Many are thinking about the cold-hard fact and reality that in two days it will be Christmas. While special for all; and especially children all around the world, this time of year is a time of family, joy, peace and rebirth.
For people in the business world, Christmas will come and go much too quickly. However, the last week of the year, with the 26th falling on a Monday, it is a great time to set goals for the coming year. Christmas comes too fast, the New Year holiday comes to fast as well, and for many it will be back to work on January 2, 2017 or the 3rd if you are lucky enough.
Going back to the week before year-end, the time taken for reflection and goal-setting can be either stressful or refreshing. This is especially important if a part of your income is derived from commission. The salary is set; or hopefully has been at least adjusted for inflation, but the rest will fall on your efforts.
Successful people will make small goals daily, and project those goals out to weeks, months and quarters. The idea is certainly to have Q2 produce better results than Q1, and so forth, but we all know that there is a business-cycle. For some that may be that your biggest push will be in Q1 and others Q4, hopefully providing your business with an increase from the previous year, calculated on a year-over-year percentage-basis. It matters not if you are a small business with less than ten employees, or a massive conglomerate composed of many working parts and units, the goal and forecast-ed outcome remains the same.
I would like to think that everyone, worldwide, is offered a time of respite from the 24th to the January 2nd, but the reality is that most employees are not afforded that opportunity.
For Christians, this time of year is especially significant. We could not have Christmas without Christ. That God sent Jesus by way of a virgin birth, in the form of man, was paramount in this process. He bore the likeness of Christ, and spent thirty-three years in preparation for his mission; to die on a cross. No one before him was without sin, and certainly no one after from the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden will live blameless lives.
It then bears to reason that Christmas should be a time of forgiveness. An opportunity to mend relationships, offer forgiveness and move forward into the New Year with a clean slate. This is certainly a desire and wish for many, that manages to be lost, despite the best efforts from others; including family, first and foremost.
It is not that we have a lack of desire to forgive; but as I mentioned previously in the chapter on Atonement, in order to forgive, we must also forget.
Even as I write this morning, I am reminded of transgressions that I have committed, thoughts and actions that should not have taken form; or actions I wish I could take back, and certainly those that were committed entirely noticeable to the ones you love and cherish; and the resulting collateral damage that ensued. We all have them.
If we had been patient, they may not have. There would not have been actions, collateral damage, consequences, or offenses that we now regret, or at least have strong feelings that make us feel guilty. And guilt? Guilt is a powerful force. So is regret. And so is the pain; be it emotional, spiritual or even in some other form that only you can identify or "put your finger" on.
So this Christmas, I urge you to take the necessary time for considerate and thoughtful reflection. You may have to be patient; as I believe it is absolutely appropriate to ask God to reveal to you anything He wishes to lay on your heart that might be necessary to fix. Perhaps that relationship is with your boss. Family and Friends. Or someone entirely outside of the "normal" relationships that we want to care for each and every day. But as stated previously, take the time and be patient for God to answer before taking action.
You will be glad you did, and the atonement process in action; after asking in patience, and then delivering is patience, will be well in the rewards gained, by taking actions during this season; however you celebrate.
Merry Christmas!
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