I don’t like to celebrate New Year’s. I don’t think I’m alone here, but it’s never been a holiday I’ve enjoyed.
And I really don’t like the goal-setting, life-improving, self-reflecting pressure that builds at this time of year. It feels like a really crummy time to make radical changes. It’s cold. It’s dark. Everyone is tired. It doesn't fit right, for me.
Quite frankly, I don’t believe in making any kind of changes because of a silly date on the calendar.
I do, however, believe in self-reflection and making changes—small or radical or somewhere in the middle—when it feels genuine for you.
Change takes time. For me, it works best in tiny little steps that are almost imperceptible. I like gradual change. Tweaks, if you will.
There have been times I’ve had to make radical changes for my health—like quitting alcohol all at once on August 23, 2019. I’ve also been forced into radical life changes against my will when my fiancé died. I don’t like doing things that way.
I like time to adjust. To let things settle and see how they feel. I like to change just one thing and test out whether it makes a difference. And I like being able to change it back, or change something else, when it doesn’t.
Don’t get me wrong. If you’re set on making big changes this year I am 100% rooting for you. And I’ll do my best to support you if that’s what you need.
But I’m going to be holding steady. Making tiny adjustments as needed. Checking in to make sure that the things I am directing my energy toward are serving me and the people I love. That the way I spend my time makes me happy.
And I’ll be greeting 2021 like an old friend, tonight. I’ll be glad to see it and curious about what it has in store for me. But there won’t be any shiny bells and whistles. In all likelihood, there will be a bubble bath, a book, and an early bedtime.