A new year always brings with it a sense of renewal – a chance to start fresh, set goals, and strive to grow in ways we fell short before. Many of us will make resolutions, set fitness goals, or organize our lives in pursuit of improvement. But what if, instead of just focusing on what we do, we focused on who we are becoming?
This year, I want to take a different approach to New Year’s resolutions. Rather than a list of goals, I am choosing a virtue to guide me through the year. And for 2025, I have chosen patience.
Why Choose a Virtue for the Year?
Virtues are the foundation of a holy and fulfilling life. They shape our habits, our relationships, and ultimately, our closeness to God. When we choose a virtue to focus on, we aren’t just improving ourselves; we are cooperating with grace to become the people God created us to be.
Some people pick a “word of the year” for motivation, but choosing a virtue goes deeper. It’s not just a word – it’s a spiritual practice. A virtue takes effort, prayer, and sometimes painful stretching. But through it, God refines us.
One of my favorite reminders of this comes from St. Gregory of Nyssa, who said, “The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.” That’s a powerful thought! The more we cultivate virtue, the more we reflect the image of Christ in the world.
The Call to Patience
Patience is a virtue I know I need more of. Whether it’s in waiting for prayers to be answered, dealing with daily inconveniences, or growing in my vocation, patience invites me to surrender. It’s a quiet trust in God’s perfect timing, even when I don’t understand it.
When I think about patience, I immediately think of how God is patient with us. Time and time again in Scripture, we see His endless mercy, His willingness to wait for our hearts to turn back to Him, and His faithfulness even when we falter. If God – who is perfect – can be so patient with me, why do I struggle so much to be patient with myself, others, and His timing?
St. Francis de Sales once said, “Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself.” And I think that’s where I need to start. Too often, I become impatient with my own weaknesses, expecting immediate growth rather than allowing grace to work gradually.
Patience isn’t passive – it’s active trust. It’s the ability to endure difficulty without losing hope, to wait without anxiety, and to remain at peace even when things don’t go according to plan. This year, I want to shift my mindset from seeing patience as something I must “endure” to something I can embrace with joy.
Patience in Daily Life
Patience isn’t just about waiting for big things like a job opportunity, a relationship, or a long-desired answer to prayer. It shows up in the small, ordinary moments of life:
• When you’re stuck in traffic behind a slow driver.
• When your plans fall apart at the last minute.
• When you’re interrupted while trying to get something done.
• When you’re struggling with a habit or sin you thought you had overcome.
• When someone frustrates you and you want to react instead of respond.
These moments may seem insignificant, but they are opportunities for holiness. Instead of growing frustrated, I want to use these moments as a reminder to pray and surrender. Every little moment of waiting can become a small act of trust.
How I Plan to Grow in Patience This Year
Since patience is my virtue of the year, I want to be intentional about cultivating it. Here are a few things I plan to do:
• Pray for patience daily. (And be ready for opportunities to practice it!)
• Lean on Scripture. Verses like Romans 12:12 (“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer”) will be my anchor.
• Learn from the saints. I’ll be reading more about St. Monica, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and other saints known for their perseverance.
• Embrace the waiting. Instead of fighting against delays, I’ll try to see them as invitations to trust.
• Extend patience to others. Whether in conversations, in traffic, or in relationships, I want to be slower to frustration and quicker to love.
• Fast from immediate gratification. Whether it’s taking a pause before responding to something that irritates me, waiting an extra five minutes before eating a snack, or resisting the urge to check my phone constantly, I want to train my heart to be less reactive and more at peace.
What If I Fail?
I already know I will fail at this. There will be days when I am anything but patient – when I grow frustrated, when I struggle to trust, when I want to take control instead of waiting on God.
But the beautiful thing about choosing a virtue is that growth isn’t about perfection; it’s about perseverance. The more I fail, the more opportunities I have to get up, try again, and lean on grace instead of my own strength.
The saints didn’t become virtuous overnight. They wrestled, they struggled, they fell – but they kept getting up. That’s what I want this year to be about. Not about doing patience perfectly, but about learning to trust God in the process.
What’s Your Virtue for 2025?
As we begin this new year, I encourage you to choose a virtue to focus on. Maybe it’s courage, humility, perseverance, or charity. Whatever it is, let it be a guiding light for your spiritual growth this year.
Take some time to pray about it. Ask God what He wants to cultivate in your heart. And once you choose, look for ways to actively practice it, both in big and small ways.
If you’ve already picked a virtue, I’d love to hear about it! Share yours in the comments, and let’s walk this journey together.
Wishing you a grace-filled and virtuous 2025!
Becoming 
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