ending a year without losing heart
There is almost always a quiet fear that shows up as one year ends and another begins.
It’s the fear that whispers about what wasn’t accomplished.
The projects left unfinished.
The weight not lost.
The version of life we hoped would arrive by now but somehow didn’t.
Suddenly, the calendar flips and all of it is pushed in front of us, asking us to accept it… or fix it… or feel ashamed by it.
That kind of reflection can be grueling.
What I want to encourage you with is this:
Life is not a set of twelve-month report cards. It’s a lifetime.
It’s easy to be harsh with ourselves when we measure growth in one-year increments. But what if we zoomed out? What if instead of only asking, “What happened this year?” we asked, “Who am I becoming over time?”
Look back five years.
Notice the subtle shifts.
The quiet growth.
The resilience you didn’t have before.
Most real change happens so slowly we don’t recognize it while it’s happening.
As Dallas Willard once said:
“Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.”
The Myth of Fast Growth
From the time we are young, we are trained to receive report cards — grades for performance, progress measured by speed, success defined by visible results. Our culture pushes us to change quickly, improve rapidly, and keep up.
But that’s not how growth actually works.
Not all growth looks the same.
Not all people grow at the same pace.
Not all seasons are meant for visible progress.
Sometimes what feels like stagnation is actually strengthening.
Sometimes delay is doing deeper work.
Jesus often described growth using seeds, soil, seasons, and pruning — none of which can be rushed.
As Eugene Peterson wrote:
“There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue.”
Deep roots take time.
And deep roots matter more than fast fruit.
Preparing for the New Year (Practically)
Instead of approaching the new year with pressure or panic, consider a different posture:
1. Relax
You are not behind.
You are not late.
You are not failing at life.
Growth is not a race.
2. Name One Way You Are Growing
Just one.
Emotionally. Spiritually. Relationally. Physically.
Small growth is still growth.
3. Create an Ecosystem for Long-Term Growth
Instead of rigid goals, ask:
What habits support the person I want to become?
What relationships nourish me?
What rhythms help me stay grounded?
Healthy environments produce healthy growth.
4. Set Gentle Checkpoints
Not to judge yourself — but to listen.
Moments to pause, reflect, and redirect when needed.
As Annie Dillard wisely said:
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
Keep Taking the Next Small Step
At the end of the day, transformation rarely comes through dramatic leaps.
It comes through slow, consistent steps forward.
Faithful steps.
Honest steps.
Sometimes quiet steps.
So don’t lose hope or vision just because the calendar turns.
You are still becoming.
You are still growing.
And the story God is writing in you is measured in faithfulness — not months.
One step at a time is enough.
It’s the fear that whispers about what wasn’t accomplished.
The projects left unfinished.
The weight not lost.
The version of life we hoped would arrive by now but somehow didn’t.
Suddenly, the calendar flips and all of it is pushed in front of us, asking us to accept it… or fix it… or feel ashamed by it.
That kind of reflection can be grueling.
What I want to encourage you with is this:
Life is not a set of twelve-month report cards. It’s a lifetime.
It’s easy to be harsh with ourselves when we measure growth in one-year increments. But what if we zoomed out? What if instead of only asking, “What happened this year?” we asked, “Who am I becoming over time?”
Look back five years.
Notice the subtle shifts.
The quiet growth.
The resilience you didn’t have before.
Most real change happens so slowly we don’t recognize it while it’s happening.
As Dallas Willard once said:
“Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.”
The Myth of Fast Growth
From the time we are young, we are trained to receive report cards — grades for performance, progress measured by speed, success defined by visible results. Our culture pushes us to change quickly, improve rapidly, and keep up.
But that’s not how growth actually works.
Not all growth looks the same.
Not all people grow at the same pace.
Not all seasons are meant for visible progress.
Sometimes what feels like stagnation is actually strengthening.
Sometimes delay is doing deeper work.
Jesus often described growth using seeds, soil, seasons, and pruning — none of which can be rushed.
As Eugene Peterson wrote:
“There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue.”
Deep roots take time.
And deep roots matter more than fast fruit.
Preparing for the New Year (Practically)
Instead of approaching the new year with pressure or panic, consider a different posture:
1. Relax
You are not behind.
You are not late.
You are not failing at life.
Growth is not a race.
2. Name One Way You Are Growing
Just one.
Emotionally. Spiritually. Relationally. Physically.
Small growth is still growth.
3. Create an Ecosystem for Long-Term Growth
Instead of rigid goals, ask:
What habits support the person I want to become?
What relationships nourish me?
What rhythms help me stay grounded?
Healthy environments produce healthy growth.
4. Set Gentle Checkpoints
Not to judge yourself — but to listen.
Moments to pause, reflect, and redirect when needed.
As Annie Dillard wisely said:
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
Keep Taking the Next Small Step
At the end of the day, transformation rarely comes through dramatic leaps.
It comes through slow, consistent steps forward.
Faithful steps.
Honest steps.
Sometimes quiet steps.
So don’t lose hope or vision just because the calendar turns.
You are still becoming.
You are still growing.
And the story God is writing in you is measured in faithfulness — not months.
One step at a time is enough.
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