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As the year unfolds, I recently found myself in a meaningful conversation with a friend. I was sharing the incredible opportunity I had to read my book at Children’s Medical Center. What made this moment even more special was that it came from one simple act: trying again. My friend paused, smiled, and said, “That should be your motto for 2025—Try Again.” 

Here we are, nearly 21 days into the New Year. Many of us started with goals, ambitions, or dreams—whether it’s starting a new relationship, losing weight, committing to therapy, reconciling relationships, saving money, or anything else close to your heart. But let’s be honest: staying on track can be hard. Life gets messy, motivation wanes, and we sometimes stumble. 

Here’s the truth: we can do hard things. 

Even if you’ve already veered off course—whether it’s missing workouts, spending too much, skipping that book on your reading list, or faltering in your commitments—don’t be discouraged. Give yourself grace. Messing up doesn’t mean you’ve failed; it’s just a chance to try again. 

So, what if you start over today? 

💪 Try again: at your workout plan.  

💸 Try again: at sticking to your saving goals.  

📚 Try again: at your reading challenge.  

💬 Try again: at reconciling relationships or prioritizing self-care.  

The beauty of trying again is that it reflects resilience, not perfection. Every day is a fresh start—a new opportunity to show up for yourself and what matters to you. It’s not too late to rewrite your story, one small step at a time.

So, what will you try again today? Let’s make 2025 a year of persistence, grace, and growth together. 

I learned during a church sermon there’s a new holiday in January. The second Friday in January is National Quitters Day.  Apparently, by January 10th most people give up on their New Year’s resolution. However, we aren’t quitters, so we are still working on our goals and any resolutions we made for the New Year because we have a strong why, and we are committed to bettering ourselves. The goal is to become 1% better each day and to focus on what we can do to reach our goal based on the current day in front of us. It’s easy to say in 3 months, I’ll do this or that, but what are we doing today?  

There are a couple of reminders in scripture to remind us to focus on the day in front of us. 

 In Matthew 6, the Model prayer, also known as The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus reminds us to ask for our daily bread – not bread for next week. “Give us this day our daily bread,” Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In Lamentations 3, we are reminded we are given brand-new mercies every morning. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In Matthew 6:34, we are told “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

So the moral of this blog is to remind us to focus on our goal for today. It’s okay to have a bigger goal or even a deadline – but what can we do today to reach our goal? 

I know it’s tempting to dive headfirst into the new year with a list of resolutions, goals, and plans that stretch as far as your imagination can go. But whoooaaa, let’s pump the brakes for a second. Before we start stacking up expectations, let’s take a moment to slow down, plan this thing out, and talk it through.  

This year, I’m doing something *different* with my goals.  

Now, usually, I have this loooong list of things I want to accomplish, and I try to tackle them all at once. While I might check a few off the list, I’m rarely successful with all of them. You know why? Because I’m out here trying to juggle everything, and inevitably, something (or a lot of things) ends up slipping through the cracks. 😩  

Let’s be real: many of us think we’re great multitaskers, but let me free you up real quick—we’re not. What we call multitasking is really just shifting quickly between multiple tasks, and it’s not as productive as we’d like to think.  

So, what’s the plan this year?  

Enter the 4 by 4 Method—a game-changer my mentor introduced to me. It’s a simple, structured way to focus on your goals without feeling overwhelmed.  

Here’s how it works:  

– You focus on 4 goals for 90 days at a time.  

– That’s 16 goals total for the year—4 goals each quarter.  

– Each goal falls into one of these categories:  

  1. Emotionally/Spiritually 

  2. Financially

  3. Relationally

  4. Physically

But here’s the key: only one goal per category at a time.  

Each goal includes actionable tasks, reminders, and regular progress check-ins (weekly or monthly). And if you don’t complete a goal during one quarter, you simply roll it over to the next quarter, replacing the completed goals with new ones. No stress, no guilt—just steady progress.   

What makes this year different*?  

We all know how easy it is to start strong and then fall off, right? 🙃 That’s where another critical piece comes in: a strong WHY. 

My mentor always says, “If your why doesn’t make you cry, the price of commitment will always be too high.” That hit me like a ton of bricks because, honestly, motivation isn’t always there. But a solid why? That’ll keep you anchored.  

For me, the difference between success and failure isn’t whether I get tired or lose focus—it’s how quickly I recover and how deeply I connect with my why.  

So, what about you? What are you working on this year? Do you have a strong enough why to keep you going when the excitement fades? And hey, would you consider trying the 4 by 4 goal method?  

Drop your thoughts below—I’d love to hear from you! Let’s make this year intentional, impactful, and full of wins. 💪✨  

Blog from Last Week: Start Today

I’m a firm believer in starting your goals today! Too often, people wait for the new year to roll around before setting new goals, chasing aspirations, or making resolutions. But why wait? What are you waiting for? Instead of holding off, why not give yourself a head start on the new year?

There’s a book titled I’ll Start Again Monday that explores how we tend to procrastinate when it comes to tackling tasks or making changes. But if you can tell yourself, “I’ll start Monday,” then why not take it a step further and say, “I’ll start today”?

Imagine heading into 2025 already working toward your fitness goals, launching that new business idea, building up your savings, diving into books you’ve always wanted to read, prioritizing healthier rest, or practicing mindfulness. Don’t let the calendar dictate your progress—yorow, not next week—today is the perfect time to begin!

The holiday season is in full swing, and I’m sure many of you are feeling a mix of emotions. Have you finished your holiday shopping yet? I’m almost there—I just need to pick up an ornament for a Christmas Party.

Whether you’ve already checked off your shopping list or don’t plan to shop at all, it’s important to keep the main thing the main thing this season. This time of year is about celebrating the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ, giving to others, enjoying moments with family and friends, or simply taking a much-needed break.

So before you break the bank, get upset with an Amazon driver over delayed deliveries, or feel down because you don’t have extra to give, take a moment to pause, breathe, and refocus. Let the main thing remain the main thing this holiday season – that Jesus Chris was born and is Lord.

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas from Wrenhowsway!

Last Week’s Post: The Little Foxes

You ever get to a point in life where things feel…chill? You’re not out partying, your prayer life is consistent, and maybe you’ve got a weekly routine of going to church or catching a good sermon online. You’re genuinely asking God to work on you, and yet—despite all that—you realize you’re still a work in progress. Yeah, me too.

It’s those “little foxes” that God starts to reveal—those seemingly small things that can trip us up and mess with our walk with Him.

This idea made me think of this scripture:

“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” Song of Solomon 2:15, ESV

I love this verse because it hits home for me as someone with a garden. In my garden, a lot of the veggies grow on vines, and I have to stay on top of things—checking for bugs or anything else that could harm the plants. Even something tiny, like an aphid on one vine, can quickly spread and become a full-blown problem.

It’s the same with life. Sometimes it’s those “small” things—little habits, attitudes, or behaviors—that God’s trying to clean out of us because they can be just as damaging as the “big” stuff. Laziness, gossip, little white lies, a lack of self-discipline… these might seem minor, but they can spoil the progress we’re making, harm our relationships, or even hinder our walk with God.

So, here’s the challenge: let’s stay aware of the little foxes in our lives. When God reveals them, don’t ignore it. Let Him work on you so that nothing gets in the way of your growth, your relationships, or your journey with Him. The vines are in bloom—don’t let anything spoil them!