Earlier this month at our January Coffee and Conversation session, Sharon, one of our Fitfish life coaches, shared some thoughts and guided people through a process to reflect on 2023 and step forward into 2024. I wanted to share some of those thoughts with you today.

Relinquishing Control: For true peace and freedom, we need to surrender our concerns to God. There are many possible ways to do this, such as journaling, going for a walk, or finding a physical action to symbolise releasing our burdens. Sharon shared the idea of contemplating the ‘rocks’ we might be carrying and then throwing them into a lake as a tangible way of handing them over to God.

Reflecting on 2023: Before diving fully into 2024, there’s some value in reflecting on 2023. Were there any words you were given or words that resonated with you? Any key Bible verses that spoke to you? What were the ‘Kairos moments’ where God unmistakably showed up? Take some time to reflect on these things – you might find it helpful to write them down too.

Questions for 2024: Moving forward, Sharon explored several questions to help shape our perspective for the coming year:

1. What are you hoping for in 2024?
2. Was there a significant “chiros moment” in 2023?
3. Did you witness any new beginnings or shoots in 2023 that you want to carry into 2024?
4. What kind of person do you aspire to be in 2024?
5. Is there a word or phrase representing what God has for you this year?
6. How will you be kind to yourself in 2024, considering physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being?
7. How do you plan to cultivate thankfulness in the coming year?
8. What support do you need going into 2024?

Practical Tools for Reflection: To help this reflective process, Sharon talked about some practical tools such as writing a letter to your future self or scheduling an email to land in your inbox a few months later. These methods serve as reminders of the insights gained and intentions set during this reflective time.

Final Thoughts and a Prayer: You may not be able to do all of this in one sitting, so you might find it helpful to set aside additional reflective moments in the coming weeks. Sharon shared this Prayer of Saint Patrick affirming our commitment to lean on God’s guidance, strength, wisdom, and protection throughout 2024:

I bind myself today, to the power of God to guide me, to the might of God to uphold me, to the wisdon of God to teach me, the eye of God to watch over me, the ear of God to hear me, the way of God to lie before me, the host of God to defend me. Amen