There is something magical about the start of the New Year. It almost always feels like a blank page and the immediate erasure of all the things we didn’t like before the clock struck 12. The air is always filled with so much merriment and anticipation that it’s not hard for one to be hopeful and excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.
Perhaps this whimsical fairytale fascination has grown on me after all those years of seeing my parents dressing to their nines like clockwork every year to ring in the New Year and being routinely shut down when asked to join in. I was so desperate to experience the magic that happens at midnight.
For many it can feel like just another day and for the most part it is. I too am a strong believer that the construct of time is only there to help us to navigate, maintain some sort of order in our lives and serve as a marker to life events. While such thinking can make resolutions feel unnecessary, for those who are like me and bask into the euphoria of its magic, here is my list of a few reminders I am trying to hold onto for 2024
1. To try my utmost to not overcommit. An exhausted you would never be able to enjoy the moment which only leaves room for resentment afterwards. Become comfortable with letting people down.
2. The fear of missing out and not hitting all your targets (even the photo targets when on vacation) really puts a damper on being in the present. It also somehow manages to cultivate a sense of never enough. Try your best to roll with the punches and find the joy in the moments you manage to have. Most times it’s there where the core memories reside
3. Take the easy option if you can afford it when travelling. There is no need to over complicate yourself with 5 micro bags. Travelling is already a hassle and if anything airports these days are unpredictable.
4. Welcome compliments instead of trying to throw them back at the person giving them. Try to memorise the line ‘that’s such a kind thing to say; thank you’ when you receive one and your cheeks turn red. Bask in them and practise the art of giving them to other people. Stop feeling bad about being encouraged to feel good about yourself.
5. Stop anticipating that people should know how you feel and start making things clear (in a polite and respectful manner of course). So much time is lost plotting and scheming based on estimations no one has made clear. Stop constructing a catastrophe in your mind.
6. Stop waiting for special occasions to buy clothes. More often than not it is in those moments that there is hardly anything to be found. Clothing and fashion are meant to be enjoyed not to be saved for manufactured special moments. The special moment is now.
With that being said, Happy New Year. Here is to hoping it’s a magical one and yes I did dress to my nines to ring in the new year.
