How Will You Measure Your Days In 2025?

Every time the New Year approaches - especially during that liminal space between Christmas and New Year’s - freelancers I’ve talked to tell me that they want to get laser-focused on revenue goals, client acquisition, and hitting financial milestones.

And look — I get it. I’ve been there. These things matter. They’re part of the game. I’m actually in the middle of that myself.

But here’s a truth that only time can teach (and one I’m still learning): We’re often so consumed with growing our business that we completely neglect growing ourselves.

We’re living for work instead of building a life we actually love.

Let me share something personal.

Before I became a freelance writer, I was a pastor.

I’m still pastoral at heart, and often, verses that I’ve studied long ago in scripture come up and grant just a bit of insight into the everyday.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about Psalm 90:12: “Help us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Most people, including my past self, get this idea completely wrong.

We think it’s about mortality — about counting down our remaining time. But that’s not the real insight here.

In Hebrew, the word “number” - מָנָה or mānâ for you language nerds - isn’t about counting down days like you’re watching a clock. It’s about assigning value. In other words, weighing what matters.

And here’s the painful reality I’m facing: Last year, I was buried in work.

Good work. Profitable work. Work I’m incredibly thankful for.

But I was constantly chasing more — more productivity apps, better routines, the perfect life hacks.

With three kids and endless freelance deadlines, I wasn’t getting wiser — I was just getting busier.

Here’s what changed everything for me, and it wasn’t some fancy new tool or system. In fact, I’ve been deliberately deleting subscriptions.

Instead, I started asking myself one simple question every night:

“What made today worth numbering?”

Not what I accomplished. Not what I checked off my to-do list. But what made today actually matter?

Because here’s the truth about personal growth — it’s not about optimizing your calendar or maximizing your output.

It’s about designing a life that aligns with what truly matters to you.

So here’s my challenge to you for 2025: Before you dive into your revenue projections and client acquisition strategies, start with this nightly practice.

Take out your phone, open your voice notes app of choice (I’m a big fan of VoiceNotes), and ask yourself: “What made today worth counting?”

Just start talking. Let it flow.

Over time, you’ll start seeing patterns emerge. You’ll discover what actually matters to you — not what your inbox says should matter, not what other freelancers say should matter, but what genuinely matters to you.

Because here’s the thing about wisdom: It’s not about having all the answers.

It’s about asking better questions about how we’re spending the days we’re given.

When you design your life around that principle, everything else — your freelance career, your professional growth, your personal development — falls into place.

Remember this: When you create a life that matters, everything else matters more.

That’s not just wisdom — that’s profit.

And now, a few images from life lately.

It’s Christmas week - and that means family, presents, and a whole lot of fun (and social exhaustion, I won’t lie.)