Hello Friends,

I love the month of January. It’s much slower than December, the holidays are behind us, and a brand new year is before us, full of potential and wonderful possibilities!

If you’re like me, then you typically spend a lot of time in January thinking about the coming year and what you would like to accomplish.

Personally, I love to think of little (and big) ways to make my year (and my life) better in the coming year. The following list includes 10 things that can make a BIG difference in your life this year. This post has been sitting in my computer files for OVER A YEAR waiting to be finished and share with all of you – so I hope it is an encouragement to you as you head into the rest of this year!

10 Things That Will Make a BIG Difference This Year!

1. A Daily Time with God

“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11

Carving out a few minutes each day to open our Bibles and spend time with the Lord, sounds pretty basic… but it can make a BIG difference in our lives. The Word of God is the book that teaches us how to have a real relationship with God and teaches us how we ought to live on a daily basis. However, God’s Word doesn’t just teach us about God and about life, but provides comfort and wisdom along the way.  When we face a difficult time in our life, God’s Word can encourage us. When we don’t know how to make a certain decision, God’s Word can provide us with wisdom and guidance. And when we feel sad or alone, God’s Word is there to remind us of God’s love and never-ending presence in our lives. 

Truly, opening the Word of God and cultivating a relationship with the Lord… is the first step to better days and a better year!

>>> Do you need help cultivating a daily time with God? This little booklet is a great place to start!

2. Caring For Your Body

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

We all feel better when we take time to care for the bodies God has given us. Simple things like eating whole foods, moving our bodies, getting outside, and getting a proper amount of sleep can make such a big difference! Taking care of our health can feel very overwhelming, so just take one area of your health (diet, exercise, or sleep) and decide on ONE simple thing you can do that will improve your health. 

My personal health goal this year is to regularly nourish my body with nutrient dense foods! I struggle to eat regular meals throughout the day, so simply taking the time for a proper breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a high priority on my list this year!

I would encourage you to choose one simple thing as well. What can you change this year in regards to your health that will make a big difference?

3. Going to Church

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

As Christians, one of the primary ways God intends for us to grow spiritually is in a local church, worshipping with fellow believers, sitting under the preaching of God’s Word, and fellowshipping with brothers and sisters in Christ. This is a key element of God’s plan for our growth and sanctification… without it, we can flounder instead of flourish. God did not intend for us to walk the Christian life alone and that’s why He established the local church!

If you haven’t been making church attendance a priority, I would encourage you to get back into the habit of attending. If you’ve never attended a church on a regular basis, I would encourage you to find a church that preaches the Word of God, where you can get plugged in with other believers and thrive in your walk with the Lord!

>>> Do you need help finding a good church? Check out this online church directory. OR ask trusted friends/advisors to recommend a solid, Bible believing church!

4. Cultivating Stronger Relationships

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

As I mentioned above, God did not intend for us live alone! Friendship, family relationships, fellowship, and community are all SO important. We live in a time where many people feel isolated and alone. The best ways to combat these feelings are 1) cultivate a close walk with God 2) spend time with others in community. The Bible says that “a man that hath friends, must show himself friendly”. It’s so easy for us to sit back and expect people to come to us, but we need to be willing to take the first step! Here are some simple things you can do this year to cultivate friendships and community:

• Call a friend you haven’t talked to in awhile
• Meet a friend for coffee
• Have some friends over to play board games (click here for our favorites!)
• Go shopping with a friend
• Attend special events at your church
• Start a book club
• Invite a family from church over for dinner
• Take a plate of goodies over to your neighbor, stay for a visit if they invite you inside
• Host a simple party with snacks and board games
• Get together with family
• Go to a Bible study (start one if you can’t find one!)

For sake of repetition, God did NOT intend for us to do life on our own! Fellowship with others is a common theme we see in the Bible. To forsake time spent with others, is to miss out on wonderful blessings God intended for us. Don’t miss out. Be sure to carve out time to spend with others this year. 

>>> To dig more into this topic, I would recommend reading the book Girls’ Club by Sally, Sarah, and Joy Clarkson.

5. More Time Reading (and less time scrolling!)

“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” Proverbs 1:5

Books (and words in general) can have such a powerful impact on our lives – for better or for worse. A good book can spur us to action, tug at out heart strings, teach us a lesson, change our beliefs, or solidify something we already know to be true. Reading can make our lives better when we choose to read books that encourage us in the right way- this could be a fictional story that holds some valuable lessons and insight, or a non-fiction book that teaches how to better our lives spiritually, emotionally, mentally, etc. 

As someone who loves to read and constantly adds to my personal reading list – trust me when I say there is an ENDLESS array of books we could read to better our lives. If you haven’t done much reading in the past, start small. Find a book on a topic you enjoy and start there. Ask friends for book recommendations starting with their favorite book. Some of my favorite books have been recommended to me by friends or other bloggers. 

Reading just a little bit each day, or a little bit each week, can add up! Reading book is a simply way to improve our lives just a little bit at a time.

