A New Year’s Resolution That Changed My Life
It’s January 1st, and I’m looking over the January prompts, and looking forward to all the stories there are to share (and hopefully read from others). The first prompt on the list is about a New Year’s resolution that changed my life, and I sat here for awhile thinking on that. I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. They feel too rigid, like a to-do list that’s bound to be forgotten by February. Instead, I’ve adopted a gentler approach: each year, I choose a focus word or phrase and set a few goals around it.
Last year, my word for the year was abundance. I envisioned it as a season of opening myself up—to new opportunities, deeper faith, richer relationships, and even financial growth. The word felt so hopeful, so full of possibility, and I couldn’t wait to see what the year would bring.
But life doesn’t always unfold the way we plan.
By mid-March, I found myself in more of a place of fear – a mix of overwhelm, uncertainty, and self-doubt. It crept into every part of my life, leaving me paralyzed. I lost sight of abundance and felt consumed by scarcity instead. I started to question everything: my abilities, my path, even my decision to focus on abundance in the first place.
For several weeks (months?), I wrestled with this fear, trying to find my footing again. I didn’t feel abundant; I felt stuck. But here’s the thing about choosing a focus word: it doesn’t demand perfection. It simply invites you to grow.
Looking back now, I realize that abundance showed up in ways I didn’t expect. It wasn’t always about receiving more; sometimes, it was about letting go. Letting go of fear. Letting go of the need to control everything. Letting go of the idea that abundance means always having it all together.
Even in the hardest moments, there were glimpses of abundance:
- A supportive conversation with a friend when I needed it most.
- A reminder of God’s faithfulness when I felt lost and afraid
- Financial help that continued, month after month, even when I wanted to be “making it work on my own”
- Small victories that didn’t feel like much at the time but added up to meaningful progress.
And somewhere around August, I began to feel “unstuck”. The overwhelm turned into excitement and hope. I began to see what was next in my journey, and as I took steps, the snowball started rolling. The new opportunities, deeper faith, richer relationships, and even financial growth all became a reality, and in ways I could never have imagined.
As I look ahead to this year, I haven’t chosen my new focus word yet, but I’m leaning toward something gentle, something that gives me room to breathe and grow without fear. And I’m learning to embrace the imperfect, unpredictable nature of this journey. And ultimately, I realize that 2024 was filled with every kind of abundance, and I’m ready for more!
Here’s to a new year filled with grace, hope, and less fear.
