New Year, New You, Same Beautiful Chaos

Reflecting on what it means to be human 365 days a year

Out with the old and in with the new

Happy new year! It's that time again, when we reflect on all we've learned about ourselves and the world, distill the experiences of the last 365 days into a precious granite of wisdom and truth, and set out into the new year armed with a better understanding of our personal desires, flaws, and drives as well as how humanity as a whole works.

Um, wut? No, no, no. We pretty much never do that.

We remember the highest highs and the lowest lows, broadly label them as successes and failures, dole out the credit or the blame, and maybe scratch out a list of resolutions to recreate or avoid these same events again this year.

Harken back to January 1, 2024. How did you spend the day?

Did you wake up early, hit the gym, eat all the healthy foods, take vitamins, stretch, avoid bad chemicals, tell your loved ones how much they mean to you, write your holiday thank you cards, make a year-long to-do list and a bucket list and a motivating get-shit-done playlist, read the first chapter of that personal growth book you got for Christmas, take a hike, take a nap, avoid tv, plan a spring garden, clean out your closet and your pantry and head to the local donations drop off, meal prep for the week, and then get to bed by 930?

No?

Did you wake up at noon all hungover and then wallow in the bed for an hour, head to the local fast food joint for some salty fat in the form of a cheeseburger and fries, regret a few things you might have said or done the night before, regret regretting those, doom scroll for an hour to see how others spent their New Years Eve, ...

No?

Maybe some of both? Maybe something completely different? Maybe you don't even really remember?

The thing is, it doesn't matter.

Why doesn't it matter? Because you are not the same person you were 365 days ago.

Each day of the past year chipped away at the "you" from 2023, sculpting someone new, someone with insights, scars, victories, and a few questionable life choices. But all of that is real and raw and undeniably you.

New Year's Day isn’t a magical reset button; it’s just another step in your journey. What counts isn’t how perfect or disastrous the day looks but how we each take what we’ve learned, day by day, and keep showing up to announce, "We are here! Bring it on, Life!"

This year, maybe you can take a gentler approach. Start small. Add more good. Do something, just one small thing, that makes you love being alive, even if it’s as simple as drinking water or watching the sunrise.

Because growth isn’t about a perfect New Year’s Day or a flawless 365 ahead. It’s about the joyfully messy and chaotically beautiful business of being human, one imperfect step at a time.