60 | Why “Next Year Will Be Different” Never Works for Christian Authors

It’s the start of a brand-new year.

New goals. New planners. New promises we’re making to ourselves — again.

“This year will be different.”

 “I’ll be more disciplined.”

 “I’ll finally stay consistent.”

And yet, if we’re honest, many Christian authors have said these same things before… only to find themselves back in the same place by March.

In this episode of Anointed Scribe, we talk about why good intentions rarely lead to lasting change — especially in your author business.

Because the issue is rarely effort, discipline, or motivation.

It’s often the foundation you’re building on.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why January doesn’t automatically reset exhaustion or burnout
• How repeated patterns form — even when you pray and plan sincerely
• The difference between movement and obedience
• Why pressure-driven goals always lead back to fatigue
• Why prayer alone doesn’t always break cycles without awareness
• And why real transformation starts with clarity, not another plan

If your writing, marketing, or growth feels heavier than it should — even though you’ve done the work and stayed faithful — this episode will help you understand why.

✨ Need clarity before setting another goal?

If your author business isn’t working the way it should — despite your effort and faithfulness — I created a short clarity quiz to help you discern what’s actually creating friction right now.

This isn’t about fixing you or trying harder.

 It’s about understanding whether the issue is strategy — or order.

👉 Take the clarity quiz here:

https://bit.ly/AnointedScribe-Quiz

Later this month, I’ll be opening a space for Christian authors who sense a deeper shift is needed — not another reset, but a rebuilding from the inside out.

I’ll share more when the time is right.

For now, start with clarity.

👉 Listen now to uncover the secret to becoming an anointed scribe!

Transcript

Foreign.

It's the start of a brand new year.

New planners,

new goals,

new intentions,

new promises we are making to ourselves again.

This year will be different. We say to ourselves, right?

I'm finally going to be disciplined. I'm really going to focus this time, and I'm not going to let myself fall behind again.

And yet, if we're honest,

many of us have said these exact same things before, right?

Maybe last January,

maybe the January before that,

Maybe for the past five Januarys.

January feels hopeful,

February feels busy, right? And by March,

we are quietly wondering why we are back in the same place again.

The same struggles, the same exhaustion, the same patterns we swore would be different this year.

So today I want to talk about something that might feel uncomfortable but incredibly freeing once you see it.

Because here's the thing.

Good intentions alone do not lead to transformation in your author business.

If effort alone was enough,

things would already be different, right?

So this episode isn't about trying harder. It's not about discipline,

productivity, or even motivation.

It's about understanding why patterns repeat.

Even when we pray,

plan, and genuinely want to change.

This is the Anointed Scribe Podcast.

I'm Urcelia Teixeira, ex real estate agent turned award winning Christian fiction author.

When I wrote my first novel on a bucket list whim, I had no idea it would spark a spiritual journey that would redefine my calling.

But you know what, friend? Self publishing wasn't easy. I got quite caught in the hustle, chasing rankings and sales while desperately trying to stay rooted in Christ.

Now, by God's grace, I'm building my author business his way. And now he's called me to help you do the same.

Welcome to the Anointed Scribe Podcast, where faith meets business for Christian writers. Let's write, publish, and grow our author business God's way. Are you ready? Well then, let's get started.

Started.

Hey, it's your author friend, Urselia. And welcome to this week's episode of Anointed Scribe. Happy New Year, friend.

If this is the first time you're tuning in, let me officially welcome you to the Anointed Scribe tribe. I'm so glad you found us. And I can tell you it is not by accident.

Anointed Scribe is where Christian authors come when they are done with a hustle and burnout cycle and ready to build differently.

Each week, I share what's actually working for building a sustainable author business.

The kind that grows without draining you.

That's led by God's voice instead of comparison and pressure.

So if you're looking for a biblical way to grow your author business,

then you are exactly where you should be, friend. So make sure you subscribe so you don't miss a single episode.

And as we step into a brand new year,

I want to gently say something that might take the pressure off immediately. And it's this January is not a reset button.

It feels like one.

It looks like one.

The world will have you believe it is one.

But most of the time it isn't. Not really.

Not unless you did a complete overhaul. Right?

Because here's what I've personally discovered after years of New Year's resolutions,

only to find myself back in the same place I started by the time June rolls around.

We don't actually start the year fresh, friend.

We start carrying forward whatever foundation we ended the previous year on.

So let me ask you this. How did you end your 2025 if you ended it exhausted, are you really starting 2026 refreshed?

If you ended last year burnt out,

did a week or two off actually restore you?

If you ended the year feeling lost and confused and without direction,

has that feeling magically disappeared just because the calendar changed?

