The air feels alchemical at the cusp of a new year. To stand on the edge where the past year, with its feats and failures, meets the next seems to inspire a capacity for magic. With this temporary power, words are spells and actions become potent enchantments—hence, I imagine, the prevalence of New Year’s resolutions.
I possess a kind of stubbornness that refuses to budge for anything arbitrary, so setting a resolution at the beginning of the year—and often these resolutions revolve around starting or breaking a habit—has always held little appeal for me. In my mind, if I wanted to create a sustainable change in my life, I would need for that decision to be fueled by a clear intention and strategy. Why would I have to wait for the first of January to start or stop something if it was that important? Conversely, would this be the right time, or am I needlessly getting ahead of myself just to fit into a random timeline? Reliance on sheer will and external pressure has historically been ineffective at getting me to adopt or drop a habit, though this may not be the case for others. Either way, I think New Year’s resolutions are only partly a lofty goal. They are largely wishes for positive change and better fortune, and this hope is no small, insignificant thing. It is the alchemy.
It is in this spirit of optimism and magic that I pose myself New Year’s questions. As I begin a new cycle, a new year with opportunities and challenges still unseen, may these questions serve as a lighthouse that keeps me from losing my way.
How do I cherish and nurture my own personal happiness while practicing genuine empathy and love for my community?
Who is my community? Who are the people I wish to be surrounded by and identified with, and why?
What kind of writer do I want to be? Who do I write for?
I’d love to know what questions you have for yourself, if any. Please share them with me below. Regardless, I wish you good health, kind weather, and even kinder strangers in your journeys this 2024. Happy new year, friend. Thank you for being here.
For the 1st one, feeling like a door mat or spoiled brat gives me a hint, then I try to find the balance.
For the 2nd, I think a diary or biography would work.
For the 3rd, maybe again a diary or biography would also work...come to think of it, maybe also for the 1st.