Are you ready for a healthy dose of transparency?

I spent more of 2016 behind than ahead.

The undones outweighed the dones.

Consequently, I personally felt undone!

The dealio is this. I used to consider myself stinkin’ organized. Ironically, the more I write and speak about Doing Ahead the more behind I get!

This epiphany is coming to me while my knees are experiencing lock-jaw. (I didn’t know knees could do that.) Seven hours in to a nine-hour flight attest to the fact that knees can become stuck.

I and about 300 souls are sitting in an orderly fashion. We’re following the rules, buckling and unbuckling when directed. We’re keeping our tootsies pulled in from the aisle. Chatter is limited and lights are dimmed- a courtesy to surrounding guests.

I should like this.

I like order.

But barking knees reveal I must balance my love of order with the need for movement.

Of course, if I had my way life’s “movement” would be well choreographed. Each step would be planned and pretty.

But movement in life can get messy. It doesn’t always look like “Singin’ In the Rain”.

My umbrella misses the memo and gets stuck during the down pour. No singing here.

If it’s not a malfunctioning umbrella its dance partners that are two steps ahead (or two steps behind).  Either way, someone’s toes get stepped on.

Many days the choreography doesn’t play itself out like I think it should.

Relationships, finances, dreams and aspirations have a funny way of not cooperating. The vision of “what’s supposed to be” gets spliced. Before I know it, it’s not even in the picture. It’s landed in a heap of garbage on the editors floor.

My locked knees and forced sedentary position find me glancing over my shoulder at last years many undones. But here’s where it gets funny. I fully anticipated that my retrieved images of fails, blunders, and near misses would leave me disappointed.

Instead, I began to smile.

Smile?

Really?

When it was happening I didn’t smile.  At the time all I could see was *mess*.

This pic does NO justice to what actually occurred.

I walked away from the coffee grinder.

I turned to find a nuclear explosion of grounds.

They went from one end of the kitchen to the other.

It took thirty minutes to “un-knot” clothes that had been in the dryer.

#HowDoesThatEvenHappen

#AMonsterLivesInMyMachine

Tiramisu Failure.

There was so much rum in it we needed designated drivers for the guests.

I was ready to pitch a book idea to a publisher.

 I had ideas on helping women feel less overwhelmed.

Moments prior to the meeting I discover I have a MAJOR run in my pantyhose.

Now I also have:

Sweat on my lip.

A knot in my stomach.

I am totally overwhelmed. *good grief*

After 10 days of conferences and retreats I’m finally home.

Day one: I catch up on laundry and email.

Day two: I step outside and jump in my car to run errands only to remember I never brought my car home.

From the airport.

Seventy miles away.

This is just a TINY smattering of last years Undones.

I repeat, when I was experiencing them none of them were fun. At best they were annoying, at worst depressing.

But today I look back at the crazies and see a chaotic, wonderful life.

I’m realizing——–

Undones are as important to life as DoAheads.

The plans and purposes that fell into place, the completed tasks that moved me closer to accomplishing a long term goal…they were terrific DoAheads. I thank God for those moments of victory and satisfaction.

But the behinds, the messes and Undones, were good. More than good. They were down-right necessary.

• They lent balance to life.
• They generated patience.
• They created compassion.
• They fostered appreciation. (Especially for when a DoAhead could actually be implemented!)

More than anything they reminded me——–

Ecclesiastes calls it “a time for everything.”

My mother would call it balance.

I’ll call it a gift.

When the rich texture of Undones are woven in and through the fibers of DoAheads our days become colorful and lively.

More importantly, Undones are the tools that carve us into the best possible version of who we were meant to be.

I hope you’ll join me, as we take our first steps into a New Year, and see our Undones from 2016 with fresh perspective.

May they serve a springboard for more…

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-control.

And one more——–

More brave.

I want more courage and less fear in my life. Undones teach me not to fear failure or be bullied into anything less than grace for myself or others. Which leads me to a great Give-Away!

My friend, Kelly Balarie, recently released a terrific book called Fear Fighting. I read it during the holiday season and loved it. I promise you will too!

If you already subscribe to DoAhead you’re in! If not, go to the home page where you can connect via weekly posts, the FREE quarterly cookbook, or both. (Link below.)

Link to Home Page.

Done?

Than BAM!

Your name is in the kitty! I’ll announce the winner in the next two weeks (before Valentines!)

In the meantime, check out Saturday’s Did-It-Minute over at DoAhead Woman’s FB page. We’ve also got Morning Manna and inspirational quotes on Instagram and Twitter. We’re here to help DoAhead AND keep perspective for the days that are Undone!

Your DoAhead Friend,

Cindy