A Slightly Heretical Look at the New Year
January 1, 2021…I know that many people waited with anticipation last night as the clock’s hands moved to 12:01, hoping that they were a magic wand that had the power to sweep away all of the challenges that accompanied us through 2020. I am a realist and have never been one for fairytales. And honestly, New Year’s Eve has never been on my list of top days to celebrate. There is no magic that comes with a new year. The same people who were struggling and hurting at 11:59 on December 31, 2020 will still be struggling and hurting at 12:01 on January 1, 2021. COVID-19 is still a factor in the lives of every single human being on this planet. It did not go away. Those people who have been wearing masks and have been practicing social distancing for the last nine months will continuer to do so well into this new year and, sadly, those who still believe that this virus is not serious will continue to make life a living hell for the healthcare workers who see every single day the seriousness of this virus and for all of those working tirelessly to put an end to the spread of COVID-19. I don’t mean this to sound hopeless, because I do believe that hope will carry us to better times. But I also believe that with the gift of hope comes an obligation to protect that gift.
We spent last evening at home. I had canned soup and crackers for dinner. Weber had leftovers. He then retreated to the office to watch bullet jornaling videos on YouTube. I curled up in the recliner in my pajamas under an afghan and three dogs and read magazines on my iPad. (Access to all kinds of magazines thanks to the new Apple One plan could become a big time suck for me!) We didn’t even have the TV on to watch our local NYE fireworks broadcast. With the exception of Weber wandering into the den a little after midnight and saying “Happy New Year,” our evening was like most others…simple and calm…just the way we like it.
We awoke this morning to a new day, like we do every day. I think this is where the rub of New Years gets me. Every single day, we have the same oipportunities that we do with the dawning of a new year. Any day can become the day that we begin to work toward achieving a new goal or breaking a an undesirable habit. Any day can be the day when we start to eat more fruits and veggies and fewer cookies and chips. Any day can be the day that we decide to rise with the sun and go for a morning walk. Any day can be the day when we call someone with whom we need to make amends. Any day can be the day we choose to be happy and embrace joy. We don’t have to wait for a new year to come to give us permission to embrace something new in our lives. How much life is wasted because we have said, I’ll do that next year; it will be my New Year’s resolution?
And how much stress do we place on ourselves by making these grand resolutions…everything we want to change about ourselves and our lives gets wrapped up into New Year’s Resolutions. We are going to eat better, get more sleep, be more kind, spend less money, exercise regularly, stay in touch with friends and family…and the list goes on. We think we can do all of these things just because it is a new year. Spoiler Alert: As I said above, there is no magic wand that is waved at midnight that makes any of these things easier to do today than they would have been yesterday. All a mile long list of New Year’s resolutions does is set us up for failure. Why do we do this to ourselves?
I believe that every day brings with it the same promise, hope, and potential as does January 1. We can choose to start anew on any day. We can choose to leave failure behind and embrace possibility just as well on February 9 or July 26 as we can on January 1. We can formulate and begin to work toward new goals on any day of the year. We don’t have to wait until January 1. We can also abandon a goal at any point if it has proven to be unhealthy for our body, mind, or spirit. Just because we professed on January 1 that we were going to do something for an entire year doesn’t mean that we have to remain true to that resolution if it compromises our well-being in some way. Reflection and redirection are not failures.
As I said in my previous post, I have made a list of 60 things that I want to do before I turn sixty next December. They are not resolutions, but some are goals. I will do my best to achieve those goals, but if I have to re-evaluate at some point between now and then, I will do so because the first two things on my list are:
- Be happy.
- Be kind to myself.
If you are one that feels like you have to make New Year’s resolutions, feel free to borrow these two. Practicing happiness and kindness toward yourself…and others…makes any other personal goals much more attainable.
Rather than concluding this post with the obligatory Happy New Year, I’ll simply say, “Happy New Day.” This way, no matter when you may be reading these words, today brings with it the same excitement, hope, and potential as does any other day.
May you find blessings that you need today.
One thought on “A Slightly Heretical Look at the New Year”
Kris,
I totally agree with your observations and comments. I do make a slightly more special dinner for NYE but otherwise it is just another low key evening at home. Every day is a day for living, committing, sharing, and finding joy.
This past year has actually given me more uncommitted time at home. I have tried daily to use some part of that time to really evaluate what is important vs. urgent. I have turned those decisions into goals and actionable plans. As you said, we have to reevaluate our plans from time to time and I do. But for the most part I have been able to make significant progress on improving my health, finding more joy in my garden, and to give more freely of my time to help others. Each day’s successes generate the inner energy and joy to tackle the next day.
I also try to understand the forces that work to prevent success and to limit joy. Accepting that I can not “fix” everything, and can not solve other’s problems for them has been challenging. By my very nature I am a “doer”, a “prolem solver”. But letting go of situations I can’t change, fix, resolve, or otherwise improve has been liberating and empowering. Time that previously would have been spent on the unchangeable is now redirected each day to things I can change. And the success of those changes bring more energy and more joy to tackle another to-do on my list.
As they say, “rinse and repeat” daily!
Thanks for sharing your insights.
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