The Publishing and Marketing Department of the Bible Society of India conducted the Annual Planning Workshop 2021 for all the Auxiliaries and Central office for planning and reviewing the Scripture publishing, printing and distribution. The Annual Planning workshop was conducted from 20-24 September 2021 and UBS Publishers Institute was held on 28 & 29 September 2021 virtually under the theme ‘MEET THE MOMENT AND BUILD THE FUTURE’
The Auxiliary Secretaries and Marketing staff of 17 Auxiliaries participated in these events. The key note address was delivered by The General Secretary Rev. Dr. M. Mani Chacko.
The following is the brief summary of the address.
Planning for the future, while living in the present, is a challenge. How do you simultaneously plan ahead and be in the moment? If you don’t have a deliberate plan, you are not likely to move in the right direction, or to create the life you want to live.
You need to live in the present, because that is what brings you peace, gratitude, and happiness. If you’re constantly depressed about the past, or anxious about the future, you’ll miss your life happening right in front of you.
How do you plan for the future while living in the present?
While different approaches will work for different people, there are some best practices to follow that can help you be present in the moment and working towards a bigger, brighter future.
- AWARENESS OF SELF
Being self-aware is a key to creating any change in your life, and it can help immensely when you are trying to balance the future with the present.
Psychologists point out that there are two selves in human. They talk about a “future-self” and a “present-self,” almost as if they were two different people, and about how important it was to give both of those “selves” a voice.
- SETTING SMART GOALS
One of the best actions you can take is to set SMART goals. Goal-setting is very much a plan-for-the-future activity, but making sure your goals are SMART allows you to balance that future plan with your present life.
A SMART goal is a goal that is designed to maximize your chances of success. SMART goals are:
Specific: clearly defines the goal and your desired outcomes
Measurable: allows you to track your progress and know when you’ve succeeded
Achievable: realistic; something you can actually do
Relevant: falls in-line with your overall vision for your life
Time-based: includes a deadline to help you stay on track
Why does following the SMART framework allow you to live in the present while planning for the future?
When you have a SMART specific goal, that you know you can reach, and that applies to your life, you have realistic expectations that help you be confident in your plans.
Basically, taking the time to frame your goals as SMART goals will not only get you where you want to go, but it will also allow you to live your life as you get there.
- CREATE ACTION PLANS
Along these same lines, deliberately-designed, action plans can help merge your future and present selves. What action could you take today that will keep you in-the-moment while also satisfying your need to “create happiness” in your future?
If you know where you want to go, you can get there—no matter where you are currently. You will not simply be living for the moment: you will be proactively moving in the right direction. This is the balance we are all looking for.
- TRACK YOUR LEARNING
Vernon Howard states “Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn, and you will. Life presents us with lessons every day. Some of these lessons are so profound that they bowl us over. Others are so nuanced that we can barely recognize them.”
When you look out for learning opportunities, you are balancing present awareness with future benefit. Recognizing and applying these lessons to the future helps you in simultaneously live in the present while planning for the future.
- CONTROL YOUR THOUGHTS
Your thoughts shape your reality. Every thought you have manifests itself in some way. Thoughts can inspire goodness and positive change, or can end up leading us down unproductive or even harmful paths.
Thoughts are undoubtedly powerful, but there is something even more powerful, that is YOU. You have control over your thoughts. You will have to learn to think thoughts that lead you to actions that serve both your present and your future selves. Your past and your future are not mutually exclusive when it comes to focus. Claim them both, live them both.
The General Secretary concluded his Key Note address saying “We need to ‘Meet the Present and Build the Future’. These reflections apply to an organization like Bible Society of India as we plan for the future. The present Moment has to be met and along with Meeting the Moment, we need to Build the Future.”
There were sessions from the Publishing & Marketing department, CRRM department and Media & Special Audience Department highlighting the performances, plans and strategies.
17 Auxiliaries presented their 2020-21 performance and their future plans of distribution.
The UBS Publishers Institute was conducted by Dr. Barine Kirimi and Rev Arun Sok Knop. The participants were benefited by the inputs shared by these experts on various aspects of Bible Publishing and Distribution.
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