This is the (Joy)Cap, where I share a reflection or lesson and a roundup of links, recommendations, and everything that’s bringing me joy, inviting you to do the same. Think of this as a weekly coffee date with my close friends. ☕️💕🫶🏾 Join me on a joy hunt and start receiving the (Joy)Cap by subscribing today! ✨
Happy New Year, friends!
I am excited to be back in your inboxes after a few weeks off. Minus getting sick the day after Christmas, the holidays were great. The kids and I had a chance to do some fun crafts, and I was able to enjoy time with my husband while he was off. I also got a chance to have as close to a high school/college break as I could — resting, reading, crafting, and planning for the New Year.
For the first time in a long time, I feel good entering the New Year, not because everything feels good necessarily. While I love the New Year and the fresh start it brings, we can’t reset everything, or at least not everything at once. Much of our life and its current state gets carried into the new calendar year, and I’ve stopped making new year declarations like “x is going to be my year” long ago, humbly surrendering the year and what it can hold to God. However, this year, I’ve felt a renewed sense of hope — not in my goals or what I can accomplish, but in what God can do. That feels like progress for me, because at times I can slip into a pessimistic view of my life and situation.
For me, I have to make it an intention to remind myself that one season is not my story. Life will not always be as it currently is. One thing that I’ve been finding encouragement in is that God is a sudden God, meaning that at any moment, He can move. He can take things and turn them around to work in your favor and for His glory.
This perspective shift encourages and motivates me to approach each day in expectation and anticipation of the Lord and what He will do. Just as the watchman waits for the morning, I wait and put my hope in the Lord (Psalm 130:5-6), and I’m looking forward to all that He’s going to do in this new year.
Solo Saturday date. Knowing that I wanted a fresh cinnamon roll from our local donut shop, I planned a solo date on Saturday. Turns out they were sold out of everything, but I got to enjoy some always needed time to myself.
New Year’s Family Dinner. Since my husband had to work on actual New Year’s we had our New Year’s dinner on Saturday. I did some slow cooked ribs, broccoli, and mac n cheese, testing out this new recipe, and it was a hit.
Creative journaling. While on break, I got the urge to glue my festive coffee sleeve in a blank paged notebook, and I haven’t looked back. The break broke out the crafty girl that was hidden in me, and I’ve been loving pairing art on a page alongside my words.
First Sunday back at church. Our church did church at home the week after Christmas, so it was nice being back in the building to pray and kick off the New Year.
Coloring with the kids. The other day, I sat down to color with the kids while dinner finished cooking. Usually, I try to maximize my small pockets of time, by cleaning, putting away laundry, or doing whatever else needs to be done, but seeing the joy on my son’s face when I sat down made me want to make this a regular activity and connection point.
On Establishing New Habits & Routines
At our core, we want to do the things that matter most — the things that make a difference both here on earth and in eternity. One of the ways that we can number and make the most of our days is through habits and routines. In this post, I shared a guided coaching exercise designed to help you create intentional and life-giving rhythms for the New Year.
Reading 📖 I am slowly making my way through Mindset1 by Carol Dweck. I like to read this when I have time to sit down and take notes. I am also finishing up my last book from Christmas, My Merry Mistake by Courtney Walsh.
Playing 🎧
A great listen if you’re into brain science and psychology. As an I/O psychologist by trade, I appreciated all of the cognitive science-based research shared and practical tips. I was listening while cleaning but planning to re-listen when I can sit down and take notes.
Recommending 📝 Stacking your new habits into your old routines. Now that I’ve picked up a few new hobbies, I wanted to actually make space for them. With limited time in my day, I decided that outside of spare pockets of time, the best time for me to incorporate them in my day is my evening routine. So right after I do my skincare and tea, I’ll carve out 15-20 minutes for the hobby I want to focus on before ending my night with reading and prayer. Not only has this helped me create consistency, but it’s been a great way to ease my mind and unwind at night.
I know that a lot of us want to capitalize on this New Year energy, but release the pressure to immediately transform your life. A life of meaning, purpose, and intentionality has to be sustainable. True change doesn’t happen immediately but slowly, as we trust God’s plan to unfold. So if you find yourself trying to frantically implement your goals and routines and radically force transformation, take a step back and take a deep breath. This is not a race; we’re moving at our own pace, at a rate that is in step with God’s sovereignty and plan. And if we trust in it, we can release the pressure. You don’t have to have your goals set, routines in place, or life together to have a good January or year. Take your time and follow the Lord’s lead, allowing Him to ease you into His purpose and plan for the year.
Grace As You Go 🕊️
While the New Year may carryover a portion of what the old year had, you can find hope, not in your goals, vision board, or plans, but in the promises of God. All of His promises are yes and amen, over your year, yes, but the rest of your life.
“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” — Psalm 138:8 (NKJV)
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