Goals and Resolutions
The new year often starts with a flurry of activity, coupled with unrealistic goals and expectations.
A list of New Year’s Resolutions might look something like:
Get up every day at 5am
Go to the gym 6 days a week
Lose 30 pounds this year
Serve three new home-cooked meals each day
Read 50 new books
Or some zero-to-sixty variation of this list.
It’s no wonder we have often “failed” these new resolutions by the second week of January and given up on them altogether before February.
Wintering During Winter
A perfect winter scene!
Although it’s only winter for some of the globe right now, that is my only experience and therefore the only angle from which I can personally speak. According to the Gregorian Calendar, winter has only just begun and daylight will continue to be minimal for a few months yet.
With modern technologies we’ve managed to bypass many inconveniences of winter, like easily turning on the heat when we’re cold or the lights when it gets dark. But this has only been true in recent human history. In the past, even with the heat “on” it was still cold. And our early lighting sources were quite dim and costly. So during the winter months people simply did less, hybernated more, rested and slept, made crafts, read or told stories, and many other hibernation activities. Our bodies are not necessarily designed to push through the year endlessly on hyperdrive.
Start By Taking It Slow
So at least during the first few weeks of January, I’d encourage you to take it slow. Recover and recuperate from a busy bustle of holidays from Halloween to Thanksgiving, then December holidays to New Year’s celebrations. Celebrations are important and getting together with friends and loved ones even more so, but the commercialization of these holidays in recent years has made them extra stressful with high expectations and many emotional and physical demands. During the next couple of months let’s step back and rest.
Ideas For Rest
Here are a few ideas that might help you slow down this January:
Journal or free-write: Reflect on your inner world, or write something for fun.
Read: Screens affect us differently than analog tools. Try unplugging for a little while to get wrapped up in a good book.
Walk: Even in the cold, a walk out in nature will do wonders to restore your spirit and get your body in motion. Look into “forest bathing” or “shinrin-yoku” to learn more about the benefits of being in nature.
Dabble with an old hobby: It can be hard for us to pursue hobbies that don’t “lead us anywhere.” I, too, personally struggle with this. Though, as we’ve discovered in my post here, creativity can fuel inspiration in other areas of your life. Do the hobby because of (not despite) its only purpose being for enjoyment. How much of that do we do these days?
Listen to or play music: Make a playlist, pick up an instrument, sing with friends. (They say “music soothes the soul.”)
Eat healthy foods: Shop seasonal items from your local farmer’s market and cook hearty winter foods like root vegetables in stews, lentils and beans, etc. (Chat with a qualified nutritionist for the best ideas.) Not only do they warm you from the inside but they’ll help sustain your energy levels during the cold months.
Try mindfulness or meditation: Listen to some guided meditations or simply sit in a moment a bit longer than you might otherwise. Notice small things. Sit in your boredom. Draw a picture or take a photograph of everyday things.
Hide your phone or other digital devices in a box for a day: See how this affects what you do with your time. (I highly recommend Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism!)
Have a small get-together: Play board games or enjoy other simple pastimes with friends and loved ones. “Slow” does not have to mean “alone.” Getting together is a great way to be restored and connect, but try removing all of the fanfare from the process and just get back to basics. Meet at a coffee shop for a chat, or have a friend over for a simple cup of tea. Host a small gathering of friends for charades or conversation cards. Try a “no preparation” gathering.
Reflect and dream: Trying to make large resolutions right now might not be the most effective, but we can still use this time to reflect on another year gone by and dream ahead for what we want the new year to look like. You can dream nebulously even if you don’t make a “Resolutions” list like my warning above. I’ve created a 2024 New Year’s Planner to assist with this process. Do the reflection and dreaming sections, but don’t worry about planning out the details until you’ve gotten sufficient rest from the above activities.
Do you have other activities that bring you peace and calm during this time of year? What are they? Let us know in the comments below so we can try them too!
I hope you have a restful beginning to the new year.
