"The sun is the same in a relative way
But you're older" Time, by Pink Floyd

Hello friends,

It's always a little shocking when we arrive at the end of another year, particularly this year, because so much of my life, my reference in time before this period, was my work, and I'm coming out of the second year of being a stay-at-home dad. That's an extraordinary job, but not one where monthly benchmarking, quarterly reporting, or yearly budget meetings keep the calendar in perspective. The fiscal year isn't a thing right now; I spend more time doing the math around dosing for antibiotics than balancing spreadsheets.

I’ve never been much for making New Year’s resolutions. I’ve also never appreciated people who downplay others’ resolutions because they’re “destined to fail.” Resolutions are fun to make and done with the best intentions. In my experience, they’re often too big to make a reality, and people feel defeated quickly.

Think of a resolution as a wish. It’s a nice thought, a dream you’d like to have come true, but without action, there’s often little more than a random chance that it will happen.

Part of this urge to make a resolution is scientific. It’s called the fresh start effect, and I’ve written about it here and here. In short, as humans, we use temporal landmarks as markers to make big decisions. Whether it’s a birthday, the first day of a month, or the big one, the first day of a new year, we find comfort in making these dates the cornerstone of our decision-making process.

There's good news for accomplishing new things. You can improve your chances of success by focusing more on your mindset and habits. I found some helpful advice rooted in psychology that focuses on just that.

Finally.

I believe in you.

I believe you want to become a better person in the new year.

You want to accomplish something important to you and those you love and care about.

You don’t need a resolution to achieve any of that. It takes daily effort, small steps, forgiveness of mistakes, and a willingness to learn how to become who you most want to be. All of that, including the failure, especially the failure, compounds in significant ways over time.

It’s not about the change you declare on a given day; it’s about how you navigate life through the coming days, weeks, and months that make the difference.

Happy New Year, folks.

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P.S.: Look for an announcement in early January about something I’m doing that could help you start a meaningful journaling habit in 2024!​
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Until next time, I'll see you on Threads and at 24 Letters. Thanks as always for your time. -Joe

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