Slow down! The year is concluding whether you’re ready or not. A question that I’ve been asking myself, and I propose now to you is, what’s the rush? 

You can look at the goals you set at the beginning of the year, but remember, whether you accomplished 90%, 50% or 1%, you made progress. In your walk with God, your understanding will continue to evolve, and you’ll soon accept that God’s plan is always best and His timing is always perfect. 

Pausing is Productive 

The first to practice the concept of pausing was God (Genesis 2:2-3), and it’s a divine gift that we should use to remain creative and effective. If you have a hard time with this, I’m right there with you because I often feel like I should be doing something, even when I take a break from business tasks. However, I’ve realized my most profitable ideas have come during periods of doing nothing, and this proves pausing is a part of our creative cycle. 

Resting is Trusting 

When you carve out time to rest and rejuvenate your mind and body, you’re showing God that you trust Him with what’s being built. Don’t make things harder than they should be by worrying and overexerting. Meditate on scriptures like Matthew 11:28-30 and Psalm 127:2 which highlight that you should not toil but instead embrace the rest God gives you, because He loves you dearly. 

Jesus demonstrated the balance between work and rest brilliantly and achieved His mission which will impact the world forever, in just three years. Anytime Jesus left everyone to pray, He was not worried about missed opportunities to perform miracles. In these times of retreat, He focused on the source that provided what was needed to keep going. Jesus was completely dependent upon God (John 15:5). When you do as Christ did and focus on your source for replenishment, you enter the most peaceful rest and come out of it fully charged and clear on your next steps. 

What Rest Looks Like in Business

The things you consistently monitor throughout the day, like social media, analytics and project management tools, could be the first things you step away from for a period of time. During this period, replace the time gaps with nourishing mental, spiritual and emotional activities. You can journal with your stream of consciousness, go for long walks, listen to music, play with your pets longer, read a fiction book, make appointments for self care and anything else that brings you back to yourself. It’s that simple. And, of course, having those transformative talks with God as you prepare for what’s next. 

So, as you prepare for a new year, give yourself permission to breathe and renew your spirit for what’s ahead. You’ve done enough, you are enough and God is still working behind the scenes as you rest. I have faith in you. 

Sheridan C. Watkins is a journalist and the owner of Perennial Peaces, a jewelry and gifts brand focused on transcending human understanding of God’s love and being a source of peace on Earth. Her true work began after victory over depression, and her calling is to provide peace through her Divine gifts to help women heal and transform their lives. Follow the mission on Instagram, Facebook & TikTok: @perennialpeaces.