention and intentionality to become the person God wants you to become, in order for you to do the things He has planned for you to do.  

One more final thought…. As we become the person God created us to be it should improve our world we live in.  Our workplace, schools, friends, family etc should improve.  We don’t just improve just to improve.  It should be like the coffee bean transforming simple water into something new, something better.