There’s something about January that stirs up pressure, isn’t there?
A fresh start. A blank calendar. A brand-new list of expectations we quietly place on ourselves.

Everywhere we turn, the world tells us to hustle harder, set bigger goals, chase more, produce more, become more. And while there’s nothing wrong with goals or growth, I noticed something in myself these last few years: I didn’t need a new plan. I needed a new pace.

And not the pace the world tells me to run…
but the one God invites me to walk.

In A Pace of Grace, I write:

“Stillness doesn’t come from clearing my calendar but by filling my soul with Him, even in the chaos.”

That sentence came straight out of a season when my soul felt overextended—like I was trying to carry the weight of my life on my own shoulders. And friend… I don’t want to start another year like that. Maybe you don’t either.

Striving looks holy on the outside, but it drains us on the inside.

I used to think striving and obedience were the same thing—like if I didn’t give 110 percent, God would be disappointed. But striving is fueled by fear. Obedience is fueled by love.

Striving says:
“I have to prove myself.”

Obedience says:
“God, I trust You.”

Striving keeps us frantic.
Obedience keeps us free.
Striving puts the weight back on us.
Obedience puts the weight back on God.

As I prayed over this January, the Lord reminded me that a surrendered heart is far more powerful than a perfectly executed plan.

Maybe this year isn’t about doing more. Maybe it’s about releasing more.

Releasing control.
Releasing hurry.
Releasing the expectations we’ve been carrying for far too long.

Surrender is letting God lead instead of dragging Him behind us while we run.

And surrender becomes a doorway to peace.

When I finally stopped trying to “fix” my life through lists and schedules and leaned fully into Jesus, everything shifted. My circumstances didn’t magically change… but my heart did. My pace did. My awareness of His presence did.

Maybe the invitation for us this January isn’t to work harder but to breathe deeper.

A simple practice for this week:

5 Minutes of Stillness

I want to invite you into something small and sacred:

Take five minutes each day to sit with Jesus before you sit with the world.

Set a timer.
Sit in the quiet.
And pray, “Lord, I surrender this day to You. Lead me at Your pace.”

Don’t overthink it.
Don’t try to “do it right.”
Just show up. God loves showing up too.

This month’s heart posture: Surrender over striving

As we step into a new year, you don’t need to earn God’s love or prove your worth. You are already His daughter—chosen, loved, and held.

My prayer for you (and for myself) is this:

Lord, teach us to walk in step with You. Slow our striving. Steady our hearts. Let obedience be our joy and surrender be our strength.

✨ A Note About the Book

If your heart is longing for a gentler pace this year—one filled with rest, presence, and freedom from striving—A Pace of Grace was written for you.

It will be available for pre-order, and I can’t wait to walk this journey of surrender and obedience with you each step of the way.

A Pace of Grace: Steady Your Spirit When Life Gets Messy

By Heather Cook

Buy on Amazon

Let’s be real: I am a recovering overachiever. I’ve spent years chasing approval, productivity, and people-pleasing—believing that if I could just do more, be more, or fix all the things, I’d finally feel at peace. But here’s the truth God has been teaching me striving is not a spiritual gift.

It’s a trap.

And it’s exhausting.

If your soul feels tired, if your mind never shuts off, and if you constantly feel like you’re falling short—this post is for you. You’re not failing. You’re just carrying something you were never meant to.

The Invisible Weight We Carry

For so long, I thought rest was something I had to earn. I believed if I could just push through the to-do list or check all the boxes, I’d feel better. But the peace I was searching for never came at the end of striving.

Why?

Because our worth was never meant to be measured by what we do.

The belief that my value is tied to my productivity led me straight into burnout. And it’s a lie straight from the enemy. The enemy knows that if we’re too busy proving ourselves, we won’t pause long enough to remember who we are or Whose we are.

When God Interrupted My Hustle

There was a moment when I finally broke. I was sitting in a quiet room, but my soul was loud with anxiety. My eyes scanned the room for something to fix, something to clean, something to check off.

And that’s when I felt God speak to my spirit:

“Stillness isn’t about clearing your schedule. It’s about filling your soul with Me.”

Oof. It wasn’t that I needed to do less, it was that I needed to be with Him more.

Striving vs. Abiding

We often confuse the two. Striving says: “I have to earn it.” Abiding says: “It’s already been given.” Striving is about self-sufficiency. Abiding is about surrender.

Jesus never ran from task to task in a panic. He lived with margin. He paused. He prayed. He rested. If the Son of God made space for stillness, why do we treat it like a luxury instead of a necessity?

How to Lay Down the Striving

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s a daily decision to walk at a pace of grace. And it starts with these small shifts:

1. Ask: Why am I doing this?

Before you say yes, commit, or rush into another task, ask: Is this from God? Or is this from a place of insecurity, people-pleasing, or fear?

2. Breathe and be still.

Even 30 seconds of silence can remind your soul who’s really in control. Say a breath prayer like:

“I am Yours, Lord. I don’t have to strive. I just have to abide.”

3. Surrender the outcome.

You don’t have to hold it all together. You never did.

Let God carry what’s too heavy. His strength is made perfect in your weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

4. Speak truth over lies.

Keep Scripture in front of you that reminds you of your identity:

“I am a child of God.” (John 1:12)

“I am loved.” (Romans 8:38–39)

“I am a new creation.” (2 Cor. 5:17)

Let truth rewrite the inner dialogue.

What Happens When We Let Go

Friend, I know it’s scary to slow down. But when we do, we finally hear what God’s been whispering all along: “You are already loved. Already chosen. Already enough.”

Striving won’t give you what your soul is searching for—but grace will.

Let’s Trade Hurry for Grace

This post is part of a new series based on my upcoming book, A Pace of Grace: Steady Your Spirit When Life Gets Messy. In it, I walk through how to find stillness in every season—without falling apart when life doesn’t slow down.

➡️ Want more encouragement like this?

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When Your Soul Is Tired of Trying: A New Year Invitation to Surrender