New Years Reflections

It's never been about performance, perfection or striving for acceptance

A few weeks ago, I heard a new (to me) worship song for the first time, and it felt like all the words for the underpinning of Taking The Pressure Off, working together as an offering of worship to the Lord.

I haven’t written the most faith-forward content as I ever have this year, but I want to be clear that the freedom that we can experience on the other side of taking the pressure off is extra effective, full of richness, and sustained when we do it with the help of our good and faithful Jesus.

Here is the bridge of the song:

It's never been about performance, perfection
Or striving for acceptance
Let me tell you, it's only by the blood
It's never been about deserving or earning
It's a gift that's freely given
Let me tell you, it's only by the blood
Oh, does anybody wanna be holy and righteous
Purified and spotless
Let me tell you, it's only by the blood
Does anybody wanna be worthy, forgiven
Justified, really living
Let me tell you, it's only by the blood

This song is right - we are fighting performance, perfection, and striving over here. You are already free to take the pressure off.

This song is right - we are fighting, earning our way into acceptance, you already are.

I pray that the fruit of taking the pressure off is simply holiness and righteousness, that we may be purified and spotless.

I am thinking a lot about goals, and I love a fresh year. I want a habit tracker and an in’s and out’s list, and to infuse delight into trying new things, but I don’t want the reason behind it all to be trying to become an ideal version of myself. My real self, Sarah Irene, right now, has access to Jesus, His kindness and nature, His power, His love.

I am working on remembering that hypothetical me isn’t in the room with us.

I am working on remembering that what I think other people are thinking or expecting is mind gymnastics and frankly is none of my business.

My college bestie met me for coffee last week on my last day in Michigan, and she asked if I had a word of the year for 2026. I said no, and that honestly, I don’t think I have had one since 2019. But in true best friend behavior, she came with notes. She told me that she had a word for me to consider, and even though it might be a challenge that she would like me to imagine (my words, not hers), throwing off the snares that so easily entangle. My snares are usually what other people think.

Her word: Unapologetic.

I am going to adopt it and see where it takes me. It feels maybe a little vulnerable to share that with you, but here we are. When I was in Michigan for my grandfather’s funeral a few months ago, we were all noticing that he just did stuff. He was a serial hobbist, a lifelong learner, and a quiet connoisseur of anything that sounded interesting. I want to be more unapologetic in my pursuit of life to the full. I want to ‘just do stuff’ too.

Some New Year’s Fun if you need it:

I have been loving the trend of making your goals into cutie punch cards. I think gamifying something is a neat trick, and it’s a craft, so of course I’m immediately intrigued.

I am also loving the micro trend of tracking random things throughout your year and presenting them in PowerPoint form. One of my favorite videos is of a woman whose resolution was to try as many different pasta shapes as she could this year. Now THAT’s whimsy.

I recently shared again about my Wonder Journal, and if you make one for 2026, I would love to hear about it. The point is to collect curiosities and questions, but not to Google the answers. We are cultivating wonder and asking good questions, and childlike imagination. I told my therapist about the Wonder Journal recently, and she said she might start collecting her son’s funny questions in a small book, too.

Lastly, if you need some questions to help you reflect on the last year, and look forward to the year ahead without pressure, I wrote about my Gentle New Year’s Planning Sheets here if this sounds like something that might feel good for NYE. I printed mine out, and wrote all over it, and then used the back blank pages to go through every room in my house and write about decluttering and some minor upgrades I would like to do in 2026, because that felt important at the time. There are no rules. Use it however feels right!

Thank you for reading my writing over the course of 2025. It means the world to me.

okthatsitloveyabye! AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!