PURGE 2024

By Carol Woolum Roberts

As I enjoyed a Spa Day in early December, it allowed my thoughts to wander. Some of those thoughts wandered toward 2024, and what that might look like.

In the midst of my thinking, I pinpointed my word for 2024.  PURGE.

As I have been thinking about this word, it is a lot different than words in the past.

I feel like it is more of a forceful command.

My vision board is different as well. No pictures or words from magazines. No color this year.

It is a white background with black letters.

I am playing off an earlier blog post I wrote regarding white space and rests that you can read here.

Each letter of the word has a meaning.  Each meaning has four action points.

Here is my PURGE 2024 action plan:

Prioritize time tasks

• Intentional people time
• Planning time
• Budgeting
• Letter writing

Undue Habits

• Morning schedule
• Writing schedule
• Contemplation
• Online time

Realign Who I Am

• Praying
• Worshiping
• Studying
• Attitude Check

Get Rid of Disarray

• Office Space
• Sleeping Space
• Storage Space
• Supply Space

Energize My Body

• More water
• More real food
• More stretching and strengthening
• More sweat

As I reflect on my 2023 word, color and vision board, I didn’t let it work for me.  I made the construction of it too complicated.  It went up on a wall I never looked at throughout the day.

My 2023 word was REALIGN.  My color was Emerald. I wanted 2023 to bring a better sense of well-being.

As I look over my six different goals I had last year, I am trying to see if I met anything on my board.

Spirit Goals—not as much as I would have liked.

Travel Goals—I did make it to the Oregon Coast and was able to just sit and look at the ocean.

Grow Me A Story Goals--  I created business cards. I created a schedule for the year. We had our summer camps and summer retreats. I may have to take these goals from last year that I didn’t accomplish and keep them in plain sight for this year.

Word Goals—I did read a lot of books this year. But I fell short on my goals for working on my book.

Love Goals—I learned to let go of some things in some of my relationships. But other goals fell short.

Health Goals—Pretty much a total failure. 

But 2024 is a new year. A new beginning.  And a new hope for creating space to accomplish my PURGE action items.

To me that is the key….creating the space to accomplish what I want to accomplish.  Give me the white space in 2024!

This year my vision board will be somewhere where I can see it every day.  I may create several copies of it to have various places around the house where I can see it.  Maybe an image on my phone as well.

Part of my thought process of my word was also how I start my day when things are busy. I didn’t like the things I made a priority when life got hectic, or the things I cut out of my life when life got hard.

I want to do better.

I want to purge some of the black in my life to create more white space this year.

Here’s to the 2024 PURGE---and opening more space!

In Paul’s blog post on Tuesday, "Searching for Synchronicity", he talked about having some synchronicity in his life.  I had one of those moments this morning.

Each year, Paul and I read through a devotional book titled “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers.  I loved what today’s reading had to say.  It goes so well with the “white space” thinking.

“There are times when you cannot understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings the blank space, see that you do not fill it in, but wait. The blank space may come in order to teach you what sanctification means, or it may come after sanctification to teach you what service means. Never run before God’s guidance. If there is the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt—don’t.

In the beginning you may see clearly what God’s will is—the severance of a friendship, the breaking off of a business relationship, something you feel distinctly before God is His will for you to do, never do it on the impulse of that feeling. If you do, you will end in making difficulties that will take years of time to put right. Wait for God’s time to bring it round and He will do it without any heartbreak or disappointment. When it is a question of the providential will of God, wait for God to move.”  January 4^th Why Cannot I Follow Thee Now?

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I encourage you to come up with a word, maybe a color, and a board for 2024. We hope to have an online sharing of vision boards later in the month.  Stay tuned for more details.  If you have a word or color for the year, share it with us!

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