Exposition
One of the critical steps to a successful life is to plan. However, for effective planning, there should be a careful assessment of the situation prior to planning. Ensuring a good and pragmatic assessment will reveal the details of a given situation to inform the elements necessary for planning. In preparation for the coming year, you need to carefully look back and ask this simple but important self-assessment question: ‘How well have I done in 2023?’
Reflecting on how well you did in the various spheres of life such as your academics, profession, spirituality, relationship, finances and any other relevant aspect will help shape how you close the current year and plan for the coming year. Thus, writing to the Galatians, Paul admonished them not to deceive themselves, thinking they had achieved something when they had not. For certainty, one should test his works before taking pride in anything. By this, you should carefully scrutinize, examine and assess your conduct and your performance in 2023. Then you can have the personal satisfaction and joy of doing something commendable or otherwise.
The absence of a diligent self-assessment may lead to vainglory and conceitedness and may blind you from the true picture of what has or has not been achieved. It is important for you to painstakingly pause for a moment, reflect and identify which of your plans for 2023 have been implemented and which objectives and aspirations have been achieved. Doing the self-assessment diligently will help you to focus and prioritize for the coming year. Note that, without careful scrutiny and examination of one’s life, there may be empty boastings without concrete results. The importance of self-assessment is even identified in an attempt to partake in the Lord’s Supper when Paul asks the Corinthian Christians to self-examine themselves before taking the bread and the wine. This shows how essential it is to assess oneself.
From the discussion above, it is imperative that you devote some time today to examine how your year has been so far. Practically, list items that went well and those that did not go well. Pray over the process and trust God to help you plan well for the coming year.