My New Years Traditon

My New Years Tradition

I have a few routines. Some are like anchors. They tether me to some accountability, so I don’t get distracted.

At Christmas time, I put up decorations. I enjoy the ritual process of it, as do my tiny helpers. To the disappointment of some, my decorating has a max height of one story.

A man’s got to know his limitations.

On New Year's day, I take the outside decorations down. Contrary to southern stereotypes, I stick to a particular schedule. They go up just after Thanksgiving and are down on the 1st of the new year.

After I have packed up the final box, before carrying it to the attic for storage, I sit down with pen and paper and write a letter. The letter is to me. Well, myself in a year (actually eleven months, to be precise).

The following year after getting the boxes of decorations from storage, I open my letter. I find a quiet place to read it (a task in itself) and contemplate the differences between the letter writer and the reader.

I change a lot in a year, and it's essential to recognize that. It reinforces the lessons, especially the expensive ones.

So what do I write about? It depends on the year, but it will usually begin with what I have been thinking about and going through. I also write about goals and the direction I want to head toward in the upcoming year.

This year I thought a lot about the quality of the journey. Most of my emphasis was put there. Making the moment paramount is my primary goal, rather than some distant achievement.

As a human subject to human nature, I also need a vision. Some specific metrics to look toward and aim for. This keeps me going and is a form of accountability. Without it, I will get distracted and seek comfort telling myself I’m enjoying the journey.

This year, I aim to balance the quality of the journey and the push toward goals. For example, anyone who has been through physical therapy or had a good coach has heard the importance of the quality of the repetitions of a movement or exercise over the quantity. This means being present in mind through each movement and focusing on getting it correct. It becomes a type of mediation. This does not mean the number of reps is unimportant, but their importance is secondary to the quality. Get it the other way around, and there will be problems. With an injury, you will be getting no reps after all.

The same is true in writing. I know writers who join challenges to writing an entire novel in months. That’s very helpful for anyone that lacks motivation or discipline. For others, the result would be such a rough draft that they may spend more time repairing it than its worth.

A balance would be this: rather than saying, “I will complete a novel in the next year,” I instead commit to putting my entire focus on writing for a given amount of time each week. I still have a solid metric that holds me accountable, and my energy is put into a quality journey rather than a rushed result.

I say a given amount of time each week rather than daily because it allows me flexibility. Experience has taught me that there will be flat tires. Kids will get sick. Schedules will be rearranged. I don’t need to set myself up to be angry at these things because they get in the way of a plan I created.  Wiggle room in the metrics is imperative. After all, unrealistic goals quickly offer the justification we look for to quit them altogether. This is usually unnecessary because the goal often is a good one. The timeline was just unrealistic.

This year, my focus is on the quality of my presence in each moment. In my relationships, my writing, and all I do. As someone significant in my life said, “the point of power is always in the present moment.” We don’t have any power anywhere else.

On the theme of goals in the new year, this year, there will be an announcement of the first book in a series appropriate for all ages but most appropriate for middle-grade readers (8-12).

Happy New Year!