>>> Here are some helpful book resources:

• The Best Books for Christian Women (Book List)
• How to Become a Reader
• How to Read More Books This Year Than Ever Before
• My 2022 Book List

6. Saving More, Spending Less

“There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.” Provers 21:20

Growing up, we had a great-grandfather who would tell us, “save your money!” As he got older and his memory began to fail, he repeated this phrase quite often.  At the time, it didn’t mean much to me as a child, but looking back, it was obviously a lesson he had learned that served him well. When we spend all our money and set nothing aside, we are foolish. When we set some money aside in savings, we are wise. 

Once again, this is a good area to start small. Decide on a certain percentage that you can set aside for savings each month. Discipline yourself to save that money instead of spending it on items you truly don’t need. You could also set a goal for an amount you would like to save by the end of the year. No matter how you go about saving money, just make sure you DO it. When we save our money instead of spending it on unnecessary items, we show wisdom in preparing for the future. 

>>> For more resources on money and using your finances wisely check out the following resources:

• The Book of Proverbs (lots of Biblical wisdom and insight regarding money!)
• The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey – This book was really helpful to me in my teen/young adult years.

7. Caring for Your House and Home

“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” Proverbs 14:1

Most of us spend a significant amount of time in our homes. If you’re a stay-at-home or work-at-home wife or mom, then you spend a LOT of time at home. I believe we should love the places we live, and strive to make them place a beauty and refreshment – a place in which we want to relax and live. Our homes will never be “perfect” but there is still so much we can do (even on a budget) to make our homes a place we love to be! Here are some simple ways to beautify the home:

• Clean your home on a regular basis (no one enjoys living in a dirty space!)
• Go through the items you own and get rid of any trash, unwanted items, and things you no longer love – declutter!
• Browse Pinterest or home decor magazines for ideas and inspiration.
• Check out your local thrift or discount store for lovely pieces to add to your home on a budget.
• Make a list of things that you could add or change to your current space to make it more “homey’ or beautiful.
• Invest in a diffuser (this one is my favorite!) or some special candles to make your space smell lovely.
• Rearrange your furniture (for a new look and feel).
• Fill your space with things YOU love – don’t get too caught up in a certain “style”. Just focus on what you like and enjoy.

8. Learning Something New

“The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.” Proverbs 18:15

It’s always fun to be adventurous and learn something new. Make a list of all the things you’ve thought would be fun to try or learn someday and choose just ONE and make it happen! Here are some ideas:

• Floral arranging
• Interior decorating
• Gardening
• Horseback-riding
• Ice skating
• Bread baking
• Knitting or crocheting
• Cake decorating

The possibilities are endless. Just pick one new thing for this year then sign up for a class or simply check out some videos on YouTube and learn something new!

P.S. My “one new thing” for this year is learning how to sing alto! I naturally sound better as an alto vs. soprano but I really struggle to pick out the alto part and not get distracted by the melody! This is one thing I want to learn and tackle this year!

9. Making Time for the Things You Enjoy

“There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.” Ecclesiastes 2:24

Do you purposely carve out time for the things that you enjoy? Life is very busy, and if we’re not careful, we will miss out on the little things we love – things that God has given us to enjoy! This life is full of so many beautiful things and making time for things we enjoy (especially as busy wives and mamas!) can be so incredibly life giving!

What do you enjoy doing? What are your favorite hobbies? 

When you were little, what did you spend HOURS doing? Is there some way you could make time for that hobby again? 

Over the past couple of years I have been trying to change my mindset about homemaking so that I treat it like a full-time job (because it IS a full-time job!). This means doing my very best to be productive during the day so I can “clock-out” in the evenings after my little boy goes to bed. This is when I spend time with my husband and spend time doing things I enjoy such as: reading a good book, working on a jigsaw puzzle, or watching a movie with my husband. These activities are life-giving to me and feel so much more rewarding to me after a long day of productivity. These activities also mean a lot more to me than just mindless scrolling on my phone to pass the time before bed. 

Where in your busy schedule could you carve out some time for things you enjoy? Is in the morning before anyone else wakes up? During your lunch break or your child’s nap time? What about that long commute to and from work? Could you cut back on TV to make more time for things that you really enjoy?

Take a good hard look and your schedule and figure out where you can carve out a little extra time for things you enjoy!

>>> This is a really helpful book on time management!

10. Giving this Year to the Lord

“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

If I were putting this list in order of importance, this would be near the top!

This year is the Lord’s, not ours. We can only control a little bit of what happens in the coming year (our actions, our attitudes, our responses, etc.) but God is ultimately the One who will determine what takes place this year.  

Make your goals and plans for this year but hold them loosely. Remember that God is the one in control!

Final Thoughts

Friend, I want this post to be an encouragement (not a DIScouragement!) to you today. We have a brand new year ahead of us! No matter what this year holds, we can make decisions TODAY that will help us live better tomorrow – and the day after that, and the day after that… God doesn’t want us to just “drift” through life. We ought to be growing and changing every day to become more like our Savior.

What can you begin doing today to help you spiritually, physically, practically? Which one of these ideas do you need to work on implementing this year?

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Until Next Time,