Happy New Day!
Forget an Old Acquaintance?
A typical New Year's tradition is to get together with some friends and family, have a party, count down, yell "Happy New Year!" begin butchering "Auld Lang Syne," Google the song lyrics and meaning, scratch your head because it still doesn't make sense, then get back to the party. Or maybe just forget the old acquaintances altogether and go to bed.
Resolve
New Year's Day brings with it a sense of new beginning and fresh starts. As one year comes to a close, we tend to look back and reflect. As a new year near approaches, we tend to look forward to the possibilities and opportunities. This is a good and healthy practice often accompanied by an awareness of areas in our lives that need attention. Late December is a popular time to start thinking about making resolutions. As we assess our lives, we notice areas that need improvement and decide to either start doing something we want to do or stop doing something we don't want to do. I like the idea of resolutions, because resolve to change begins with awareness, reflection, self evaluation, and a vision to improve. However, I am not a fan of how resolutions are typically approached. Having a vision, making changes, and doing things differently is a worthwhile pursuit. Unfortunately, without a realistic plan of action, our motivation will fade, our habits will not stick, and our vision will likely never see fruition. We need more than resolve. We need the right mindset and approach.
Today's Resolution
January 1st is a special day, but so is today. Absolutely every day you wake up is a special new day filled with possibility and opportunity. The hope and promise of January 1st can be felt any day of the year. We have the option to wake up with excitement of new things to come or to treat is like any other day. Try this thinking out today. Experiment with the mindset of excitement and enthusiasm. What is something you have wanted to do? A goal you have been thinking about? A change you have been meaning to make? Today is the day to start.
1/365th
It's okay to think huge. "This year I want to..." But today, think super tiny. "Today I want to..." Instead of reflecting on last year and thinking about next year, reflect on yesterday and act today. When we break anything down into 365 small parts, and only focus on one part a day, any task feels much more manageable. And how cool to have a mini-celebration at the end of each day for our small gains instead of having to wait for January 1. Let's start today, take a cup of kindness yet, and make it a Happy New Day!
Enjoy the day!
What does Auld Lang Syne mean?
In THIS article, Brandon Spector answers the question.
Brandon is a staff writer and editor at Reader Digest. He writes,
"Auld Lang Syne” is the title and key phrase of a 1788 Scots poem by Robert Burns, typically sung on New Years Eve around the world. The phrase “auld lang syne” literally translates to “old long since,” and basically means, “days gone by.”
Thanks, Brandon! Good stuff.
But we'll still have to look this up again in January.
