Unsure Where to Start? What’s Your First Step into the New Year?

Speaker A00:00:27

Do you ever feel like you're stepping into a new year with good intentions but absolutely no momentum? You want things to be different. You want to start strong, but you're just not sure where even to begin. Let me encourage you with something.You don't need to be perfect to get started. You just need something proven. Small actions done early and consistently build momentum that lasts. A new year doesn't require a massive overhaul.It requires a faithful first step. Because here's what I've learned. Small actions stack into serious momentum. Hello, and welcome back. I'm Ralph, and if you're new here, welcome home.This is Financially Confident Christian, where we turn faith into confidence, clarity into direction, and small steps into lifelong transformation. And today, we're not talking about resolutions. I hate resolutions. We're talking about momentum. I'm talking about real momentum.The kind you can feel, the kind that lasts, the kind that can reshape your entire year. A listener reached out and said, ralph, I want momentum. I don't want another year of false starts. What are the first moves that actually matter?Friend, that's the right question to ask, because momentum isn't magic. It's intentional. Let's talk about what most people are feeling right now, getting ready to get into the new year.And this is a place where a lot of people get stuck. A lot of people begin the new year with pressure. Hey, got this pressure. I gotta have these New Year's resolutions.Ralph, they have this idea of perfectionism, this long list of things they aren't actually going to do. Man, they got to put them on paper, but they're never going to do them. But the truth is simple.Those small steps done early and done consistently create momentum that lasts long after those New Year's hype fades. And trust me, I'm speaking for myself. The new year sight fades, usually by the second day, sometimes the same day.But those faithful steps beat perfect plans every single time. Time. So let's look at some research in Scripture, because both point in the same direction. Habit research tells us this.Tiny, consistent actions create lasting change, whereas big, occasional effort fades quickly. Look at Zachariah, chapter 4, verse 10. It says, do not despise these small beginnings. God honors the faithful first step, not the perfect one.So let me share with you what I've seen over 30 years. This isn't just theory. This is lived experience.For over 30 years, walking with families, small business owners, and people all like that, I've watched simple steps transform entire financial stories. I've seen $25 weekly autosaves turn ordinary folks into confident long term investors. I've seen where paying one bill early reduced months of stress.And personally, my best January's have always started with one simple action, not some huge overhaul. Momentum always starts small. Let me give you a real example. This story says it all.A listener came to me feeling exhausted from years of false starts. Hey, I can relate with this. And January always overwhelmed her. So what did she do? She chose two tiny steps. This is what she decided to do.A $50 weekly auto transfer and paying one bill early. And that combination, that automation and one simple action flipped the switch on inside of her.And all of a sudden, going into New Year, she felt steady, she felt capable, she felt ahead for the first time in years. See, momentum isn't about doing everything. It's about doing something that moves you forward. So what steps actually matter?Let me walk you through the ones that make the biggest difference. This is what I've seen in my own life. First step, recheck your goals and budget. You can't hit a target.Think that you haven't revisited that you don't understand. A quick view right now realigns your effort with what actually matters. Ask yourself this, what's most important? And what's just noise?Because we get stuck so many times on the noise, it's all around us. What are our big hairy, audacious New Year's resolution goals? But that's not the right question to ask.We've got to ask ourselves, what's the most important thing? Because if you want to start the year clear, you got to do that and not be confused. Second thing, you got to automate savings or investing.I know you probably hear me talk about this all the time, but automation creates wins while you sleep. Hey, you want wins while you sleep? Automation does that even. $10, $20, maybe $50 weekly builds confidence and momentum.That automatic equals consistency. And that consistency, that's what leads to transformational behavior. It's another thing I've learned.Pay one bill early might be saying, oh, wait a minute, that's no big deal, Ralph. But this one surprises so many people. But it works. Paying just a single bill early shrinks anxiety almost instantly. Why? You feel ahead.I got this done already. You feel steady, you feel capable. So start with something predictable. Start with your utility bill. You know about what it's going to be.Pay it as soon as you get it. Maybe it's that insurance bill. Hey, maybe it's that credit card bill. You've got the money to pay it. Set it up.Because that One early payment creates a psychological reset in your own mind. And you start to think, oh yeah, I can do this. I start to build that momentum. And then I'm encouraging you to create a one page plan for January.It doesn't have to be something elaborate because complicated plans don't get followed. A simple one page plan is something you actually use. Include things like your top three parties.These are the three things that I absolutely want to get right in January. List your top three bills, list that one habit. And hey, don't forget to list that one Bible verse.Maybe you have a Bible verse of the month, because here's what I've learned. Simplicity wins every single time. Well, let's keep this anchored in scripture because your plans matter most when God is part of the process.Let's look at Proverbs, chapter 16, verse that reminds us this. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. God doesn't establish what you panic about. He establishes what you commit.So start there. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. How about we pray together right now?Lord, help me to be faithful in my first steps. Give me energy, Lord, give me consistency, give me joy as I walk into the new year with confidence. And I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.Okay, here's your one action step for today. I just want you to choose one of these things today. Set up an auto transfer, pay one bill early, or draft that one page January plan.Start small, but start today and start the year with confidence. And I want to invite you right now to join our financially confident Christian community.This is a place where we cheer on those first steps, we guide you with challenges, we pray for you, we help you build momentum and keep it. And you can get to that by going to FinanciallyConfidentChristian.com/join. You don't have to do this alone.Go to FinanciallyConfidentChristian.com/join friend, as I said earlier, momentum isn't magic. It's small, steady obedience. So I want to encourage you today.Start simple, stack a few early wins, and watch what God builds from your first faithful steps. Go out there today and be the financially confident Christian that I know you can be.You can do this, stay financially savvy, God bless you and you have a great day today.