New Year. Same Me.

New year's resolutions are something people always come in hot and heavy with. The gyms are packed, fresh produce is nowhere to be found, and suddenly everyone is making homemade bread. I do want to give credit to the people who truly stick with it, but we all know the truth. A lot of these resolutions are not realistic from the start.

So why do we do that to ourselves? And if we truly feel the need to change something in our lives, why do we wait for the countdown into a new year to do it? If it matters that much, why not start now? Maybe I think a little differently, but that question has always stuck with me. But let me share my resolution with you.

The kids and I were having a dance party while the final countdown played. Dance parties are kind of our thing. We started yelling, THREE… TWO… ONE… HAPPY NEW YEAR! And in the moment the clock struck midnight, my resolution was already in motion.

New year. Same me.

I am not mad at my life. I am not disappointed in it either. Honestly, I am pretty impressed with myself after 2025. When life gets overwhelming, it feels easier to say, “I’ll try again next year,” or “This year was rough, but next year will be my year.” But if you were building a house and didn't finish by the original deadline, would you just stop building and start over on a new one? No. You do what you have to do. You keep working on the same house you've already been building, and you extend the completion date because, at the end of the day, that's the house you want to be in.

So why do we not do that for ourselves? Why do we try to forget all of the progress we've made already, just because we aren't at our goal by our own made-up deadline?

Everyone is chasing a new version of themselves. I am choosing the one I have busted my tail for. My 2025 was not perfect. But I did not survive burnout, disappointment, single parenting, and leadership pressure just to pretend that version of me never existed.

This past year shaped me. The hard times made the good moments feel even better. And if I am being honest, there were a lot of good moments in 2025. Enough to make me stop and reflect on how blessed I truly am.

God did not push me so hard in 2025 just to wipe my slate clean at 00:01 on January 1, 2026. I learned when I was exhausted from failing. I learned during the tough conversations. This version of me was not created at midnight. I was built during long nights, loud prayers, and decisions nobody clapped for. I healed from what broke me without an audience, because my battles were never meant for anyone else to carry.

So when you think about the new year, think of it this way. This is not a year for a new you. This is a year for refining the you that you fought to become. This year is about sustainability in the life you have created. It is about growth that does not erase the work that has already been done.

You worked too hard to survive 2025 to pretend it did not matter.

Every smile, every tear, and every lesson from 2025 built the person reading this today.

This year, I am not asking God to make me new. I am asking him to continue the work he has already started.

So do me a favor. Do not erase 2025. I know there were hard moments, but I also know you smiled at least once.

In 2026, build on the lessons you learned and the memories you made.

That is how you build a stronger you, not by wiping the slate clean at 23:59 on December 31.

-AR