This Year, I’m Starting With Prayer, Not Pressure

Here I go again, writing my New Year’s resolutions.

I’ve done this every year. I start strong, motivated, hopeful. But after two weeks, maybe a month if I’m being honest, the momentum fades. The goals slowly die down, and I’m left wondering why it feels so hard to sustain change.

This year, something finally clicked.

New Year’s resolutions don’t work for me.

And that realization didn’t come with shame. It came with relief.

I admire people who can map out goals and stick to them with discipline and consistency. Truly. But for me, it has always felt like trying to push a camel through the eye of a needle. No matter how sincere my intentions are, I can’t seem to do it alone.

And maybe that’s the point.

Real change does not come from willpower alone. It comes with God’s help.

So this year, I’m not making resolutions. That doesn’t mean I don’t have goals. It just means I’m choosing a different path. One that doesn’t demand perfection, but invites faithfulness.

This year, I want change to happen little by little. Day by day. With God’s guidance, not my own pressure.

That’s why I’m starting this year with prayer and fasting. Praying that 2026 will be pleasing to God. Praying that my life will be a blessing to others. Praying that I would live differently, love deeper, and walk more faithfully with Him.

I’ve learned this truth the hard way.Change apart from Christ will never last.

Our victory comes from God. And without Him, it’s so easy to give up. We all need a greater reason than self improvement. We need transformation that begins in the heart.

So here’s what I’m choosing to focus on this year:

1. Read the Bible. Knowing God means knowing His heart, and knowing His heart helps me understand my purpose.

   
   

2. Pray daily. Pray for strength. Pray for guidance. Pray that His will would matter more to me than my own.

   
   

3. Don’t return to old ways. When life gets hard, it’s easy to fall back into familiar patterns. Instead, I want to turn to God and find encouragement in Him.

   
   

4. Plan with grace. I will make plans, but they don’t have to be perfect. I will take small steps and invite God into every change.

   
   

This year, I’m not chasing a better version of myself.I’m walking with God and trusting Him to do the changing.

Little by little. Day by day.