It is that time of the year! Time to come up with New Year’s resolutions. I have been doing this annual ritual for as long as I can remember. I don’t even know when I started the tradition.
My suspicion is that when I got a beautiful physical agenda as a gift during my high school years started me on this good intentioned but gloomy mood-inducing year-end tradition.
Focusing on the future seems a much better option to me back then and now. The tendency came from a misguided (and childish) way of believing that planning the “future” days would be all within my control! How wrong I was.
Besides, why bother thinking about the past when you know you cannot make changes.
Devouring the whole bag of chips in one sitting could be the dreadful past I prefer to forget. On the other hand, promising myself to skip the chips aisle in the grocery store would be the hopeful future in which I want to participate. By the way, the success rate of this resolution has been less than ideal….let’s just say it is no longer on the resolution list:)
Despite many missed annual goals, I still keep up with the yearly resolution ritual. I still love getting a new physical calendar every new year. Seeing it wholly untouched and in pristine condition without any notes gives me a sense of hope and optimism each new year brings.
It is “already” four days into the new year, or “brand new week” in 2024!
All the positive emotions I feel towards meeting the new year go up and down depending on how I view the time: regrets, misses in the past or excitement, possibilities in my favourite time, future.
Over the years, I started keeping detailed notes about how I was spending time and also how I was feeling at those moments through journaling and record keeping.
Seeing many Xs on my calendar indicating the missed daily exercise routines momentarily brings the negative emotion of “why bother recording” sentiment. However, I also notice those negative/unhelpful moments last shorter each year as I get older (or maybe I am getting used to the X marks!)
Seeing the pattern of more checkmarks (instead of the X’s) as the year goes on, I recognize the progress.
Spending time thinking about the past is a crucial step in how I will spend future time.
Without the reflections of the past, well-intended planning for the future is impossible.
Seeing all the checkmarks (without any reds X’s) on my brand-new calendar, I am hopeful for 2024. Then again, it has been only four days so far:)
Life Outside of Design Studio 