Summary

The article discusses the author's evolving perspective on New Year's Eve celebrations and the significance of setting realistic personal goals for 2023, emphasizing mental well-being, consistency, and passion-related objectives.

Abstract

As the author reflects on past New Year's Eve celebrations, they acknowledge a growing sense of the event's anti-climactic nature, recognizing it as merely a date change. Despite understanding the excitement surrounding the new year as a symbol of fresh beginnings, the author emphasizes that substantial change is not bound by the calendar. They advocate for starting anew at any time by choice. The author's resolutions for 2023 focus on controllable aspects of life, such as managing anxiety, protecting personal energy, establishing stronger boundaries, and nurturing consistent engagement with personal passions like art and writing. These goals are designed to avoid the trap of unrealistic expectations and the resulting anxiety, with the understanding that progress can be reignited at any point, regardless of the date.

Opinions

New Year's Eve is increasingly seen as an ordinary date change rather than a significant event.
The author values the sentiment of a fresh start but believes in the possibility of change at any time, not just at the beginning of a new year.
Unrealistic goals, such as financial success or the success of a business, are viewed as anxiety-inducing and are replaced with goals centered on personal control and well-being.
The author prioritizes mental health goals, including better anxiety management and stronger personal boundaries.
There is an emphasis on consistent effort in pursuing passions, such as art and writing, and sharing them with others.
The author recommends reading more books as a way to foster personal growth and passion.
They endorse the idea of resilience and the ability to restart one's efforts towards goals at any time during the year.
The author suggests two articles for further reading, one on the multicultural aspects of Christmas in the UK and another on the mental and physical benefits of spending time in nature.
The author invites readers to become part of the Medium community, to connect on social media, and to support their work through tips.

Moving Into 2023

New Year, New Energy

I remember a while ago one of my friends who is a few years older than me said the more you grow older, the more you realise how anti-climatic celebrating New Year's Eve is because it is just a change in date.

As the years passed, I can see myself understanding his words more as I used to make such a big deal out of New Year's Eve and had to have plans to ring in the new year but it’s true it is just another date on the calendar.

I still do understand the hype though.

For a lot of people, this signifies a fresh start but a fresh start doesn’t necessarily mean that the slate is going to be wiped clean and we get to begin again.

Our worries and stresses from the 31st will not be wiped away as soon as the clock strikes midnight.

Though it is invigorating to feel the fresh new energy of the new year and to make resolutions, the more time that passed the more I realized that change can be made at any time, regardless of the date or what phase the moon is in.

We can start whenever we want; we just have to choose to do so.

With that said, it doesn’t mean that I will not be heading into the New Year without resolutions.

I just don’t want to fall into the trap of making unrealistic goals.

I don’t want to set myself goals like, I need to be making more money on Medium or that I want my art business to take off because these are things that are out of my control and will only provoke my anxiety further.

I can’t control how many people read my work or buy my art but I can control how I show up and how consistent I am.

My goals this year are predominately mental goals.

I want to be in better control of my anxiety.

I want to be more protective of my energy.

I want to have stronger boundaries.

I also want to have passion-related goals too.

I want to show up for both my art and writing on a regular basis, even on the days I do not feel motivated.

I want to read more books.

I want to share more of my art and writing with the world.

These are all goals that are within my control.

If I put in the effort to practice these goals on a daily basis, then the desired results that are out of my control will become inevitable.

I am also going into the new year knowing that even if I fall short of my goals throughout the course of the year, I can always pick myself back up and start again no matter the date on the calendar.

I highly recommend these great reads!

I love this article by Dr. Preeti highlighting how multicultural the UK is, someone from the UK I greatly appreciated this!

Celebrate Christmas With The U.K.The Most Multi-Cultural Country In The World

Christmas fun in the UK with different communities

medium.com

I have always been such a huge advocate for spending time in nature and B.R. Shenoy conveys how refreshing it really is for our mind, body, and soul.

The Healing Power of Nature

The benefits of a walk in the great outdoors

medium.com

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