New year, same pressure. More hustle. Bigger goals. Louder voices telling you that if you’re not accelerating, you’re falling behind. But here’s the uncomfortable truth most people don’t want to sit with: a lot of what we call “success” is just well-disguised distraction.
If you slow down long enough—and I mean actually slow down—you start to notice something. The wins that matter most aren’t the ones you post about. They’re quieter. Harder to measure. They look like showing up when it’s inconvenient. Choosing people over perks. Playing the long game when everyone else is chasing the highlight reel.
Jesus didn’t optimize for speed, scale, or status. He optimized for obedience, relationships, and legacy. And two thousand years later, we’re still talking about it.
This piece isn’t anti-work, anti-money, or anti-ambition. It’s anti-nonsense. It’s a reset. A reminder that real leadership multiplies people, not ego—and that the most important investments you’ll ever make won’t show up on a balance sheet.
If you’re heading into this year asking, “Am I running in the right direction—or just running?”
This is for you.
The Collective Agency : : Marketing, Creative & Innovation for Faith-Based Impact 