By: Lori Schaffer

You made it to the new year, now what?  Hello 2026.  Can you believe it is already February?  One month is already gone.  If you are like most people, on January 1 you may have set some goals for yourself.  How are you doing with those?  By now, most have abandoned their lofty ambitions, feeling defeated, and doing the same old things they did the prior year.  

Let’s keep it simple.  Are you growing in the Lord, or are you just stuck going through the motions? Are you excited about the new year, new opportunities, or are you prepared for just more of the same. Do you have a plan for what you want to accomplish?  Have you written out a few simple goals?  Don’t go crazy with huge lists that aren’t attainable.  Pick just 3 things that you really want to focus on in this new year.  Here’s an example: 

1. Spiritual goal
2. Health goal
3. Financial  goal

If you keep it simple, you are more likely to attain your goals.  Don’t try to read the entire Bible in a year.  You can try, but chances are, you will hit a book in the Old Testament that just causes you to give up.  I tried this last year, I’m pretty sure I gave up somewhere in the book of Samuel. Instead, make a goal to just spend 10-15 minutes a day reading some scripture and praying.  This is much more attainable and will yield more fruit in your life. 

Set a goal for your health.  God wants you to be healthy and to take care of your body. It is His temple, you should honor it. Set a few goals for yourself that you know you can do.  Perhaps cutting out soft drinks, starting a walking regimen, and beginning to do a little strength training.  Get yourself a few hand weights and an exercise mat.  Or look into a group fitness class for some fellowship, fun, and support.  Begin taking some supplements, vitamin d, omega3’s, and a multivitamin are a good place to start.  Try to incorporate more water, more fresh fruits and veggies into your diet.  You will be amazed at how your body will respond.  You will have more energy, less inflammation, and you will feel so much better about yourself.    

Finally, set a financial goal. Money can be the number one stressor in a marriage or if you’re single.  Begin with working on a budget. It’s important to know exactly where every dollar you make is going. God wants you to be prosperous, but that is not going to happen if you are deep in credit card debt and are living like you are fake rich.  Many people look “rich” from the outside, living in big houses, driving expensive cars, but the reality is, they can’t afford any of it.  Behind closed doors, they are drowning in high interest payments and digging themselves deeper into debt each month. The first step is to take inventory.  What do you make each month and how much are you spending?  If you are spending more than you make, you need to come up with a better strategy.  You need a budget.  I like to use the Dave Ramsey, Every Dollar app.  I use the free version, because it’s free and does what I need it to do.  You will be amazed once you start tracking your spending, just how much money you are wasting.  I track every single purchase we make in a month.  Initially when I first started, I was blown away with how much money we were spending, especially on Amazon.  It was a real eye opener.  As the months went on, I was really able to hone in on our budget and stick to it, for the most part. We have no debt, aside from a small student loan I am diligently working on paying off from our daughter’s college.  We are now retired, living on a fixed income, which makes sticking to our budget even more important.  We would not be in this good of a financial situation if we didn’t prioritize our finances many years ago.  Being debt free is the greatest feeling, but it does require sacrifice and discipline.  Small steps each month add up and equal huge gains in the long run.  

As we enter this new year, it’s important to reflect on the prior year.  A lot may have changed in your life over the course of a year. You may have experienced a loss of a loved one, a change in your family dynamic, started a new career, or for me, retired and now trying to figure out this new season.  Whatever your situation is, allow yourself some grace.  You don’t have to have it all figured out.  God is with you, and as long as you keep your focus on Him, you are headed in the right direction. 

I encourage you, as we begin this new year, take inventory of the past year.  Set a few goals for yourself to work on, and know that God wants you to prosper, to be healthy, and to be secure in Him.  

Have a blessed 2026.

Scriptures to Reflect On:

• Proverbs 21:5  – The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage. 
• Proverbs 16:3  –  Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.
• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20  – Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
• Proverbs 22:7 – The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
• Proverbs 22:9 – He who is generous will be blessed.