Another new year, a fresh start...
One of my goals last year was to write and publish something on my newsletter at least once a week. I almost made it as looking back, I published my thoughts forty-two out of fifty-two weeks. I thought that was pretty good as I’m not always the best at reaching my goals.
One of my other targets was to write something on a daily basis but not to necessarily share with the world. By my calculations, I wrote one hundred and thirty-seven times. It’s not every day but it’s more than one third of the year. For an old fart like me, I pleased.
If you don’t set goals, it’s harder to reach them. Looking back, even if you don’t hit all of your objectives, unlike horseshoes and hand grenades, close is better than doing nothing at all.
My point? (Do I ever have a point?) Well, yes, I do. It’s a new year. Things that we don’t like about ourselves, or we wish we can change, January 1st is a man-made opportunity to make some changes in our life, or our behaviors and habits.
I follow several newsletters from writers I enjoy. They offered advice for the new year. I’ve read through them and revised some of their thoughts a bit.
It’s not always best to just try harder. If you want to, perhaps, read forty-five books a year, exercise eight days a week or maybe even stop eating chocolate for breakfast, well, you’re not necessarily going to do these. Make changes but make them reasonable. Simply work on something that is right for you. Baby steps. Push a little bit but make achievable goals.
Do you, like me, waste time on meaningless stuff? Try to think of the what’s better for you in the long run. Will I spend time with friends or watch another episode of Chicago Fire on Netflix? I know that black, leather recliner feels awesome, but would it be better to read a good book or do some writing each night? If you look to stop wasting time, put limits on how much time you spend doom scrolling on your phone. (On your iPhone, go to Settings/Screen time and set limits. Do so right away. Thanks for the hint, Rick.)
One of those sappy quotes about better to have loved and lost is somewhat true. Whatever you’re struggling to do, shoot your shot. Whether it’s asking a friend to help you with a project, even though you hate asking for help, just ask. If you have no plans for New Year’s Eve, call your crazy friends and spend the night playing ‘Cards Against Humanity’ while drinking a nice cold beverage. You’ll still be home by midnight to fall asleep in your chair before Ryan Seacrest or Dick Clark says, ‘Happy New Year Rockin’ Eve!’. 99% of the time, the pain of failure or rejection is a hundred times better than living with ‘what if’ for the rest of your life.
If you’re thinking of an old friend or relative, give them a call. It's a shame that we often wait until a person's funeral to say all of the nice things we thought about them. The next time you have a positive thought about someone—no matter how small or insignificant it may be—tell them right then. A text is nice but call them… call them now!
While we’re at it, hug your loved ones like it might be the last time you see them. Life is short. Hold those hugs just a little bit longer than you normally would. Hug like it might be the last time you see them. You never know when it will be.
That’s all I got. There are a million changes people say we should try to make this time of year. Will we do them? Maybe. Maybe not. But if you pick one or two small ones, who knows?
Happy New Year!