Dear Believer,
A new year does not require more effort. It requires more wisdom.
Many of us begin the year with goals to reach, skills to acquire, habits to build, and areas to grow. These motivations are good. What often separates success from perceived failure is not desire, but an understanding of how habits are formed and how they are stacked.
The principle is simple
Begin with one habit, or at most two that naturally go together.
Focus your attention and energy on incorporating them consistently into your routine.
It may feel insignificant to give so much attention to small actions, but it is far wiser to succeed at two small habits than to fail at ten attempted at once. The former is wisdom, even though it is a wisdom we often know but rarely practise.
Many people experience discouragement because of unrealistic expectations. When those expectations are unmet, the result feels like failure, though the goal itself was never achievable. Much of this is a matter of perception
What we aim for
What we are able to carry
And how we judge ourselves
So try this instead.
Choose one goal or two actions that can be stacked together.
Stacked habits are actions that naturally follow one another in sequence, not scattered tasks requiring separate effort.
For example
- Journal opened → write one gratitude → write one prayer. Or
- Before sleep → silence phone → short prayer → deep breathing
One action becomes the cue for the next.
The brain thrives on sequence. It conserves energy and turns effort into routine. This is how habits form.
Incorporate one habit at a time until it no longer requires intentional thought.
Once it becomes natural, your mind is free to absorb the next habit. That is wisdom.
There are other approaches, and they may work for others.
In seasons where life demands much from us, let us remain aware of the load we are carrying. That awareness allows us to extend grace to ourselves when not everything is held perfectly.
The combination of unrealistic expectations and undue pressure produces unnecessary pain. It creates a sense of failure that was an error to begin with.
If you are carrying much, acknowledge it.
If you accomplish sixty or seventy percent of what you took on, that is strength.
Mark yourself accurately. Give yourself grace.
You are not weak for needing wisdom.
You are not failing because you are learning how to carry well.
You are growing.
Your body needs grace.
Your mind needs truth.
And God honors wisdom.
God bless you, and Happy New Year.
