We begin January 1st full of hope and ready to take on new adventures and challenges, but by January 4 we realize we're still the same, our habits and routines have not changed with the strike of midnight, and the new adventures might never happen. Here's how I am rectifying the situation and grabbing hold of the new year despite the lack of sudden change.
I am your typical cliche sucker for New Year's celebrations. I cannot fathom going to bed early and not counting down to midnight, hugging friends and family and feeling the surge of hope for all that could happen in the next 365 days. But I had been especially hopeful 1.5 weeks ago when we ushered in 2025. My kids are getting older and in school and I saw all these possibilities of what I could do and accomplish now that I didn't have to entertain small children all day. I took time those days to reflect on 2024 and write down my goals and asspirations for 2025, and was ready to get to it. Like right now!
Then January 2 came, I had just written my list and as I waited impatiently for my husband to get ready to drive 3.5 hours back to our home from our holiday travels I failed one of my "resolutions" if you will...I got angry, impatient and resented my husband for seemingly not caring about me, my kids and our schedule. I mean, I had just written down that I wanted to be more patient and less resentful. What a shame and a joke I was. I couldn't last even 2 days! Disappointing to say the least.
We made it home and I struggled through a few more days of holiday vacation, but my battery was dead and I had no patience or empathy left in my tank. But finally, FINALLY, the kids went back to school and I was gifted once again with the hours of alone time I often crave and need in order to function as a human. But now what?
I had wanted this day to come, to get to that list of goals I had written and start making them happen - travel plans, become a good steward of our family budget, start a new hobby, enroll for a master's degree, spend more time with God. But all I really wanted to do was nap and watch Virgin River on Netflix. All those aspirations seemed hard, impossible, or didn't even matter anymore. Things did start to look up when a few travel plans were put on the calendar, but then I noticed I was putting a lot of stress on those plans, wanting them to happen all right now rather than over the next 6 months. I was worried the plans wouldn't work out and also hoping I would magically become the person I've longed to be which ironically is the main character of a Nancy Meyer's movie set in sunny California who owns a bakery in wine country who took life struggles with a grain of salt, did yoga every morning in the most calming setting, and drank green tea and enjoyed salad. But on January 9 I realized that even if I could become that dream woman, that person wouldn't be sufficient for me if she was only present for the 3 nights of the long weekend trip with friends. What was I going to do the rest of the inbetween days that filled up most of my calendar?
I almost frantically journaled about my frustrations and stressors of my present life situations and travel plans that were becoming difficult for various reasons and realized that I was living for these long weekends scattered throughout 2025 rather than living for the every day. I don't want a life that is just glamorous when I'm present in a new or exoctic location and my kids aren't with me. I want a life that is productive, peaceful, and integrated. I want to live for the everyday, not just the next big thing on the calendar that will end in 3 nights. To live that way isn't living, it's looking for the next escape.
I recently read the book The Plan by my favorite author and influencer, Kendra Adachi, and she speaks to this and it has changed how I want to approach my everyday. I have often struggled with the monotony of everyday life, and in short it's depressing. Instead Kendra so beautifully explains that we shouldn't strive for greatness - that is not to be our end goal - rather we should strive to live a well rounded, integrated life that encompasses all of the things so at the end of our days we have created the most beautiful canvas full of color and movement. What a dream. But maybe not...the dream of living a full life in my home with these people is here today, in this moment. That dream can be my reality so long as I, we choose to approach our everyday with intention.
Kendra repeats often "Good is here right now" and I have begun to get into the habit of repeating this as my mantra when the everyday seems chaotic and frustrating and stuck. If you are nodding your head yes, and have a tugging pull in your heart as you read this I encourage you to 1. read The Plan, 2. journal all your good happening here and now and in 2024, but also what hopes and goals you have, and 3. claim the mantra "Good is here right now". When your kid is yelling in the grocery store (not that I've ever experienced this...ever...nope...maybe yesterday): Good is here right now. A loved one is gravely sick: Good is here right now. Your spouse and you aren't on the same page and your reaching to the depths of your soul for understanding and patience: Good is here right now. You have a mountain of a work project to complete by tomorrow morning: Good is here right now.
Then talk to Jesus because He is the good that is here right now.
Happy New Year!
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