Choosing Perspective Over Promises This New Year

Have you ever seriously looked forward to the New Year? I see so many posts on social media at this time of year saying,

• "January 1st can't come soon enough."

• "So ready for the New Year to start. This year was awful."

• "If all you did this year was survive, that's ok. Next year will be better."

And my all-time favorite... (note the sarcasm)

• "Prophesy that next year is YOUR year! Speak it into existence. God will fulfill all His promises next year!"

If I'm being really honest, this year was tough. It challenged my faith in ways I didn't know possible. I was brought to my knees in prayer and surrender more than once. I experienced new levels of fear, grief, and pain, and if you know my story, you know that I've had my fair share of this already.

And yet, I'm not going into the next year expecting miracles or expecting God to fulfill a promise that I believe He still needs to dole out. I'm going into the next year expecting to be challenged again. Expecting my faith to be put to the test once again.

Now, you may be thinking, "How pessimistic! If you go into the New Year expecting bad things to happen, then they will!"

Here's the reality of that statement, and the statement above expecting good things to happen. The New Year is going to come. I'm going to experience incredible blessings and incredible hardships. Both have happened every year of my life! How I choose to face them will determine my mindset at the end of the year.

My mindset of this past year is this: I can't believe I made it through this year and I'm grateful for the lessons I learned. I think challenges and hardship have a unique way of re-focusing your priorities. It's sad, but many humans need a shock to shift their priorities - to remember what they truly value in life.

Instead of wishing something happens this year that shocks you into shifting your priorities, why not make it a goal? In the spirit of New Year's Resolutions, rather than making one that outlines steps to run a 5k or accomplish a specific fitness goal, why not make a mindset goal?

Here are some examples including the goal and some tangible steps to achieve that goal.

• "I want to feel more gratitude."

  • When your head hits the pillow at night, list off 3 things you were grateful for that day.

  • Keep a gratitude journal and write down things you're grateful for on a daily basis. Challenge yourself to write one new thing every day.

• "I want to be more joyful."

  • When you enter a room, pause and notice something pleasant (sight, sound, smell).

  • Enlist others to help with this goal and tell them to kindly point out when you're complaining.

• "I want to take better care of my mind and mental health."

  • Get into a habit of spending 5 minutes every day doing deep breathing. Set a timer and try to do it at the same time every day.

  • If you work best with support, a therapist or life coach can be a helpful place to start.

• "I want to spend more time with my family."

  • Schedule dates for the entire year! Perhaps a weekly dinner date with your spouse, or designated family night at home.

  • Turn your phone off at a certain time every day and have a screen-free day once a week. You'd be amazed at how this can help you remain present.

New Year's resolutions can be simple. Be realistic about what you can achieve. If the year doesn't go as planned or you face challenges, it doesn't have to define your entire year. It's okay to acknowledge difficulties, but also focus on the small wins and joyful moments.

When writing your goals, use pen and paper, as research shows this helps with retention. Also, reflect on the past year by listing disappointments alongside blessings. I suggest keeping the list of complaints or hardships smaller than the list of blessings. While it's challenging, focusing on blessings will positively influence your mindset as you reflect on 2025.

One last idea for you... put your reflection from this year into a sealed envelope and open it next year. Maybe include the goals you have laid out for this next year on the paper too. As you read this next year you will have a completely different perspective on your hardships and blessings.

If all you do next year is keep showing up, keep learning, and keep choosing perspective over panic, that matters. And when you look back, whether in twelve months or years from now, you may realize that the year didn’t break you or define you, but quietly shaped you into someone stronger, wiser, and more anchored than before.