Greetings, readers! How do you manage your transition from the "retiring" year to the "about-to-commence" year? Phrased alternatively, how do you prepare to meet a new year?
Many people have a specific (let alone, personal) style of bidding goodbye to a "retiring" year as they prepare to welcome a new one. Some are simply comfortable to just let the days pass by; celebrate New Year's Eve; and live life as they see fit. Some, likely, do not even bother to think about how should they enjoy the new set of 12 months.
At large, I believe that "you only live once"; connected to this is the "live your life to the fullest" principle. Another connected idea (though with a bit deeper meaning) is the "seize the day" belief. There are people who prefer to start the year right by setting goals. At times, these goals are simply the set of new year's resolutions they wanted to become or they wanted to execute to (essentially) challenge them to be better with respect to their "past selves."
I believe that we do not need a new year to identify the "resolutions" we wanted to achieve; though, I understand that there is a sense of "having a memorable starting point" if these are "enacted at the beginning of a year." Whether or not one uses the "beginning of a year" as his or her "starting point," one thing is certain : that the person wanted to achieve something or some things.
Please, with your indulgence, dear readers, allow me to share one of the many styles I'm trying to espouse as I prepare to "welcome" a new year.
Two [2] months before the current year ends, I try to revisit which goals for the current year have I accomplished; which of the action items have been deferred; which of the achievements were unplanned; among many other stuff. I draft a set of goals for the next year. This "set of goals" may not be a set of entirely new goals; at times, it's a mix of [a] new goal[s], [a] previous goal[s] that I was not able to achieve, and [a] previous goal[s] that was/were achieved but can still be calibrated to be on "a higher level."
I prefer having these goals written on a journal or a diary or a planner or whichever (maintainable) notebook. There were years when I also tried using a gadget to have these documented digitally. I believe that, many times, one has to challenge his / her self seeing (and reading) a clearly documented goal to help him / her remember his / her "commitment[s]" and even measure the progress of [each of] the commitment[s].
I am doing my best to set goals that will be reasonably challenging (but achievable). As best as I could, I avoid setting goals that are easy to achieve; though, it's okay. I strike a balance. I believe that by always setting targets that are easy to achieve, you are keeping yourself contained within your comfort zone. However, if you're a type of a person who is not (yet) comfortable to get out of the said zone, it's fine. After all, that's how you wanted to live your life; likely, that's how you see yourself "living your life to the fullest."
Again, readers, how do you manage your transition from the "retiring" year to the "about-to-commence" year? Phrased alternatively, how do you prepare to meet a new year? With your indulgence, may you share by replying to / commenting on this post?