20 Things You Must Not Do This Year - Part 2 by Pastor Mildred Kingsley-Okonkwo: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

20 Things You Must Not Do This Year — Part 2

11. Do not play with your health.

    Your health is like money — you don't appreciate it until you lose it. The only reason you're alive to pursue anything else is because you have a body, so take regular health checks, especially past forty, eat clean, and get at least thirty minutes of movement a day. You don't get to treat your body carelessly and still expect it to carry everything else you want to accomplish.

12. Do not dream small.

    Don't let circumstances talk your dreams down. Ephesians 3:20 — God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think. Whatever you believe you can achieve this year, trust that God's plans for it are even bigger — so keep pushing your dreams up, never down.

13. Do not be afraid.

    This will be a year of new experiences and things you don't fully understand yet — every time fear shows up, do it afraid rather than debating it into paralysis. The waters will never part if you don't step in first; take the first bold step and let clarity come as you move.

14. Do not make excuses.

    You can have excuses, or you can have progress — never both. Whatever the excuse, it isn't a good enough price to pay for your own future. Make up your mind to divorce excuses entirely, for the situation and for yourself.

15. Do not procrastinate.

    Don't even plan your procrastination by scheduling a "start date" months away instead of simply beginning. Planning to start is often just a more organized way of avoiding starting. Be disciplined — stop moving today's task onto tomorrow's list.

16. Do not stumble into the year without a plan.

    A plan without action steps is just a wish. Sit down and write out what you actually want to achieve this year — not just what you're hoping God does for you, but what you intend to do — then break each goal into concrete, practical steps: a savings goal needs a financial partner or plan, a reading goal needs a reading partner or a book budget, and so on.

17. Do not neglect the work.

    Having a plan means nothing without the discipline to execute it. Work harder than you think is required, and then let God's grace meet the effort — the people you admire in any field got there by working, not by shortcuts you haven't seen.

18. Do not postpone living.

    Today is the tomorrow you've been dreaming of. Seize the day — travel, wear the good clothes you've been saving, make new memories. This isn't a year to simply manage; it's a year to actually live.

19. Do not underestimate this year.

    Enter it expecting more than an ordinary year, believing for things you once thought impossible, and working as hard as you've ever worked. What you carry into this year in terms of expectation shapes what you're able to receive from it.

20. Do not die.

    Whatever else you do, take care of yourself so you're alive to receive everything ahead of you. There's no point planning a future you don't take basic care to be present for.