How I'm Going to Own 2020
I’m re-reading this post in the fall of 2022, and it’s hilarious. I’m not changing a thing. I was so optimistic about 2020!
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Something about diving headlong into the New Year always gets me a little spendy. Maybe it’s the pocketful of Christmas money or it could be the excitement of starting fresh with something new and shiny, but I always want to buy all the things come New Year. There a few things I’ll almost always refresh my stock of during this little week between Christmas and New Years, however. Here’s my list and why they’re important to me.
1 - A New Journal (or 2 or 3)
This is a great time to start fresh with a new journal. Those crisp, clean pages just beg productivity. I use a few different types of journal for a few different things.
My Spiritual Journey. I call these my spiritual journey journals. This is where I journal for my quiet times and Bible study. Everything I see in Scripture or hear from the Lord goes into one of these. It’s also about legacy: something for my children and family to keep and look through after I’m gone. I want them to be nice and built to last, for that reason, I use the Gallery Leather Desk Journal and have for a few years now.
My Productivity Journey. When it comes to plotting out long projects and collecting ideas, like when I’m preparing to write a book, a journal that is built for the task is invaluable. I turn to the Leuchtturm 1917 for this. With built in page numbers, table of contents, and dot grid, it’s a workhorse of a journal designed for productivity and effective brainstorming. I nerd out on these.
Scraps, to-dos, and scribbles. Sometimes you just need disposable pieces of paper that you can keep handy. Anything from grocery lists to phone numbers and to-dos, these handy pocket journals make it easy to never miss a thought. I’ll call these my triage journals because they’re often where ideas land before I can do something with them. This 5 pack for under $10 is perfect.
2 - Tools for the Tool Belt
What’s a shiny new journal without a shiny new pen? I use two main pens for my journaling, for two very specific reasons. The good news? They’re both pretty cheap and easy to get ahold of.
First, for productivity journaling and anything where I might need to scribble notes into a margin or otherwise markup something I’ve written (with arrows, underlines, circles, etc) I use the Uniball Signo 207 ultra-micro point. With a 0.38mm point, these things a tiny! They make journaling and taking notes really clean and uncluttered, but still a great writing experience.
Second, for anything long-form, like my Spiritual Journey journals, I use a Pilot Precise V5 with a 0.5mm point. Still a very fine point so I can write with precision (as the name implies) but with smoother, bolder ink, these pens glide across the paper and make for a really smooth write.
3 - A New Bible
I’m a Bible addict. Which is a good thing, right? I love collecting new Bibles and different study versions or styles. My bookshelves may be groaning under the extra weight, but we have so much access to the Word, I can’t help but take advantage of it.
There’s also something special about having a brand new Bible to crack open and dive into. Sometimes those fresh pages may be exactly what you need to rejuvenate your quiet times for the new year. My current favorite and daily reading Bible is an ESV Thompson Chain Reference Bible. The Thompson Chain system is an incredible resource for finding common threads throughout Scripture and really digging in to see all the intricate ways God has structured, well, everything. For topical studying, there is simply nothing better.
Unfortunately, it looks like the ESV Thompson Chain is currently out of stock. Another really neat study Bible I have is the Reformation Study Bible, that has plenty of insets that explore the history of the Protestant Reformation and some of the passages that led the revolution that, in many ways, paved the way for the Baptist faith we know today.
4 - New Books
I feel like just about everyone starts the New Year with bold new reading goals. It’s a great goal to have, for sure. Here are two books I’d highly recommend putting at the top of your reading list for 2020:
I had the pleasure of being a part of the launch and release team for this book (which is a fancy way of saying I got to read it early and help build the hype train) and even though it was a couple of years ago now, this book still excites me. It’s all about learning to finish what you start and set goals that are designed to be met. Jon worked with PhDs to study how people get things done and how the brain processes goals and this book is the result. If you’re looking to set any good goals for 2020, you absolutely have to start with this book. It’s a quick and easy read, because Jon is excellent at breaking concepts down to easy-to-digest morsels. Seriously, read it.
Yes, this is a shameless plug. But I truly believe Scripture memory is one of the most important things we can do. When better to start that habit than with the start of a New Year? The best part: you can read the eBook of Word in Heart completely free. If you’re interested in the paperback for yourself or as a gift, you can grab that here at Amazon as well.
Start the New Year by mastering the disciplines that matter most.
What are some things you do to get the most out of your year?
