our annual planning brunch date

Last Friday morning Emily and I had our year-beginning brunch date. This is an intentional time to reflect on 2024 then look to the new year with hope and ideas for goals.

We tend to pick a fancier place for this particular date and usually meet on the last weekend of January. We like to be fully recovered from the holidays and see how the first few weeks of the new year feels.  I bring my journal along so I can reference last year’s meeting and can jot down notes or things Emily may share. 

There’s also a sense of anticipation with what the other will say which makes it fun. One year Emily asked me to guess her word for the year and I got it right!

Every year we answer the same questions and get to know the person behind the word for the year and/or goals.

Our first question is: What worked last year?  We look back and consider what didn’t work and see if our lists overlap.

Sometimes this list can inform future goals. Two examples on my list: changing my morning reading spot so our dog can sit next to me and and prayerful hikes on the Fonta Flora trail, both worked for me in 2024.

Our second question: What didn’t work last year? Bad habits, vocational missteps or anything that didn’t work can be on this list. One example for me was not taking care of my lower back. I neglected stretching and instead lived with the pain. That strategy did not work for me in 2024. 

By the way, Emily wrote also about our time together on her substack. She has some great insights and I’ll share a few below.

Next we review our 2024 words (or phrases) of the year. Mine was “ask why.” This phrase helped me pause and ask why do I think this, or do that? I realized the presence of some harsh expectations (in certain areas) I had on myself which didn’t serve me one bit. 

A word/phrase of the year can be a returning guide throughout the year.

Emily wrote in her substack: “Some years I find the word I choose makes a lot of sense by the time the year is over (for example, my 2021 word of the year was CLEAR and it showed up in so many ways that year.) Last year, though, my word was a little more of a background player: helpful and centering at times, forgotten at other times. There’s no wrong!”

Next we share our new word/phrase for the year. If we’re not ready with a word, sometimes we will bring 2 or 3 possibilities and talked about them. 

As we share our answers to the questions, often we will ask, “as you were sharing, did anything jump out to you or feels extra important?” I like that question because it gets us present to what we are saying. Noticing what comes out of us can be helpful when discerning how God’s Spirit is leading. 

Reflection is a powerful tool for true change and vision casting.

Finally, we share some simple goals for the new year. I’ve never been super goal-oriented but I like making lists and brainstorming objectives for the upcoming year. I bring a loose list written in pencil then after our meeting I will re-write my goals in ink. 

Emily wrote about this final part: “I used to have many goals every year with complex plans to carry them out. This year I have six simple things written in my journal, bullet-point style. It’s worth noting here that I do planning for my work separately. I meet with my two team members to make plans and set annual goals for the coming year together (we typically have our annual planning meetings in September for the following year). With John I will always share our big-picture work goals, but we tend to focus on the personal, relational, financial, and home goals together.”

It’s easy to get into the weeds of to-do lists and work goals. We keep it light and see what overlaps and what wants to be written in ink. Some years we circle back around and confirm then prioritize our goals. 

Our planning brunch was a really sweet and has been one of my favorite ways to know Emily and feel connected in our marriage. It also gives us direction on when to say “Yes or No” in 2025.

This has been fun to share with you and hope it could be helpful as you consider the next 11 months.

Another thing on my what worked list was working (for the 10th year) under a non-profit structure and receiving the gift of your support. Encouraging notes, referrals, financial support and prayers all really worked in 2024.

Thank you so much friends…. and here’s to 2025! 

Love, John F
freemanjohn@mac.com
www.gracegreensboro.org