Another year over, and a new one just begun . . . and what have you done? So far, not a whole lot.
I read an article this morning which suggested, rather than compile a list of resolutions that will most likely be rendered meaningless by month’s end, a far better approach is to reflect on the previous year’s accomplishments before setting any future longterm goals.
Move forward by focusing on the past? An interesting concept, one that—on the surface—seems a bit counterproductive. I suppose, by recognizing success among the ruins of setbacks and failures, it is far easier to find a glimmer of hope to serve as welcome motivation in the never-ending pursuit of happiness and fulfillment.
I scrolled through countless “recaps,” if you will, on various social media channels this past New Year’s Eve, most recounting the highs and lows of 2018—some glossing over the realities a bit more than others of course; but still, a different spin on the usual proclamations that this {insert appropriate timeframe} was the “worst ever.”
No 12-month period is entirely any one thing. Some are better than others, certainly. We all have strings of bad luck and timespans when nothing seems to swing our way. But within each day, if we dare to look closely enough, there is often some… tiny… redeeming quality.
I tend to feel like, by writing things down, they will magically happen. Hence, lists. Many lists. The problem with this, as I see it, is it’s fairly easy to just… not look at them. Categories and major bullet points become dozens of subcategories, which eventually morph into multiple lists that, let’s face it, wind up becoming more overwhelming than the original outline ever was.
Four days into the year, and I’ve barely scratched the surface on any of the goals I haphazardly set for the month of January. Yes, January. One month at a time. No need to look beyond the day, the hour, the minute… whatever your particular psyche can handle.
We’re all on our own particular journeys. The important part is not when we arrive, but how we navigate the twists and turns along the way.
Week 1: Column ✔️
Published: January 4, 2019