From My Perspective: New Year, New Word, New Outlook

Well, we’re a week into 2023. I’m happy to report I haven’t broken any New Year’s resolutions, but that’s mostly because I didn’t make any this year.

Instead, I opted to follow the quote I found on Facebook from Victoria Erickson, author of Rhythms & Roads. It reads: “Just a reminder that you don’t have to make resolutions. Or huge decisions. Or big proclamations. You can just set some sweet intentions and take each day as it comes.”

I like this approach to the new year much better. Some people will argue that resolutions cause action which “gets things done.” For a long time, I was one of those people. If I set ten resolutions and I only accomplished two or three, I was two or three ahead of where I was the last year. It’s not a bad approach but I always ended up feeling bad for what I didn’t stick to, while not really appreciating what I did.

Maybe it’s me getting a little older. Maybe it’s me not caring so much about results. Or maybe I’m just so tired of worrying about expectations I have for myself (or worse, expectations others have for me) that this new approach seemed so appealing. Whatever the reason, I’m finding it working for me.

I’m not continually stressed about all the things I haven’t done or didn’t do and I can actually focus on what I want to do and accomplish. And trust me, there’s quite a lot this year that I want to do, and even more that I actually need to accomplish. By not setting lofty, unattainable goals and resolutions, and instead setting smaller intentions and fewer things on my to-do list each day, I’ve so far been able to get more done. And I feel a whole heck of a lot better about myself and the things surrounding me in the process.

All that said, I’m still a big proponent of choosing a word for the year, and 2023 is no different. Well, maybe a little different. I usually spend the last couple of months of the previous year lamenting over a word I think will benefit me or teach me something in the coming year. I can say I did not lament, anguish or give a ton of thought to a word this year. Instead, I believe a word chose me. That word is patience. If 2023 is trying to teach me anything, so far it’s been patience.

Delayed plans, delayed orders of merchandise, delays, delays and more delays. I won’t lie, they are frustrating, but they also aren’t anything in my control. There isn’t anything I can do about them except roll with it and trust that everything truly is working out in my best interest and in perfect time. Okay, maybe it’s not the timeframe I would have chosen, but so far everything has worked out just fine, and my stress-levels aren’t completely out of control.

By definition, patience means the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering, without getting angry or upset. Yes, my life could do with a little patience. Maybe yours could too?

I wonder, if we all practiced a little more of this in our lives would it make a collective difference in our society? Not that I’m telling anyone what their word should be, or how people should act, I’m just merely pointing out an observation, or one of those “I wonder moments,” we all have from time-to-time.

Here’s what I’m finding out for myself… if I set smaller, attainable intentions and trust in timing, without losing my patience,I’m actually setting a completely new and different outlook for the coming day, week, month and year - and everything in between. I’m setting a new outlook of calm, of resilience, and of smaller steps to accomplish bigger things than a resolution has ever done for me.

I’ll try to remember to keep you all posted on how this new outlook and process work for me. In the meantime, however you’re choosing to move forward in 2023, I hope it brings you happiness. I hope it brings you blessings. And more than anything, I hope it brings you all you hope and strive for.