Life circa 2009
Hope you had a great holiday. Happy New Year 2009! I played a lot of Rockband 2, made it to a game of the World Juniors in Ottawa, and got just enough downtime to come back fresh for a new year.
Thought we'd start off the conversation for a new year with some thoughts on life, mission and getting in position to let God leverage our lives and leadership. I don't have a list of specific goals, but here's what I'll be working on in 09.
- I'm refreshing my daily bible reading by switching to YouVersion, an online bible set up last year by the great folks at Lifechurch.tv. Two days in, I already like it for two reasons:
- I'm reading in community. The decision to move to YouVersion started December 31st when I twittered about that day's reading from Malachi. By late that afternoon, six of us decided to read the bible together in a year on line using YouVersion. If you want to join, just sign up, search for me, and follow me. Should be fun!
- Reading on a screen (in this case, my phone) makes me physically read the text differently than off the printed page, which I've read all my life. It's making words and phrases pop in fresh ways. Love it!
- I'm reading more intentionally in 09. Recently, I picked up a dozen or so business/leadership books to sharpen my leadership skills. Here's a sampling of what's on my list for early 09:
- Tribes, by Seth Godin. Already done it. Loved it.
- Planet Google, by Randall Strauss. Believe in big brother? Should be fascinating.
- Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell. Bought one for a friend for Christmas too. Gladwell always makes me think.
- Love the Work, Hate the Job, by Dave Kusnet. I'm in leadership. I want to be the best boss I can be.
- Made to Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath. Read their column in Fast Company...gotta read the book.
- I'm fully aware there are no theological books on this list. That will come.
- I'm joining a gym. Frankly, for two reasons.
- I need to get in shape. Doing it on my own has lost me ten pounds in ten years. Not good enough. Looking at hiring a personal trainer to keep me accountable and get me moving.
- I need to get out of the Christian bubble. I need new environments in 09 that get me more deeply into the fabric of the wider culture. A gym is one of those places.
I could say much more (I haven't talked about personal growth or even spiritual growth), but that's enough for now. I'm deeply pumped about 2009 and excited about all that could happen. God's faithfulness last year was far beyond any deserving, and I'm confident He's going to stretch and grow me and us more than we can imagine this year.
How about you? How is your 2009 starting, and what will be different about 09 than 08?
