Why New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day May Just Be My Two Favorite Days

Chances are you are either rolling your eyes at the title of this post, or like me-you find yourself eager and enthused with the start of a new year. I say this because there doesn’t seem to be any in-between when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. You either love them or you hate them.

Although I love ringing in the new year, I understand why New Year’s resolutions have earned a bad reputation. With the best of intentions, so many resolutions or goals every single year don’t even last through the end of January. There’s also the perspective that you can make a resolution any time of the year, so why make a big fuss about January. Again, I totally get this too. The truth is, I’m someone who loves to think about goals, resolutions, and the future all year long. I don’t need January as a motivator, but I can’t argue with the fact that the turning of the clock to a brand new year is indeed significant.

When it is time for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to roll around again, they can serve as a real wake up call or even a slap in the face if we aren’t doing anything at all that we want to be doing. The entire year may practically pass us by before we realize that we have remained unchanged. The beginning of a new year is a vivid reminder that time is moving right along whether we are living our lives to the fullest or not.

For several years now, Donnie and I have decided on one overarching theme or goal to focus on in the new year together, and one for us each individually. Starting in 2018, I’ve also created a yearly list of things that I want to accomplish. My yearly list has included everything from how many books I want to read, the number of mountains I want to hike, to specific habits I want to adopt. In 2019, a bonus item on my yearly list was to start a blog. I am so proud to have created Start Going Further in 2020 and so happy that I didn’t wait any longer.

Whether you are into resolutions or not-I believe we can all relate to time, gratitude, and wellness. And looking onward to 2021, focusing on these three things can serve us all well.

Time

We can’t do anything about the fact that time continues on, but we sure can control how we spend the time that we are given. Being more mindful about how we spend our time is something that we can all do. How many times do we hear the words come out of our mouth, “I just don’t have time” or “I’m so busy”. I once read the quote, “Everything on your plate you allowed to be there”. I think that this is true for the most part. If there is something you really want to do or learn, or a goal that you want to achieve-allow yourself the time to do it.

Gratitude

There are so many small things in every ordinary day that we are grateful for-but if we don’t shed light on our gratitude we may not even recognize it. Routinely choosing to practice gratitude is something very simple we can all do to benefit ourselves and those around us. Each day is a gift, let us really live this truth in 2021.

Wellness

Our overall wellness is far too important to not be a top priority. In order for us to become our best selves, it is absolutely paramount to focus on our mental and physical health. I challenge you to do something for yourself, for your mental and physical health in 2021. You won’t regret it.

There are so many ways to think through and categorize your resolutions or goals for the new year. What is most important-is to do it in a way that most resonates with you.

In the Spirit of Adventure,

Demie