Today is the second day of a new year.

2011 has taken a back seat to 365 days of new possibilities… Actually, 364.
It is, after all, the second day of the new year.

Since college I have given some thought to setting some goals for myself when the calendar turns from one year to the next. I find the first few days of January to be energizing and filled with hope. It’s a time to start over… to regroup… to be intentional about preparing for what may lie ahead.

For me I have always thought of a new year as a time to challenge myself, to push my boundaries a bit, and consider what my next steps should be to in order to keep growing.

Because at the end of 2012, I want to be able to say, “I’m different now…”
And I want that realization to be an affirmation of hard work and discipline, not a recognition of missed opportunities or a sign of regressing from past progress.

I think growth is the foundation of a life with Christ. The pursuit of it should always be at the top of our priorities. In many ways I believe that change is inevitable, but whether or not that change will represent growth or regression is up to us.

This year I’m seeking to be intentional about growth in four areas of my life.

Creativity
Leadership
Physical Health
Relational Intimacy

I know the last one sounds strange. I promise to explain. In fact, I’m going to write about each of these areas in the next few days.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear how you are taking stock of where you are right now as a new year begins, and in what areas of your life you feel God calling you to grow.

Here’s some questions to stir that reflection.

• How are you different today than you were 365 days ago?
• Has the change in your life been a step forward or a step back?
• What did you intentionally do this year that led to positive change in your life?
• What could you have done differently to steer clear of any negative change you experienced?
• What’s one thing you need to keep doing to maintain positive momentum?
• What’s one thing you need to stop doing to remove any barriers to future growth?
• In what areas of your life do you need to be intentional about growth in 2012?

Today I’m doing something that really scares me.
When I agreed to it several months ago it sounded like a great idea. In fact, if I’m totally honest, it was my idea! But as the date has gotten closer, I’ve grown a bit more anxious.

The nerves have kicked in a little… and the doubts that I will be able to do what I thought I could do are beginning to creep in as well.

I bet you know the feeling.

It’s that tension within that keeps you from stepping too far out in faith.
It’s that need for security that can sometimes paralyze you into complacency.
It’s that fear that keeps you from taking any substantial risks.

And I think for most of us, it’s those emotions that keep us stuck in the present, sometimes chained to the past, unable and unwilling to embrace a future story that might be different from the one we are currently living…

Do you ever feel afraid?
I do.

I wish I could avoid it.
I wish I could make it go away.
I wish I could will myself into a state of confidence and trust.

But I can’t, and what I’ve come to understand is that running and hiding doesn’t do much good either.

What I’m continuing to learn in my life is that when I get intimidated or anxious, the only real weapon I have it to press into further… to embrace the fear, to meet the challenge, and to accept whatever results may occur…

Because failing is better than being paralyzed by the fear.

If I fail, I have the chance to learn and grow and stretch myself even further.
If I flee, I’ve gained nothing. I’ve only allowed the voice of fear in my life to get a little bit stronger.

So today I am doing something that is for me a bit terrifying because I can’t stand the thought that fear would become the primary motivation of my life.

Do you ever feel afraid?
I do.
We all do.
And we all have the choice.

Do we face it or do we flee?

A few weeks ago I posted that I was reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. In that first post I wrote the following.

As I’ve read through the first half of the book, it’s striking to read how those closest to Jobs describe what a self-centered, petty, and narcissistic man he could sometimes be. I’m waiting for the great moment of redemption. Unfortunately, I’m not sure it’s waiting for me in the chapters that follow.

After finishing the book last weekend while I was in New York, I can say that my initial impression did not change substantially. Steve did seem to soften somewhat in the second half of his career which hinged on his return to Apple in 1996, but the great moment of redemption never seemed to come. Even near the end when the sickness was ravaging his body [and his cancer was much worse than any of us ever imagined] Steve remained distant in relationships and just as able to verbally wound those with whom he worked and shared his life.

Steve did lead Apple from the brink of destruction in 1999 when he became the interim CEO to becoming the most valuable company in America.No one can argue with his business success. And in Steve’s own words, that seems to be the yardstick by which he would have wanted us to measure his life.

Isaacson dedicated the last few pages in the book to Job’s own words. In that section, Job’s writes,

My passion has been to build an enduring company where people were motivated to make great products. Everything else was secondary.

Having read his biography I can say that this seemed to be the heartfelt intention of his life. Everything else truly was secondary.
In a sense, I found that to be terribly sad.

It led me to wonder if I were to make a similar statement, what would be the sentence that I would want to precede it?

What comes before everything else in my life?
What is it for you?

In case you missed it, here’s some pictures from our recent trip to New York

My wife and I are a few minutes away from boarding our flight bound for Newark airport. We hope to get into the city tonight to have dinner with a few other members of our team. If all goes according to plan, we will be in Times Square tonight.

Since July, I have run a little over 300 miles in preparation for my run through the streets of N York on Sunday.

I still can’t believe it’s here.

3 days, 12 hours, 17 minutes…

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