The decorations are boxed and stored, the lights are unplugged, a reality check is on its way. We finally return to routine and wake knowing what day of the week it is.
There’s also the resolutions. The goals. The intentions! I mean, I know it’s not for everyone, but it’s pretty commonplace to feel like we get this fresh year and with it a fresh start. I love anything that works as a motivator or inspiration to lean into dreams, goals and aspirations, however humble or grandiose they may be.
I’ve always been a fan of Mondays for the same reason. There’s so much possibility on a Monday. So many promises and potential a fresh week can offer.
I am working on my resolutions for this year. I have some go-tos. I always re-resolve to floss more often, eat more vegetables and lower my social media scrolling. Maybe I’ll throw on some fitness goals, read more books or some other cliches, just to keep a pulse on the trends.
I was considering adding something to my little new year’s list this year but the concept is abstract so I may have to ponder it a bit more to figure out what this looks like in a more concrete way. I would like to be a better human.
See what I mean by being a bit abstract? What does it even mean to be a good human? How do I encapsulate that? And why do I want to be good? For other people? Myself? To what end?
I know a part of this is simply feeling better about how I show up in the world and perhaps feel less self-centered. I need to realign myself with my volunteer efforts. I used to do a notable amount of volunteering, but that has gone by the wayside since my kids were born.
I suppose I need to consider what qualities I believe make up a quality human being, those that I admire, and why.
I could certainly practise accepting constructive feedback more gracefully - and in a real way. My husband is sort of my inspiration on that front. I’ve watched him not only accept and implement feedback, but do so with a smile on his face.
Whereas I have to use all my brain effort to organize my face into a neutral position (a polite smile if I’m really workin’ it) and force a muffled ‘thank you’ before I find a safe, dark space to feel embarrassed and ashamed of my inability to measure up. (She’s nothing if not a dramatic girly.)
I did read something recently (that means I watched a TikTok) about how we can assess our inner-fortitude by how quickly we jump to the defensive when faced with a critique.
I was not impressed by my personal assessment on this front. My inner-fortitude was akin to burrata cheese. I’ll add that to my good-human goals this year: be OK with sucking. Or at the very least, be OK with someone else perceiving you as sucking.
Honestly though, I want to improve in this area in particular because I want to be a good collaborator. I want to be someone that people feel comfortable talking to.
Over the course of my years, my pendulum has swung from doormat to iron gate. Perhaps this year I can find myself a little closer to the centre. Here we go 2025. Let’s do the good-humaning this year.