A New Year Needs Direction

Happy New Year! This is always an exciting time of year because it is brand new. The year ahead is full of possibilities, new opportunities, and adventures waiting to be experienced. That excitement is good—but without direction, it fades quickly, and little progress is made.

Often, that direction comes in the form of a New Year’s resolution. And often, those resolutions are forgotten by mid-March.

The problem isn’t motivation. The problem is that a year is a long time.

Over the course of twelve months, a lot changes. Take a moment to think about where you were a year ago. You’ve likely grown in some ways and slipped in others. Even the things that feel steady—family, work, community—change more than we realize.

My kids are a year older with new challenges. We are adding another child to our family in January. I’m stepping into a new role at work while watching the best boss I’ve had begin easing into retirement.

Life moves. Constantly.

Because of that, year-long goals can be fragile—especially when they are overly specific. We decide we’ll read X number of books or lose X amount of weight. Those goals sound good, but they often set ordinary people up for failure.

For example, I might decide I’m going to read 36 books this year—three per month. January goes great. I read four or five books. Then February hits and work picks up. Reading time shrinks. My son’s soccer season starts, adding travel and games. Summer brings vacations and activities. Suddenly, I’m behind.

Some would say that’s just an excuse: “If you really wanted it, you’d make the time.”
I’d say it’s reality. Life is busy and complicated. Reading is a good goal—but if pursuing it begins to undermine more important responsibilities, it becomes a bad one.

Choose a Theme, Not a Number

A better approach is to establish a theme.

Instead of saying, “I will read 50 books,” I choose a reading theme. That means when I have a choice between my phone and a book, I read. When I’m waiting at the doctor’s office, I read. When I’m tempted to zone out with a mind-numbing show, I read.

The theme doesn’t demand perfection. It simply gives direction. When a choice presents itself, I know which way to lean.

How a Theme Becomes Discipline—and Freedom

I did this with lifting weights.

Two years ago, I started a sales job that required very little movement. I didn’t want to waste away behind a desk, so I chose a theme: a season of lifting. I wasn’t chasing a specific weight or time. My aim was simple—go to the gym three times a week and run on two of the other days.

Some days that meant waking up at 5:20 a.m. before my family was awake. Other days it meant working around family activities and adjusting my schedule. The theme gave me flexibility without losing direction.

And here’s the important connection:
The theme removed the pressure of perfection. I wasn’t chasing a number—I was showing up. Showing up consistently created discipline. And discipline, over time, didn’t restrict my life; it freed it. I no longer had to debate whether I should work out. The decision was already made.

That discipline is still with me today. And because it’s now second nature, it has freed me to focus more intentionally on other areas of my life—one of them being this newsletter.

Carrying the New Year Forward

The New Year gives us energy. The mistake is trying to control outcomes instead of choosing direction.

Goals manage results.
Themes shape character.

As you begin this year, don’t ask yourself what you want to accomplish. Ask a better question:

What kind of man do I want to be forming in this season of life?

Choose one theme. Live it quietly. Let consistency do the work.

This reflection was influenced by a short six-minute video on the idea of yearly themes, which I’ll link below if you’d like to explore it further. Click Here

⚒️ Forge Ahead

Anvil: the place of formation.
Arrow: the mission we’re sent on.

The world needs more men formed in virtue. Forward this to a brother who’s ready to grow.