First of all, I wish you health and happiness for the coming year.
I want to share these words with you from Alfred Tennyson, from his poem In Memoriam, [Ring out, wild bells]:
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
I find the final stanza in the quotation above (third stanza of the poem) to be a powerful sentiment. If this is a time for retrospection or goal-setting for you, think of these words: “ring out the false, ring in the true”.
Be yourself, everyone else is taken
If you want to set new goals, don’t focus on results. As James Clear (Author of Atomic Habits) says, “think of identity, not results”. For example, if you want to write more blog posts this year, don’t set a goal to say “I will write a blog post every day”.
Think of yourself as writer. Can you identify with it?
If the answer is yes, then create small habits to support this. They will help you to become that. Don’t go for a big-bang approach to a “new you”, your enthusaism will wane if you don’t achieve something in a short time. Look for things that support your identity and values, then create habits to support them.
I find a goal such as “Publish a blog post every day” to be a death march. It is a high bar, and I feel like I am trying not to fail by missing days. I think a healthier habit would be to aim for “Spending 30 minutes writing every day”. The writing could be for an audience of one, could be about any subject, and may never be published anywhere! It is your choice. Be honest with yourself about what you are doing.
Here is a short summary of Atomic Habits if you want to explore that concept.
If you made a retrospective of the last year, what do the things listed say about you? Does that represent the person you are?
What new year?
Personally, I don’t consider the new year a momentous occasion. I don’t feel a compulsion to make resolutions.
The best time to do something is today. Obviously, you can’t do everything today, you must make choices.
I just don’t think January 1st is any more important than January 2nd. Today is the most important day, whatever day this finds you.
To reinforce this, remember that January 1st is significant because of the Gregorian calendar. This calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory, the head of the Catholic church, in 1582. Do you follow the catholic church or the sun? Our planet follows the sun, and it makes sense for you to have your waking hours to maximise daylight.
At least, 1.5 billion people do not celebrate January 1st as the new year. In many asian cultures, the lunisolar calendar is followed because the position of the sun and moon are culturally significant. They celebrate the lunar new year. The lunar new year, depending on what culture is celebrating it, can be celebrated for up to 15 days. Typically, the lunar new year is celebrated between January 20 and February 21 of the Gregorian calendar. The next lunar new year will be celebrated on January 22, 2023.
Why am I mentioning this?
It is your choice to make a date significant. Maybe, you feel that something is not optional because that is how your culture is. Don’t use dates or culture as a barrier to ringing in what is true to you.
Maybe, it is better to say “happy new day” every day, to yourself at least! 🙂
