I guess it is Fall now. In Southern Louisiana it’s hard to tell. Although the green is thinning, it’s still hot enough that the high reaches 90 degrees some days. I can’t help but reflect on life and transitioning to a new season and new year. I am ready.
Ready for a change in season.
Fall for me represents many things:
– Getting my eating back on track in preparation for blowing it on the best eating holidays of the year.
– As nighttime comes earlier, I double down on healthy lifestyle habits like sleep and exercise to give me energy. Less hours of light in general creates a subliminal lethargy in me.
– I become much more introspective as I seek action plans to end the year strong and begin making plans for the year to come.
– And I begin planning for opportunities to spend more time with people, visit my kids, and begin the holiday rhythm and traditions.
In 2025, this has been another year of transitions. Most years are. This year, our daughter and her family moved back from North Carolina. We are excited about it. They are staying with us for a little while. It is a wonderful but déjà vu experience having an 11-year-old and a 2-year-old back in our home. Very excited for the opportunity, but a change nonetheless.
And we have our sixth grandchild on the way. He is due in January. Our family has grown exponentially the last couple of years.
And as a business owner with all the changes in the economy and politics, it has been a challenging year to think about where our niche is and position ourselves in a way to begin 2026 and have an even bigger, broader impact.
In the end, every Fall, I tend to follow the same path forward. I am pulled toward self-reflection and planning for the calendar year change ahead. I’ll share it with you and save you the $5.99 apps I have already explored.
Practical Steps You Can Try
1. Looking Back
I always like to look back at least at the past year. I review old journals and ask myself questions. Here are some exercises you may want to try:
– Make a T-chart on your page. One side plus and the other side minus. Start with January and jot down all the positives and negatives of the year. I like the added chronological order as trends may spring up.
– Look at the key areas of life—health, relationships, finances, school/work—and journal regarding where you feel you are right now in each area and why.
– Go back to the plans and goals you made last year at this time and write about your progress or rate it on your own subjective scale.
2. Reflect and Pray
Reflect and pray over the past year and where you are now in your life.
– Pray over this time of reflection and ask the Lord to reveal what He wants you to see. (Sometimes this changes things in the negative column to the positive – His measures are different than ours.)
3. Write/Journal
Write about your feelings and thoughts as you review your past year:
– Is your life heading in the direction that you would hope?
– Is your relationship with God close? Do you feel like you are listening and hearing His will and plans for your life?
– Are you heading in the right direction? Need to change course? Speed up or slow down?
– How are you? Emotionally, spiritually, physically and mentally?
– Do you feel stuck? Are you at home in your own skin?
– What is your stress level in your life right now?
When we reflect on where we are and how we feel about it, it helps us think about the future and what is next. Hopefully, it is just pressing on and fine-tuning our intentions in life because we are on the right path. When I read journals from years past, I laugh at how often I want to shake things up, because I actually like change, but after my season of reflection, I realize this is the path God set me on years ago. It is a path I have loved; tweaking it notwithstanding.
4. Course Correct or Stay the Course
This is where you have to be honest with yourself and listen for God. If you are like me, the world makes me antsy and looking for change. We always want bigger and better. We want to do more and have more. Heck, we want to feel more (more positive of course) and have more passion.
What I have realized in my walk with the Lord over the past decade is that when you are on God’s path and plan for your life, it is your best life. It may not look like the world would think is our best life, but we need to remember that His measurement is the only one that matters.
I wasn’t always on God’s path for my life. I had to course correct. It happened about 25 years ago. And yes, it was a dramatic change. But since then, even when I go through this process every year, it is the same path. When we finally find God’s will for our lives, it is everlasting. We may need to tweak and fine tune, but we stay the course.
I have done both.
Where are you? When you take some time to reflect and plan in this Fall season, what should the future hold for you?
I can promise one thing…
God has a plan for you.
Quick Reflection Checklist
1. What were your 3 biggest joys and 3 biggest challenges this year?
2. Which area of life needs the most attention: emotional, spiritual, physical, or relational?
3. What patterns—good or bad—have repeated throughout 2025?
4. Where do you feel God nudging you toward change?
5. What one boundary, habit, or commitment needs to shift?
6. Who do you need to talk to or ask for support from this month?
7. What does success look like to you heading into 2026?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What if I reflect and still feel stuck?
A: That’s common. Keep it simple: start with one question from above. Pray about it. Write a few thoughts. Don’t force it. Clarity often comes gradually.
Q: Can I reflect without journaling?
A: Absolutely. Try a voice note, a walk-and-think, or a chat with a trusted friend. The goal is connection, not perfection.
Q: What if I’m not sure I’m on God’s path?
A: Ask Him. He will answer. Sometimes gently through scripture or conversation, sometimes through a shift that redirects you. Keep asking.
Q: What if I want to make big changes?
A: Start small. God doesn’t require hustle, just obedience. Begin with a micro-step and see where it leads.
Explore More Resources
– Life by Design Program
– How Therapy Works
– Transitions Blog Category
– Christian Living Blog Category
