A Different Way to Begin the Year

Every January, I feel the same tension — a quiet pressure to decide, commit, and get it right before the year begins. To hustle into the new year with a perfectly planned list of goals.

Words like discipline, consistency, and success get louder, while patience, discernment, and wisdom get crowded out. The new year is hustle culture’s time to shine. And if I’m honest, I’ve spent more than one New Year feeling like I was already behind before the month was even over.

Over time, I’ve learned that the problem isn’t always a lack of desire or effort. The problem is the way we’re taught to approach change.

But, here’s the thing:

Lasting change doesn’t come from applying more pressure. It comes from alignment.

When we push ourselves to overhaul everything in our lives at once, our nervous system perceives a threat instead of a path to transformation. We tighten. We strive. And eventually, we burn out or give up — not because we’re incapable, but because that high-pressure, try-harder approach isn’t sustainable.

The biggest difference maker for me? Learning to ask better questions. Questions like:

• What actually matters in this season?

• Where is God inviting me to pay attention?

• What kind of pace supports longevity, not just productivity?

These questions changed everything for me. So I did some writing about this over at The Purpose Project — unpacking why traditional New Year’s resolutions fall apart, and what works better instead (from both a brain-based and faith-centered perspective).

You can read the full post here:

Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work — and What to Do Instead

As you begin the year, my hope is that you feel less pressure to reinvent yourself, and more freedom to listen, discern, and move forward with intention.

You’re allowed to go at your own pace. Take a breath. Start slow. Be brave.