January can be a lot for a mom—I know this.

There’s pressure to do more and more.
To be more organized (yes, I teach this).
More disciplined.
More productive.

And we’re not even halfway through January, yet there’s a good chance you’re already feeling behind.

But what if we changed our thinking this year?
What if instead of doing more, we focused on letting go and simplifying?

Here’s what I’ve learned—especially as a mom navigating different seasons:

God Never Asked You to Carry Everything

So many of us walk into a new year already weighed down:

• Old guilt

• Unrealistic expectations

• Schedules that leave no room to breathe (this one has to stop)

And yet Scripture gently reminds us:

I love this verse for so many reasons. I think about it when I’m running on the treadmill—and on days when life just feels heavy.

What if we actually threw off the guilt?
The feeling of failure?
The constant pushing through?

Release the guilt.
Release the negative thoughts.
Lay it all at Jesus’ feet.

He already knows that what weighs us down keeps us from running freely.

Letting Go Isn’t Giving Up

It’s making space for what matters most.

Here are a few things I’m intentionally releasing this year:

1️⃣ Guilt That Doesn’t Belong to Me

Mom guilt has a way of attaching itself to everything—our homes, our parenting, our productivity.

Can we say amen?

But guilt that doesn’t come from God doesn’t lead to growth.
It leads to exhaustion and overwhelm.

I’m learning to release the guilt and replace it with grace.

2️⃣ Unrealistic Expectations

Not every season looks the same.

What worked before might not work now—and that’s okay.
This is exactly why I focus on routines and rhythms that grow with me and adapt to different seasons.

I’m letting go of expectations that don’t fit my current season and choosing faithfulness over comparison.

3️⃣ Overcrowded Schedules

Can we stop wearing the badge of a “busy mom”?

When someone says to me, “Wow, you’re so busy,” it honestly makes me cringe. Busy is not a title I want to wear.

Busy doesn’t mean fruitful.
It doesn’t mean productive.
In fact, it often means the opposite.

This year, I’m choosing more margin in my life and in our schedules.
More room to rest.
More space to listen.
More time with my family.

One of my favorite verses reminds me why this matters:

“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10

Stillness isn’t unproductive—it’s necessary. And no, I don’t mean being lazy or binge-watching TV.
I mean intentionally stopping to listen to God.

My youngest said to me the other day, “I don’t feel like I can hear God.”
And I told her, “I know—I feel that way some days too.”

Those are the days I’m not stopping.
Those are the days I’m not being still.

I’ve learned that when I take time to listen, clarity follows, isn’t that what we want?

Trusting God With Less, Not More

We’re often tempted to believe that doing more proves our faith.

But in most cases, the opposite is true.

Trusting God sometimes looks like:

• Saying no to what doesn’t serve your family

• Slowing down, breathing and listening

• Leaving room in your calendar

Letting go requires trust. It means loosening our grip and stopping the need to control everything.

Trusting that God is working—even when we don’t see it.

If January Already Feels Heavy…

Let this be your reminder:

You don’t need all new habits.
You don’t need a longer to-do list.
You don’t need to push harder or stay constantly busy.

You might just need to let something go.

An expectation.
A commitment.
A weight you were never meant to carry.

And that alone can change the way the year feels.

A Final Thought

Sometimes the best way to move forward is to release what’s been holding us back.

When I look back at 2025, it’s easy to see what held me back in many areas—and that was fear.
Fear of failing God.
Fear of failing my family.
Fear of failing you.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t moving forward—I was.
But I was also letting fear control the pace.

There was something God had been calling me to step into for nearly ten years and I was scared.
So instead of answering the call, I filled my time with other things.

But I can’t let fear hold me back anymore.

When God calls us to something, our job isn’t to understand everything—it’s to obey.

And sometimes obedience begins by letting go.

Love and Support,

Billie-Jo