S2 E3 | How To Avoid Making New Years Resolutions
I think we can all agree that this year is as ambiguous as they come. Dare I say, the lack of resemblance to other new years is uncanny. As what has become a tradition, January 1st is the baptism into a new year: a symbolic gesture of rebirth. An extension of grace. A newfound hope. An opportunity for forgiveness. However, and it should go without saying, a new year is not the savior of the past. It seems we’ve made a habit of expecting that with the gift of another year we are also given a pardon of the past one. This expectancy is formed from either a positive or neutral ending of the previous year or an act of disparity to depart from a tragic, toxic, or an inexplicable older season. Unfortunately, it is not the reality of most that 2020 ended on anything but misfortune and with the inability to divorce from the events and experiences of the year. Despite our habitual tendencies to expect renewal of this year by the baptism of 2021, we are in the same season that last year had brought us into.
Though, it is this that needs reminding: we will begin this year as we have begun all years. With an extension of grace, a newfound hope, and an opportunity for forgiveness. This year is still a gift, one that we cannot expect but rather accept. I understand that we might be a little scattered or even shattered. We may be worn down and worn out. We might be traumatized from the past year or skeptical of the new year. In saying that last year was “hard” feels insulting to the grief, sadness, loss, and darkness I’m certain we all felt and experienced. As I offer my deepest of condolences and the vulnerability of empathy to each person that is walking into this year with me war-torn, I also offer this - may we be excused to seek resolutions for ourselves in this latter season. Instead, may we convene with the gift that this new year brings setting goals to celebrate and goals that invite a joyous rebirth. This season may be one to weather but it is not one to wither.
As I sat with myself and meditated on how I would want to honor this gift of new year, I felt a pull towards the imagery of a house. Over the past few years I had discovered and began to unearth grandiose dreams and ambitious goals for a career and livelihood that I had long since archived as a form of self preservation. It was in the last year that I had allowed myself to indulge the grandiosity and ambition. In time, I found that the place where these dreams and goals resided was in rich and fruitful ground. I imagined for myself what I could build here - what I would build here. As the seasons turned, I knew that I would need to first build a stable and secure foundation. I honor this new year by cementing 2021 as the foundation of what I will come to create.
These are the four areas I’m making as New Years goals: health, wealth, routine, and intentional space.
Health
Mental
Prioritizing moments of meditation (i.e. yoga) to slow down and be present
Physical
Incorporating exercise in my day to day - longer walks with Max, alternating weight training at the gym and running outdoors
Reconciling a relationship with food seeking nourishment rather than restriction
Emotional
Connecting with loved ones near and far
Spending time with myself to process through thoughts and feelings (i.e. journaling)
Wealth
Being conscious of things that unnecessarily demand a monetary cost and taking advantage of low cost/free things to do (i.e. museums)
Creating payment plans that will lead me to be debt free by the end of 2021 (total debt is $26,000)
Routine
Creating daily routines that support habit building of health, wealth, and intentional space
Intentional Space
Allowing myself to time to be free to create, relax, experience life, ect.
The intention behind these goals is to form fundamental habits that help me to make strides towards successes in the goals I’m setting for my career and livelihood. I thought it would be best to create a weekly schedule that I can adapt and revise as I better understand what works and what doesn’t.
Here’s to giving schedules a try!
Recording time: 1 hour 27 minutes
Edit time: 3 hours and 16 minutes
Intro and Outro Music composed by: Carl Swenson
Sound Mixing: Carl Swenson
http://carlswensonmusic.com