Last week we talked about doing a Year End Review. Now I want to discuss starting over. Most of us under 40 have grown up with a warped sense of what starting over looks like. Most of our perception of starting over is tied to our video game lives. We think starting over simply means hitting a button and beginning a new game. If we don't like the way we are playing, and our score isn't what we want, we simply just start over.

Starting over means something for each of us. Regardless, I feel like the start of a new year is in some ways a place to start over. Obviously it is not as simple as a video game and just hitting the play button again, but a New Year for me always gets me excited again.

Here are a few points on how to "start over" this week as we start this new year:

1. Tie up loose ends. Begin here. There are probably several outstanding things you haven't taken care of yet from last year. Go ahead and finish those this week.

2. Assess- take a look at where you are. Are you happy with where you are? Do you need to make some changes? The best time to make changes is now, when there is precedence for change because of the start of a new year.

3. Plan. Be intentional about putting together a plan and strategy for this next year. This is a tactical plan. Focused on what you are going to do.

4. Create an "inner circle." Find 3-4 friends and mentors who will serve as your personal board of directors. If you've never done this, start with a smaller group. Then if you want to add more people over time, that is fine.

5. Futurize- just made up this word. The idea being you should dream and think and pray about where you want to be in 5-10 years. Stay within reality, but allow yourself to move into the area of "if I could do anything in the next season of my life, what would it be?" Spend time praying and seeking the Lord about some of the dreams and ideas that are within you. Then start to act on it.