I’ve been meaning to wax poetic on the new year. Seems like something a writerly person is supposed to do, after all.
Here’s the thing: I love new beginnings. Clean slates and fresh perspectives are my go to solution for almost anything that’s wrong with a person. So of course I love the idea of a day that celebrates our collective ability to put the past behind us and better ourselves for the future.
That being said, I think this puts a whole lot of pressure on our flawed, mistake-driven human race. It’s as though the countdown to midnight is also our countdown towards self-actualization. Quick! Figure out what you did wrong last year and resolve to fix it in the forthcomign 365 days! That should be enough time to cure anything that ails you—mind, body, or spirit! Right? Right?
And yet, so often this is not really the case. We choose overly lofty goals for ourselves that simply drive us into deeper depression when we fail to meet them. We anticipate that the coming of a new year will bring “a new you!”, somehow magically sweeping away our past errors and wrong doings.
Why are we so convinced this will happen, when every year we are presented with evidence of just the opposite? Nothing magical happens when the clock strikes midnight on January 1st. There is no transformation within us that resets each year, driving us to do new things, better things. This is all a fantasy our society has woven around us to keep us motivated. Resolve to work out more! Resolve to be a better person! Resolve to save the environment!
What does any of that even mean to us? Why does the passage of time dictate our schedule of self-evolution?
I believe that you should enact change within yourself every day. Ignore the calander. Ignore the clocks. Grow every day. Wake up each morning and resolve to do something that day that will help you take steps forward, not back. Not every day will be a success, but know that it’s okay. Because tomorrow you get another chance. Another resolution. Don’t save all of this magic within yourself for one night a year! You have the power to make big changes all the time. Every day. Every minute. Don’t let an over-hyped, over-sparkled holiday convince you it’s the right time to better yourself.
Never stop evolving.
