Happy New Year! Turn the page. Pull out a blank canvas. Move ahead. Here are my thoughts for a new year.
During Advent I read a devotional booklet Practicing Simplicity With All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind. It helped solidify intentions that I had already identified for my life. Here are some thoughts inspired by the booklet during the four weeks of Advent.
Week One
- Focus on one thing at a time.
- Give others my full attention.
- Pay attention to one emotion at a time.
- Practice centering prayer or meditation. (Cleaning, I recently learned, can serve as a form of meditation.)
Week Two
- Turn toward God and listen.
- Live simply and freely.
- Serve others.
- Turn away from the past and turn toward the future.
Week Three
- Our bodies are important.
- We need energy and stamina.
- What is my body telling me about stress? / Our bodies are the “canary in the coal mine.”
- We are wonderfully made, have a positive body image.
Week Four
- Life can be complicated.
- Have a loving acceptance of things and people as they are—not what we wish them to be.
- We have enough.
- Simplicity is a gift that we must open intentionally—each and every day.
Journaling
In February 2025, I started a Bullet Journal. My intention for the journal was to keep me organized and focused—so that I can live a calm, peaceful, productive, and creative life. I have not been patient enough to follow through with every detail of the journal. However, I have repeatedly reminded myself of the intentions I set forth on the first page.
My journal is a space for undisturbed thinking—not about the past, but who I want to be in the present. My journal is a place to realign actions with intentions.
Taking time this year for the Advent meditations (I have had the booklet since 2016!) was part of providing undisturbed thinking about my life. Throughout the year as I wrote in my journal, I was reminded to align my actions with my intentions. This reflection prompted me to evaluate which activities are more important when viewed through the lens of who I want to be.
Passage of Time
As each year passes—especially after midlife—many of us are tired, confused, and fractured. None of us is prepared for how hard it is to be an adult. In our 20s and 30s—filled with optimism—most of the sharp edges of life are softened. We think we have time to become the people we want to be. There comes a point when reality sets in. Time is not on our side. There are fewer years ahead. Youthful naivety is replaced with pessimism, dread, or a resolution that things will never be different. Dr. Seuss says it this way:
How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flown. How did it get so late so soon?
— Dr. Seuss (1904-1991) American children’s author, illustrator, animator, and cartoonist
The passage of time need not be an enemy. Creativity is about approaching everything in life with a creative eye. The biggest creative canvas is our own life and each moment is an opportunity for curiosity and innovation. Each and every day we have opportunities to fill our lives with wonder and beauty.
I am the eternal optimist. I believe we evolve as we grow older. This past year, I have consciously asked myself to focus on activities that align with who I want to be right now. One thing is that I purposefully began reading every day—something I have wanted to do in the past, but never slowed down enough. (Read about that decision here.)
Whether we see a blank page or canvas as scary or overwhelming—remember it is also filled with possibilities. It is a gift to enter a new year.
Inspiration for the New Year
The way we spend our time defines who we are.
— Jonathan Estrin, American, television producer, writer, and director
We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year . . . we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives . . . not looking for flaws, but for potential.
— Ellen Goodman (b. 1941) American journalist and syndicated columnist
The sky isn’t the limit—the sky has no limit.
— Sarah Barker
And, as Brad Paisley says:
Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.
— Brad Paisley (b. 1972) American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist
Yes. Write a good one. Turn the page. Pull out a blank canvas. Move ahead. Make your year filled with an atmosphere of simplicity, mindfulness, and creativity. Happy New Year!
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