Big '26.

Ready, Set, Grow!

Hi my love,

Happy New Year.

I think the last time I felt any kind of excitement about a new year was 2024. Last year, I was scared. This year feels different. It might sound crazy, but I'm already looking forward to the end of this year. The word is not excitement, not exactly. I don’t know how to explain the feeling yet, but all I know for now is that this year is going significant to me and that's why I’m choosing to treat this year with care. I want to be intentional with the things I do, and the way I do them.

Yeah, this year is for cooking.🙂‍↔️

Before I go into today’s letter, I want to share a small update. Letters here will now be coming bi-weekly instead of weekly. You might notice a new logo, which I think is very pretty and chic, by the way, but the name remains the same. Pieces of Chloe is still Pieces of Chloe. This little change is simply about pace. This year, I want to move at a rhythm I can sustain in this season of my life. I’m choosing depth over rushing. I want to slow down, calm down, and write with presence. Of course, there’ll always be times that I'll send letters back to back, but just be expecting my letters twice every month.

So, to the subject of today's letter…

Well, before I go on, I want to say this: sharing “new year tips” is not really my style. I’ve never been a fan of it, because I don’t believe life follows the same script for everyone. What works for one person may not work for another. But I felt impressed in my heart to share these things anyway. So I’m doing this gently , not as rules or as a formula, just as thoughts that have helped me, and that I hope will help you too.

So, tips for this year…

1. Seek God.

The first and most important thing is this: seek God.

A.W. Tozer said, “The man who has God for his treasure has all things in one.”

This year, many of us will be chasing things. Some people already have goals, plans, visions and that’s not a bad thing. I just want to remind you that in the midst of everything, seek God. Make God your possession. God is the source of all things. And once you have the source, you have everything. When you truly have God, you are not lacking, even when it feels like you are.

It’s also important that when we seek God, we don’t seek only what God can give. We seek God Himself, and everything else follows. When we focus only on outcomes, blessings, or answers, that is where our anxieties live. But when we find God, we find everything else inside Him. And even if you gain something and later lose it, if the only thing you truly possess is God, then it would not be a loss that destroys you.

2. Write it down.

Write your goals. Your targets. Your desires. Make vision boards, make prayer boards. I’ve learned over the past two years how powerful this is. Yesterday, I saw someone write a letter to her future self again. If you can do that, do it. If writing feels hard, record a voice note. Take a video. Just document what you hope to see at the end of this year, then return to it when the year ends. Write it down.

3. Journal / Remember.

I won’t place this one on everybody, but I think it’s important. To me, journaling is a form of remembering. It’s like counting your blessings. Because it is very easy to forget, easy to forget how far you’ve come, what you survived, what God did quietly. See, there would have been a reason Moses said “teach us to number our days”. Think about it.

Anyways, this came from a conversation I had with Tami the other day. We were talking about how we’ve somehow forgotten so many parts of our lives. Whole seasons. Whole moments. And it made me realise how easy it is to forget. I went through my journal from 100 level and I realized that I wrote some prayers in that book that had been answered and I didn't even know.😂

You don’t have to journal the “proper” way. It doesn’t have to be neat or aesthetic. You can write a sentence daily. You don't have to write pages. You don't even have to write at all. Take a picture. Record a video. Just keep something you can look back on at the end of the year and say, “Oh. I was in this place. This mattered.”

4. Study to show thyself approved.

I have said this before and it’s one hill that I'll die on. Whatever you do, do it well. If you won't do it well, don't even bother. If you are a student, make excellence your goal. If you are working, do it with all diligence and care. Your relationship with God? Give it your all. And when it comes to friendships, relationships, and family, treat them as a calling. Love your friends well. Love your partner rightly. Honour your family. Care deeply about the people God has entrusted to you.

5. Learn and choose growth.

Before stepping into anything, learn about it. Study it. Prepare. Ask questions. Also, this year, choose growth even when it feels uncomfortable. You should be tired of being in the same spot for so long. Excellence is never accidental. If you want to excel, know that you are stepping into it deliberately. Take your craft seriously. Let this be the year you confirm your identity in whatever you have been called to do.

6. Plan.

The Bible tells us that anyone who wants to build a house should first sit down and plan, so that they are able to finish it, and so that others will not make jest of them. Plan your days. Plan your weeks. Plan your months. Plan the year. Plan in quarters if you need to. Put systems in place that help you live according to those plans. Life will surprise you, yes! Things may not always go according to plan, yes! But, my love, planning shows that you are intentional. Be passionate about your goals. Be serious about your growth. Honestly, nobody should be unserious about their life in 2026. It’s big ‘26, okay?

Yes, I think I'm going to start using these memes again.😂

Anyways, there’s a quote I want to end this letter with:

The modern scientist has lost God amidst the wonders of the world, and in the same way, we as Christians are in danger of losing God amidst the wonders of the world.

My love, no matter your goals this year, spiritual or otherwise, make sure you do not lose God in the process. Even in the pursuit of spiritual growth, if we are not careful, we can lose the very reason we began. Let it not be said at the end of this year that distance grew between you and God.

With that being said , thank you for last year, my love. And, I believe this year will be beautiful together. I can’t wait to write the last letter of this year to you. I won’t stop writing. I don’t think I ever will. Later this year, I’m going to share with you the story of how I wanted to take a “long” break from this space this year, but our daddy in heaven said “no, my dear”.😂

Anyways, I really love that I get to share this space with God, and with you. Happy New Year once again. I love you and Jesus loves you more, always!❤️

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•If your school is also resuming next week, how are you feeling? As for me, blah blah blah sheep, I'm not feeling good.😭😭

•I discovered this song on Instagram and I think it's so relatable to most of us. Check it out whenever you can.🙂‍↔️