New Year, New Commitment

There’s not really a good reason to wait for January 1st to refocus, recommit and shake loose of things that aren’t doing us any good. But as much of the world pauses to take a breath before diving into the next calendar year, many of us can’t help but take it as a cue to reflect on ourselves and resolve to do better going forward. We look for bad habits to break, we think of goals we’d like to achieve, and we dream of transformation. It all starts with taking a single step. 

    Can you remember where you were a year ago? There are probably details that have gotten fuzzy, and those might have been things that seemed very important at the time. But a lot can change in twelve months. Unexpected circumstances arise, and we adapt. Your past self might be surprised by how your priorities have shifted, and what unexpected opportunities you’ve jumped on along the way. Perhaps that’s what we should all commit to at the start of the year: to take bold action, be more decisive, and commit to putting one foot in front of the other even if the destination seems impossibly far away. After all, though the past year may seem like a blur, you had to live every day of it.

We should commit to surprising ourselves, to achieve results that exceed the vision we have today. At the end of this year, we should be versions of ourselves that today’s version didn't imagine. It won’t be easy. It’ll take dedication and discipline to walk this path. It will take resilience to get over the setbacks. It may take humility to recognize when a change of plans is called for. The good news is these are all qualities that anyone can cultivate. No superpowers necessary: just a commitment to ourselves and to our loved ones to be the best people we can be. Our goals, big and small, may not be easy to achieve. But by striving to achieve them we can’t help but elevate ourselves and inspire the people around us. 

It’s alright if you have doubts. What’s important is that you commit to that first step.

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