How to Build Momentum for 2026

Hey SGA GMC,

We all know the power of momentum. In sports, one swing can shift an entire game. The same is true in our own lives, though we often underestimate it.

Around this time last year, I read an article by Arnold Schwarzenegger about New Year’s resolutions and why they fail so often. His point was simple but profound: we tend to overestimate the power of motivation and underestimate the power of momentum. Resolutions are usually built on pure motivation and aimed directly against the momentum of our already-established habits. No wonder they often collapse under the weight of old patterns.

December is historically one of the most challenging months for maintaining healthy spiritual, physical, emotional, and financial rhythms. We overschedule, overspend, overeat, and unintentionally neglect the disciplines that nourish our souls. Then, in January, with a surge of motivation, we try to reverse weeks of negative momentum by setting bold resolutions. But motivation alone is rarely enough to overcome momentum moving in the opposite direction.

This year, I want to invite you to try something different with me.

Instead of waiting until January to “fix everything,” let’s view December as a season of grace—a month to build positive momentum rather than undo negative patterns. We’re not focusing on results, outcomes, or dramatic goals. We’re simply choosing to build small, intentional rhythms that help us enter the new year already moving in the right direction.

Think of it as developing a healthy recipe for self-care. Your “recipe” will look different from mine or anyone else’s. The point is to pay attention to what you are putting into your life. Which ingredients feed you? Which ingredients are missing? Which ones need to go?

Here are a few prompts to consider as you develop your own December recipe:

Finances – What is my gift budget? How can I give generously without unnecessary stress?
Rest – What amount of sleep helps me be my best self?
Sabbath – How can I receive God’s gift of rest more faithfully?
Nutrition – Am I fueling my body with what it truly needs?
Emotional Development – What am I feeding my mind?
Physical Development – What do I need to begin now so that, ten years from today, I’m healthier than I would otherwise be?
Relational Development – How can I intentionally invest in family and friends so there are no regrets?
Vocational/Spiritual Development – How can I grow in listening to God? What small step can I take now that will pay dividends in the future?

Friends, December is a momentum-building month whether we acknowledge it or not. The question is not if you will build momentum—the question is what kind.

Will it be intentional, healthy, and life-giving?
Or will it be unintentional, hurried, and draining?

My encouragement to you: choose wisely, with grace, and with the gentle leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Simply Seeking Him,
Jay Hanson

Rev. Jay Hanson is the conference Superintendent of the South Georgia Conference of the Global Methodist Church. Jay also serves as the pastor of the Chapel in Brunswick, GA.