I am not great with new years.
I tend to find the ending, daunting; and the expectations, a little too much to take.
I get a little scared that I will wake up, on the first of January, to a completely alien landscape –
Or that it will be completely the same.
For a few years, I worried that I wouldn’t wake up at all.
I’ve clearly brought into the ‘new year new you’ hype and the inevitable annual apocalypse; so, this year, I’m getting prepared, and I’m trying to enter 2010 on a more positive footing –
It is an opportunity, and not an ending.
Step 1. A little reflection.
2008 was all about giving up bingeing; and 2009 about stopping smoking – and then getting to a healthy weight. The two were not connected, – but they were both big steps in the right direction.
If you look at how far you’ve come in just one year, the prospect of another one is quite exciting. And, if it doesn’t feel like you’ve gone anywhere (2001-8), then it’s an excuse to draw a line in the sand and use the new year as an excuse to try something a bit different –
Step 2. An opportunity for change.
I am as bad with change as I am with new years (no big surprises there!); and, any big alteration to my daily routine demands a justification or an excuse. New Year does just that. I can stop taking 45 minutes to complete my pre-prescribed morning routine because things are fundamentally different now that there is a 10 – instead of a 09 – at the end of the date. I can try a few new foods next year, because there’s a “reason” to do something a bit different which might just pass my head’s firm demands –
It’s all about looking forward – which is step 3.
When you’re caught up in the minutiae of daily life, it’s easy to get lost in the detail and forget where you’re going. New Years let you stop.
Think.
And reassess.
Resolutions don’t really do it for me; however, it’s good to have a sense of direction and a few things you’d like to tick off at the end of the next year –
So, this year, I’m keeping my fears in check and remaining optimistic; because, you can change your life in a year, even if overnight’s a bit of a tall order.
Tags: change, christmas, Positivity
