It’s that time of year. Magazines, TV shows, and social media posts are full of information along the same theme: changes we typically make at the start of a new year.
I think this is human nature. We are going through the familiar pattern of a new calendar year but we may want a different outcome than we had with the last one. Or maybe we see a need for changes in ourselves and this natural refresh is a great time to implement it.
There is that innate urge to strive for a better life or a better self. Maybe there are eating or exercise habits we want in our lives to give us better health or a different body than we have. Maybe there are work goals we want to achieve to give us professional or personal senses of accomplishment. Maybe there are bad habits that we are dragging through our daily lives and we see how freeing it could be to let those go.
I have declared resolutions in years past of things I want to do/not do as the calendar page turns. It is interesting for me to look back in hindsight at those things I chose and the zeal I had for them on January 1st.
Even if those changes didn’t last, I think it was still worthwhile to have gone through that process. Maybe the ambitious goal wasn’t reached, but a remnant of that change is part of my daily life. I’ve taken one step towards this betterment and even if it is still a long path, I’m further along than I was.
I think this sense of a fresh start is part of the good around me. I love how this process is as relevant this year as it has been since I can remember. We want to make a change or be a change. It tells me that we want ourselves and our world to be better. I hope this new year gives you a fresh start.