Dear Friends,

I was standing in Starbucks the other day, waiting on my coffee (because all life revelations happen between ordering and foam), when I overheard a group of ladies talking about their New Year’s resolutions.

One lady said, “I’m out. New Year’s resolutions never work for me, so what’s the point?”

Well – at least she is self-aware.

Another said, “I want to lose 50 pounds by my birthday.”

I immediately started doing mental math and whispering prayers. Lord, please don’t let her birthday be in March.

Then the third lady went full overachiever mode and said, “I want to work out five days a week, get a raise, and pay off all my debt this year.”

Ma’am… calm down. This is a Starbucks, not a life audit.

By the time my name was called (misspelled, obviously), I realized I hadn’t thought about my New Year’s resolution at all. So instead of making some dramatic declarations fueled by caffeine and delusion, I decided to look back at my year.

Let’s start with my losses, because growth requires honesty:
I did not find the cure for my adult children’s TikTok trauma—apparently surviving my parenting unlocked a whole new personality trait.
And yes, I still use my Care Credit card as a healing tool.
We all need a monthly escape, and apparently mine smells like medical-grade skincare.

But—plot twist—there were wins too.

This year, I finally stopped talking about what I wanted to do and started doing something about it. For the first time in ten years, I stopped setting vague, “someday” goals and started breaking them into quarterly goals—90 days at a time.

Because apparently, I just needed a plan that I could actually follow.

One thing that’s always been on my heart is sharing my life journey—the messy parts included—to help people feel less alone and maybe see God a little clearer in the chaos. And this year, I launched my passion project my newsletter, Poetic Chaos.

Was it scary? Yes.
Did I question myself? Daily.
Did I almost talk myself out of it? Absolutely.

But here’s what I learned: big dreams don’t need big drama. They need small, boring consistency.

So, I learned how to eat an elephant. One bite at a time.

I started doing what I call a Quarterly Quest:
Three to four big goals.
Ninety days.
Split into Life and Career.

Every quarter, I check in with my spouse or an accountability partner to see what was working, what’s not, and what needs to keep going—because some goals take longer, and quitting on my passion project this year was not an option.

Then came the habit that really exposed me: the weekly reset. Once a week—just 20 minutes—I do a reset and ask myself a few honest questions.

What worked?
Being intentional. Turns out, showing up on purpose actually helps.

What didn’t?
Working on my project at home… because somehow there was always a dish to wash, laundry to fold, or Netflix whispering, “You’ve had a long day.”

What was I avoiding?
Life. And fear. The bigger the goal, the louder the excuses. Fear loves to show up right when things start to matter.

What actually mattered for next week?
Showing up for myself and doing what was already on my calendar—because future me was counting on present me not to flake.

No shaming. Just truth. And celebrating wins—even the small, unimpressive ones—because showing up counts.

And then there’s my favorite habit: my Morning Come-to-Jesus Meetings.

Before TikTok.
Before doom scrolling.
Before carrying yesterday’s mess into today.

Every morning, I listen to the Word of God. Not because I’m holy—but because I need it. It resets me. Grounds me. Reminds me I don’t have to sprint into the day carrying everything alone.

Here’s the biggest lie I had to unlearn about myself and productivity:
Being busy does not mean you’re building the life you want.

I was productive at work.
Productive at chores.
Productive at showing up for everyone else.

But I wasn’t clocking in for my own goals.

My newsletter lived in the land of “someday” until I finally created an Hour of Power—one focused hour a day working toward what mattered. That one choice changed everything.

And now let’s talk about my personal weight loss journey for a second:
I didn’t need another workout plan.
I needed some self-awareness.

I started to write down what I ate.
All of it.
Turns out I am a snacker…

I also have a sedentary job.                                               I needed to start moving my body.
Walking outside was an option I didn’t need to join another expensive gym.
Fresh air is free therapy…

Another thing that helped more than I expected. Standing social events.
Church.
Workout classes.
Anywhere you consistently show up and engage with people. People inspire reflection. People remind us of who we are. And yes—people are great writing material…

So, friend, here’s the real question as this new year begins: What does your adventure look like—
This year?
This quarter?
This week?
Today?

Because here’s what I learned the hard way:
Sometimes the goal isn’t the problem.
Sometimes we are.

And the fix isn’t flashy. It’s intentional.

Your Friend Its Me, Lorie