Welcome to a new year. Seven days have already passed, and while the calendar is a human construct—an agreed-upon way to mark time based on the earth’s journey around the sun—January offers us a natural moment to pause, reflect, and reframe our lives.
Perhaps you’ve made resolutions or set goals for the year. Maybe you’ve already seen success, or perhaps you’ve stumbled. Regardless of where you find yourself, this is a reminder: it’s not too late. You can regroup, recalibrate, and reengage. The important thing is to remember that you are already precious, simply as you are. Your worth doesn’t depend on what you achieve or how perfectly you execute your plans.
For the past several years, inspired by a dear friend, I’ve chosen a focus word to guide my year. This word becomes an anchor, a lens through which I approach life’s challenges and opportunities. My word for this year is grace.
Grace, for me, is about letting go. It’s about releasing the grip of perfectionism and embracing the gift of imperfection. As a recovering perfectionist, I know how easy it is to procrastinate or avoid goals out of fear they won’t be executed flawlessly. Grace reminds me that failure isn’t the end—it’s an opportunity to grow.
But here’s the thing: knowing that God or others extend grace to us isn’t enough. We must learn to offer grace to ourselves. This might sound radical, even heretical, but it’s true. Without self-compassion, it becomes difficult to accept grace from others or to extend it in turn.
As I navigate this year’s goals—some centered on writing, others on content creation—I’ve noticed familiar patterns of distraction and self-doubt. In the past, these moments might have triggered a spiral of self-criticism. I’d beat myself up for not being “good enough,” raking myself over the coals for falling short. But I’ve realized that this cycle of negativity doesn’t serve me. It doesn’t help to berate myself for spending 15 minutes lost in a social media reel or for not meeting every expectation I’ve set.
Instead, I’m practicing grace. When I fall short, I acknowledge it, learn from it, and let it go. I’m learning to reevaluate my goals without judgment, to adjust them with kindness rather than criticism. Grace allows me to hold my failures lightly, to see them not as defining moments but as stepping stones toward growth.
Maybe you’ve found yourself in a similar cycle. Perhaps you’ve been overly critical of yourself or projected your self-judgment onto others. These patterns don’t help us move forward. What helps is grace. Grace creates space for growth, healing, and renewed effort.
If your first seven days of the year haven’t gone as planned, take heart. There are still 358 days ahead. Start where you are, right now. Reevaluate your goals, learn from what hasn’t worked, and move forward with grace. The past can’t be changed, and the future isn’t guaranteed. What you have is this moment.
So, take this moment. Give yourself grace. Let go of the need for perfection. Reengage with your goals, not out of guilt, but out of love for yourself and the recognition that you are infinitely precious and unconditionally loved.
You are a gift. Don’t forget that.
Until next time, be kind to yourself and remember: grace is always available, waiting for you to embrace it.
Infinitely Precious 