And here's the harder question.

What are you actually going to do differently this year that will counter that exhaustion?

That will address the burnout, that will shift the pattern,

that will give you the clarity and focus and direction you've been praying for.

Because if you ended 2025 exhausted and you're starting this year with the same approach,

the same pace, the same pressure, you are probably going to end this year exhausted too.

And that's why so many well intentioned goals quietly collapse a few weeks in.

Not because you lack discipline,

but because you're trying to build on the same unstable ground in the same way.

See, there's a powerful cultural myth that January changes everything.

New calendar, new energy,

new chance. Right?

But a new calendar doesn't heal an exhausted foundation.

It's a plaster.

New goals don't fix old fatigue,

new strategies don't address misalignment,

and new routines or systems don't resolve unresolved internal pressure.

You can't build something new in the same way and expect a different result.

And yet,

many Christian authors approach January exactly this way.

Here's what we sound like when we do it like this. We say, I just need better habits,

so let me buy myself a habit tracker or I just need more discipline,

even if it means putting my family or health second.

I just need to manage my time properly.

I'm buying a pretty new planner. And if something doesn't fit into the schedule. I'm not entertaining it, right?

How about this one? I just need to push through,

even if it means I send my adrenals in overdrive.

Friend, here's the truth. I've said these exact words myself more times than I can count.

But what if the issue isn't effort or planning systems or fancy methods that promise to be the answer?

What if the issue is actually at the root, where you are building from?

Think of it like this.

If you are trying to grow a garden in depleted soil,

adding more seeds won't help.

The issue isn't the seeds, it's the soil.

You can have the best intentions, the clearest goals,

the most detailed plans.

But if the foundation you are building on is exhausted,

misaligned, or driven by fear instead of peace,

those plans will never take root.

They can't.

And this is especially true for Christian writers. Why?

Because we are not merely putting words onto paper.

We are not just running a business.

We are working out our mission, our faith for a kingdom purpose in a heavenly economy.

And when the stakes are that high,

when it's not just about productivity but about calling,

not just about output but about kingdom impact,

we have to stop and ask why?

Why do we keep repeating the same patterns?

Why is there no increase when we've just completed another new course that promised change?

Why do I still feel like I'm behind even though I'm working harder?

So let's get to the heart of it. This is the part that matters most, friend Patterns don't repeat because you are lazy.

They don't repeat because you lack faith.

They don't repeat because you are not serious enough.

They repeat because what's underneath them hasn't been addressed.

Here are a few reasons patterns tend to loop. Number one we plan from pressure instead of peace.

How many times have you set goals because you felt like you should?

You should write more. You should grow that email list. You should be more visible on social media.

You should have finished that book by now.

When Pressure is the Foundation Burnout is inevitable because pressure is not a sustainable fuel source.

It might get you started,

but it won't keep you going.

You can't discern God's direction when you are mentally and emotionally depleted.

Fatigue, clouds, clarity.

Exhaustion makes everything feel urgent.

And when you are tired, you you default to what's familiar, not what's life giving.

Reason Number two We confuse movement with obedience.

Busy doesn't equal faithful.

Productive doesn't equal fruitful.

Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness before ministry.

Moses spent 40 years in the desert before leadership,

David spent years as a shepherd before the throne.

God is never in a hurry.

But we are right.

And so we keep moving, we keep planning, we keep building,

without ever stopping to ask, is this what you are actually asking of me right now, Lord?

Reason number three. We repeat what's familiar and dare I say comfortable,

not what's healing or purposeful.

This one is subtle, but super powerful. When we are under stress,

we default to familiar patterns, even if those patterns hurt us,

even if we know they don't work,

even if we swore we'd never do it again or we'd do it differently this time. Because familiar feels safer than the unknown.

Even when familiar is exhausting,

there's a simple truth that explains so much.

What you don't heal,

you repeat.

If you are always starting the year exhausted, you'll keep burning out.

If you're always motivated by guilt, you'll keep resenting your work. If you are always building from fear, you'll never feel at rest,

no matter how much you accomplish.

This isn't a willpower issue.

It's a formation issue.

It's about what's been formed in you over time that's now shaping how you work,

write, and show up. And willpower alone can't undo formation.

Only God can.

And this brings me to something we have to talk about here. And it might feel a little uncomfortable at first, but it's important.

And it's this why prayer alone doesn't always break these cycles.

This is where I want to tread carefully. Because prayer matters deeply. Obviously,

God answers prayer. Prayer is powerful. Prayer changes things. I believe that with my entire heart.

But prayer is not a bypass for awareness.

