Making 2026 not just “Another Year”

 

 

Theresa Obila OGAR

 

It’s been a while since I scrolled through Instagram. I scrolled a few days before 2025 ended, and I was reminded again that it was that time of the year when everyone seems to have the solution and the great vision board and wisdom for you to have a better “next year”.

 

Candidly, I saw many valuable and deep contents about successfully navigating the next year, and I began to wonder if these contents were made genuinely out of the care for their audience or it’s because the algorithm has to be satisfied? I mean, similar contents popping!

 

Anyway, I came to a conclusion about some simple things for myself, especially as I had the chance to reflect yesterday and today:

 

With this New Year, many would achieve goals of which they have put in the work from other years, some have their plans laid out and will work on them, and for many others, it’s yet “another year”— unconsciously. The buzz of the season might just make it look different, but if the effort is absent, it’s yet just another year.

 

“Yet another year” because many of the plans we might have made, probably written in your journal would remain shelved rather than breathing reality to it/them, if you don't take action on them.

 

Sometimes, when we make plans, resolutions, or have a big desire, say the affirmations, we sometimes feel pumped up, and scream things like “gloray” such that the excitement makes us forgetful of the actions to be taken.

 

 Hence, let’s take these actions together for a greater year as we wished ourselves:

  1. Reflect on last year’s goal: What were my targets for the last year, and to what percentage did I achieve? The ones I achieved, how well did I do? The ones I didn’t do at all, why was I unable to? Was it that I was just giving excuses? Or had a poor mindset around it? Or was I just Lazy and procrastinated a lot? Did my environment affect me? Do I need to change my environment, mindset or orientation? When reflecting, these are valid questions to ask yourself. That way, you will know which to reinforce, do away with or add to.
  1. Break the Big Dreams Down: Those resolutions, new habits you want to form, goals you have made; (It’s not too late to make, if you haven’t made yours) should be around doing them each day. We no longer just make Big Goals, and leave them at that. We Make them, break them into bits, and focus mostly on the process of achieving within a time range. For instance, if you plan to read 50 books in a year, you can break it down to reading a book per week seeing that there are 52 weeks in a year, or you plan to meet a target of 100k per week, you can break it down to render a service to 10 people where you will get 10k profit, or get an extra gig that would meet your target; that works that way.

 

  1. Don’t Pressure Yourself, just Make the Shift: This period, as the year is fresh where many people might want to show results, say their tactics, or processes, don’t feel pressured at all. Simply get inspiration, discipline yourself and be deeply knowledgeable about yourself. What worked for Daniel for Excellence wasn’t what worked for David; what worked for Rahab wasn’t what worked for Mother Mary. You get; “Each mallam to him kettle”. Rather than the pressure, know your path, make the shift, implement the knowledge you have, carry out that action, stay disciplined, and just know your onion. While on the journey of the year, set your mind for possibilities of hiccups; one might “hit their leg on stone” just be kind to yourself, dust it off, stand and focus on the journey.

 

  1. Place those Plans in God’s Hands: This is the “oga patapata” of them all!  You see those grand desires, wishes and dreams, take them to the Lord to bless! I have experienced wonders from God blessing my works, I have experienced grace and unmerited favours, I have experienced putting in all the work and still yielding no result, especially when disobedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

 

“Na why I no dey stress again, if you know me, stress abi na worry no dey my lane again”         

          

Try it and see! Place those things, inadequacies, flaws, shame, guilt, perfection, dreams, weakness, strength, everything! Place them before the Lord for His blessings; the only cost is your surrender.

 

I wish you a great 2026 with you eating the good of the land and with feast of the finest wheat and honey.

 

                                                  With Love from Big Tess✨💝💯