Locker Room Energy for a New Year

This is your first locker room pep talk of the year, brought to you by a tired but determined mom blogger.

You know how coaches give that speech at the beginning of a season? The one that makes you sit up a little straighter and think, okay… let’s do this?
That’s what this is. For women walking into a brand-new year.

We all have things we want.

Dreams.
Goals.
Ambitions.
Ideas we keep tucked away.

Maybe you’ve already hit some of them.
Maybe you’re working toward them.
Or maybe—if we’re being honest—you’ve been scared to really go for it. Scared to commit. Scared to say it out loud because if you don’t try, you can’t fail… right?

Here’s the truth:

It’s okay to fail.
The only time you actually fail is when you quit.

A wise woman told me that once.
That wise woman also happens to be my mom. 😉

I grew up playing sports—seriously playing. My freshman year, our volleyball team went all the way to state. That season stuck with me. Not just because we won, but because we learned how to set goals, believe in them, and show up for them every single day—even when we were tired or discouraged.

We didn’t just talk about our goals.
We wrote them down.

Every single day before practice, we wrote IAOY on our hands.

It stood for something.
It meant something.
And it took us to state.

Fast forward twenty years, and I still set goals—just in a different way. Now they live on vision boards hanging in my office. Daily reminders of what I’m building, who I’m becoming, and what I’m brave enough to chase.

I’ve crossed a lot off my list over the years.
And I’m still growing—at home, in my work, in my faith.

Over Christmas break, I did a goal-setting project with my oldest daughter, Faith. When she showed me her final product? Whew. I had to blink back tears.

That girl has dreams. Big ones.
And I want her to know—deep in her bones—that she’s capable of going after them.

Now let’s be clear: setting goals doesn’t mean life rolls out a red carpet.

There will be hills.
Valleys.
Detours you didn’t plan for.
Seasons that stretch you thin.

But the key is staying the course.

I’ve seen a lot of people choosing a “word” for the year. I’ve never really done that before… but this year, I felt nudged.

My word is Becoming.

Because I’m not who I used to be—and I’m not yet who I’m called to be.
I’m becoming more confident.
More disciplined.
More obedient.
More brave.
More willing to step out even when it feels uncomfortable.

Whether you already have goals written down or you’re still figuring them out, consider this your sign.

Write it down.
Make the vision board.
Hang it somewhere you’ll see it every day.
Put yourself out there and take the first step.

Because you never know who—or what—is waiting on the other side of your obedience.

Case in point? I’m currently coming to you from the 39th floor in Vegas because my mom and I took a risk, submitted a conference proposal… and it was accepted.

See what happens when you try?

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” — Proverbs 16:3

So here’s your Her Hudl pep talk:

Don’t sit this year out.
Don’t shrink back.
Don’t let fear call the plays.

Show up.
Try.
Take the risk.
Become.

Because your dream isn’t random—and it was never meant to stay on the sidelines.