Happy New Year!
January 2nd is one of the most important days of the year for me, and one that is full of emotions, dreams, and reflections.
The older I get, the harder it is to stay up after midnight and function the next day, especially if there was a celebration in tow. That makes January 1st generally a blur, a day where I feel more but think less, until the morning of the 2nd.
January 2nd is a clarifying day as the New Year’s Eve fog clears and day two of our newly minted resolutions begins.
It’s an emotional day – where I deeply feel and recognize the vast expanse of time in my reality. I see it in my aging parents, myself, and my growing children.
I put myself in a space with these constructs wrapped around me and see how I feel. It often gets uncomfortable. But, it all sets in and moves me either toward or away from future actions.
As I reflect on this stage of my life, I wonder what new version of myself am I creating? What reimagined self will emerge? And am I fully immersed in these moments or merely observing them. After all, my kids will never be 7, 5, 4 and 1 again. Am I doing the things at home that will allow me to enjoy my children as they are today? I need to be fully present and enjoying this time.
While January 1st may arrive with a hangover, January 2nd arrives with questions. Am I doing what I need to do at work? Am I being the leader the organization needs to achieve our goals? Where were my priorities throughout the past year? Where should they be starting now? Will I start a new challenge or streak? Is it time to start exercising?
Even more questions: Who am I going to be? Who do I need to be consistently in order to become that person? How do I plan to set my priorities and vision for the new year, and once I have that vision, how will I keep it front and center?
I recently turned 40 years young, and I realize now more than ever, that time is fleeting. I will never have more energy and youth than I do today. The time to take action is now. The time to be the person I want to be is now. I must not let another year slip by without making meaningful progress in my personal growth.
This year, I must be a great father, husband, and business owner. There is a list of things I must do as a result of these ambitions. There will be an equally long list of things I must give up to balance the equation.
Now, as January 3rd approaches, followed by the 4th, 5th, 6th, and the remainder of the year, I must remember the way I feel about the things for which I care most, and the person I need to be to get the things I want. Only then can I make meaningful changes in my search to be better.
Be well and God bless.
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