Many of us pray for outcomes while God is addressing the roots, or he's trying to at least address the roots. But we turn a blind eye, right?

We pray, lord, help me be more consistent.

But we do nothing to create that consistency.

We pray, lord, bless my writing,

but we don't abide in him.

We pray, lord, give me breakthrough. But we don't want to let God do the transformational heart work that leads to breakthrough.

God often answers prayer by revealing what needs to change, friend,

not by instantly removing it.

When the Israelites were in the wilderness, they prayed for deliverance from Egypt.

God gave them that. But then they had to walk through the wilderness,

not because God was punishing them,

but because there was an entire slave mentality that needed to be unlearned.

They had to learn dependence. They had to learn to trust.

They had to learn that God's provision was daily and not hoarded.

The wilderness wasn't the answer to their prayer,

but it was the path to promise.

Healing requires exposure.

Light precedes change,

and sometimes the most loving thing God does is not fix the pattern,

but show us what's underneath it.

Because once we see it, we can actually address it,

not with more effort, but with submission.

So here's a sobering what if there's a different way to approach this new year?

What if this year doesn't start with goals or New Year's resolutions?

What if it starts with awareness?

Not asking what do I want to accomplish,

but rather asking what has actually been shaping how I work?

What has been driving me?

What has been draining me?

What has been sustaining me?

These questions might not give you a five year plan,

but they'll give you something more valuable. Clarity about where you actually are and where you are going.

Not where you think you should be, not where you were last year, but where you are right now.

Real change doesn't start with better plans.

It starts with seeing clearly.

Alignment before ambition,

listening before planning,

obedience before output.

And this is where many authors rush. Because awareness feels slower than action, right?

We want the plan. We want, we want the strategy. We want the clear next steps, and we want it now.

But speed has never produced lasting transformation.

Going deeper with God does.

Proverbs 19:21 says many are the plans in a person's heart,

but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Maybe the reason our plans keep falling apart isn't because we're doing them wrong.

Maybe it's because God is trying to redirect us to his purpose.

And his purpose seldom looks like our plan friend.

And this is exactly why I created my quiz.

Because when your author business isn't working the way it should,

the issue is usually not effort,

it's order.

Most authors assume they need better strategies,

better habits, or better discipline.

But often what's actually needed is clarity about what's been shaping how you work,

and why things feel heavier than they should.

This quiz isn't about fixing you.

It is a short clarity check to help you discern why your author business feels hard right now.

Even though you've been faithful and done the work.

The quiz is free,

it's quick,

the results are instant, and it will help you see what kind of shift may be needed before you set another goal or map another plan or step into 2026. You'll find the link in the show notes,

and then later this month, I'll be opening a space for authors who sense that A deeper shift is needed. Not another reset, but a rebuilding from the inside out. If you're feeling that nudging, friend, pay attention.

It's a space where we don't just talk about productivity, we talk about formation.

Not just how to write more, but how to write from a place of wholeness and joy.

I'll share more when the time is right. But if you want early bird pricing, sign up to the Revive to Thrive Way waiting list.

The link is also in the show notes.

Friend, I'll leave you with this.

If next year, this coming year is going to be different,

it won't be because you tried harder.

It will be because you built differently from a different place,

with a different foundation,

listening to a different voice.

God is not frustrated with you. He's not disappointed by your patterns.

He's not shaking his head at your repeated cycles either.

But he is inviting you deeper.

Deeper than goal setting,

deeper than planning,

deeper than productivity strategies.

He's inviting you to transformation.

He's asking for you to let him transform you.

And that invitation is not rushed. It's not pressured.

It's extended with patience,

grace and love.

So if you're tired of the cycle,

the January hope, the March disappointment, the December exhaustion, I want you to know this. There is another way.

And it doesn't start with more.

It starts with deeper.

And for some of you, that invitation will eventually lead into the Revive to Thrive Way way.

Friend, if today's episode stirred something in you,

if you found yourself thinking, yes, this is exactly where I am, I want you to know you don't have to navigate this alone.

There comes a point where information isn't enough and what's really needed is a deeper reset, a rebuilding in the right order.

The Revive to Thrive Way is a guided spirit led experience for Christian authors who are done striving,

done forcing growth, and ready to build from a place of clarity,

alignment and peace.

It's not about doing more,

it's about building differently, with God as your foundation,

not just your add on. It's the exact shifts I made myself that changed everything for me in my author life.

If you sense that this might be your next step, go to anointedscribe.com revivetothrive thank you for being here and for stewarding the calling God has placed on your life. And remember, for such a time as this,

you have been called to thrive as God's anointed scribe. I'll see you in the next episode.