The word “curator” has a couple of interesting meanings. One on hand, the one we’re most familiar with, it is used to describe the person who cares for the artifacts in a museum. The museum curator carefully selects valuable pieces to showcase and share, and takes special care to protect that value. On the other hand, in a ministerial sense, the word curator is applied to those who are the caretakers of people.

And so as you come to end of 2013, I challenge you to be the curator of your year – to carefully examine its value. Pull out the most valuable pieces, polish them well, and put them in an environment where they can shine even brighter next year. And as for those pieces that you realize are NOT worth keeping, well, it may be time to let them go. Give yourself permission, learn from those experiences, and become the wiser for it. Be the curator of your year…and the curator of yourself in this sense as well.

I challenge you to listen to this short podcast and then reflect…and write down your answers to these questions. I believe, like me, you will find this to be a very valuable exercise.

• What were the 3 highlights of 2013 for you?
• Who was the most interesting person you met this year and why?
• Who do you need to call and thank for this year?
• Who did you impact this year and how?
• What was your biggest area of growth this year?
• What was the most significant shift in your thinking this year?
• Where did you have the best result this year?
• What energized you the most this year?
• How can you be better next year?
• Who do you want to build a better relationship with next year?
• What is your growth plan for next year?
• If time, money, connections, and other resources were all at your disposal, what would you want in the coming year?

May 2014 be a treasured year for you!