I really love New Year’s Eve. I don’t really care for firework or staying up late; but I love welcoming the New Year. I love that we have all collectively decided to reset and I think it might be my favorite social construct. The fact that the New Year begins on a Sunday this year? *chef’s kiss* The best part? Reading my New Year’s Eve post from last year and realizing that 2022 wasn’t all bad.
“Another New Year, Another New Me”
Last year I promised to trust my decisions without distraction. I think I did pretty good. I do not miss the mental load of trying to talk myself into liking things and I actively stopped trying to second guess my decisions. Ironically, the example I used happened to me when I painted half my bedroom Alabaster and had to drive a half hour to Sherwin Williams a day later to choose a different shade of white. Oh well!
I also promised to stop being weighed down by old crap out of weird emotional attachment and guilt. C’est la vie! No more surrounding myself with things that I don’t actually like.
2023
I did not end 2022 achieving every single thing I wanted to, but I am choosing to reframe this not as failure but as “well thankfully I have things to work on in 2023”.
I have big plans this year that I am really looking forward to. However, by hyper fixating on an event six months away I realize that I am placing myself on the hedonic treadmill. One of my goals this year is to focus more of that energy on living in the present over planning for the future.
Seasons
I am actively trying to embrace the season I am in, and I mean this metaphorically and literally. Summer isn’t over and we are talking about fall. Christmas décor comes out before Halloween. By the time Boxing Day rolls around I’m ready to throw my tree out the window.
This isn’t a criticism of anyone who decorated early. Do whatever thing you need to do to bring joy into your life! I am just actively focusing less on the things I am looking forward to. I don’t want to fixate so much on summer that I miss spring and am sick of it by August.
And the Opposite
On a completely opposite note I want to have the wisdom to know when to focus on the future over the present. This means asking myself if there is something better I can be doing with my time, and asking myself this often. Less vacuuming, more writing. Living in the present does also require asking yourself what you are doing to achieve those future goals.
Happy New Year!
I hope that in one year we are celebrating all the positive changes and good news that 2023 has to bring. Good luck with your hopes and dreams for the year ahead!
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