If you’re currently staring at your goals for the year—wondering how on earth you’re going to get it all done without burning out—I want to share a perspective shift that changed everything for me.

Often, we look at “systems” and “routines” as cold, corporate tools. But for the believer, a system is something much more profound. Systems are stewardship. When we map out our days and create order in our lives, we aren’t just trying to be “productive.” We are managing the life, the time, and the assignments God has entrusted to us. Here are three reasons why your system is the key to living out what God has for you this year.

1. Without God at the Center, the System Fails

The first truth we have to settle is this: If God isn’t at the center of our intentions, things are destined to go haywire. We can have the most beautiful planner in the world, but if the foundation isn’t built on Christ, we’re building on sand.

Systems are how we apply what we’re learning into daily action. They are the vehicle to an active relationship with our Father. Whether you want to run a marathon in November or grow your business, there is a path to get there. That path is a system. But as Proverbs 23:4 reminds us: “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.” When we rely solely on our own “hustle,” we run ourselves ragged. Stewardship means trusting His strength over our own cleverness. Trust Him enough to rest over our pursuit of busyness. 

2. Order is an Act of Worship

As a wife, mom, business owner, and corporate professional, I know what it’s like to have a million things pulling at your attention. It’s easy to feel chaotic. However, 1 Corinthians 14:40 tells us that “all things should be done decently and in order.”

‘All things’ includes your thing and most certainly includes your day.

Order isn’t just about being “tidy”—it’s about creating a space where you can actually hear from God.

3. The “Top of the Funnel”: My 5:30 AM Blueprint

In business, we talk about the “top of the funnel”—the place where everything begins and flows downward. In life, the top of the funnel is your time with the Lord.

I’ll be honest: I am not a morning person. I don’t wake up “nice.” But I’ve realized that if I don’t get up an hour before the rest of the house, I lose my day. Here is how I’m structuring my “Stewardship System” this year:

• 5:30 AM – The Wake-Up: I’m not doing anything jarring. I’m brushing my teeth, pulling my hair back, and moving.
• The Movement: I start with deep stretching. I’ve felt my body out of alignment and full of tension. Stretching releases that physical “sleep” and wakes up my brain so I can actually focus on what the Lord has to say.
• The Word & Worship: After my blood is flowing, I spend at least 30 minutes in prayer and in the Bible. Reading, praying and journaling thoughts down is how I stay active in my time with the Lord.
• The Strategy: Once I’ve filled my cup, I’m ready to pour into my kids, my home and my work for that day.

Why “Focus” is My Word of the Year

Last year, I listened to the entire Bible on the app and I’m so proud of that! But this year, I’m taking it up a notch. My word for this year is Focus. I want to be more than just “intentional”; I want to be grounded. The Word of God is our weapon. When failure, pain, or suffering arises (and they will), we must be equipped to stare down the enemy. For too long, I allowed the enemy access to my peace because I wasn’t fully equipped with the Word. This year, the system is my training ground.

💡 Suggestions for Building Your Own System

If you’re looking to build your own system of stewardship, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Identify Your “Body Budget”: Like me, you might need movement before you can meditate. Don’t feel guilty if you can’t jump straight into deep study the second you open your eyes. Stretch first!
• Audit Your “Cleverness”: Where are you trying to do it all in your own strength? Identify one area of your business or home where you’ve stopped asking God for guidance and start there.
• Stack Your Habits: If you’re busy, “background” the Word. Listen to scripture while you do the dishes or get dressed, then set aside a smaller window for “focused” study. I went the entire year ‘stacking’ the Word on top of my morning routine and it was so powerful. I would encourage you to get it in your mind however fits you in this season.

The Parable of the Talents: Multiplication Requires a Method

Lastly, when we talk about stewardship, we have to look at the story Jesus told about the three servants entrusted with “talents” or large sums of money. Matthew 25:14-30

One servant was given five talents and doubled them to ten. Another was given two and doubled them to four. But the third servant, gripped by fear, buried his talent in the ground. When the master returned, he called the third servant “wicked and lazy”—not because he lost the money, but because he did nothing with the potential he was given.

Risk vs. Recklessness

The servants who saw a return didn’t just get “lucky.” They had a system in play. To trade and multiply resources in the biblical era required a method—a way of doing business, a sequence of steps, and a willingness to take a calculated risk.

As a Christian business owner or professional, “burying your talent” looks like:

 * Letting your goals sit in a notebook without a daily action plan.

 * Waiting for “the perfect time” to start your routine.

 * Operating in chaos because you’re afraid that structure will stifle your spirit.

The servant who took the risk reaped the reward because he put his Master’s resources to work. When you create a system—like getting up at 5:30 AM to stretch and pray—you are taking a “risk” with your comfort. You are betting that the discipline of the system will yield a harvest of peace, focus, and spiritual strength.

Why the “Buried” Life Fails

The servant who buried his talent said, “I was afraid.” Fear is the greatest enemy of a good system. We often avoid setting a schedule because we’re afraid we won’t stick to it, or we’re afraid of what God might ask of us in the quiet hours of the morning.

But stewardship is the opposite of fear. Stewardship is saying, “Lord, You gave me this business, this family, and this body. I refuse to bury their potential. I will build a system that allows them to flourish.”

Don’t just “maintain” your life this year. Don’t just try to survive the 9-to-5 and the morning rush. Like the faithful servants, use your “cleverness” not to get rich for your own sake, but to build systems that multiply the impact of God’s Kingdom in your sphere of influence. 

Systems aren’t meant to cage you, they are meant to free you to be exactly who God called you to be. Take this as a note to make your daily routine an act of worship to our Father.

I’m here to help at every step of the way… nichecaldwell.com/consulting Want my blogs sent directly to your inbox every time I publish? Sign up here! nichecaldwell.com/newsletter

xo,

Niché