The whole “new year, new me” thing never made much sense to me. Why should we have to wait for a somewhat arbitrary point in time to suddenly reinvent ourselves? We can do it today, we can do it tomorrow. Every second, every minute is a chance to do things differently.
And while I understand that we all can improve and evolve in some way, sometimes I feel as if the practice of resolutions and reinventions teach us that we aren’t already enough in many ways. Many popular New Years resolutions end up being not ways we want to live more authentically, or ways we can be happier, but rather ways we can better fit it into social norms of wellbeing.
HOWEVER, I’m a massive hypocrite and I like the idea of new beginnings and I’ve been feeling a little lost lately, so here are my resolutions/how I’m going to live my best life this year!
1. Do things mindfully.
I feel like a lot of my life has become robotic and mindless. I do things without really thinking about them. And I’m not talking about important things, I’m talking about the little things. I want to be more active and mindful when deciding what to make for dinner, how to spend my leisure time, what people I want to surround myself with. These little things will end up shaping my life and who I am, and I just want to feel more all around engaged in my own existence.
2. READ MORE
Towards the tail end of 2016, I started reading for fun again, and I want to keep this streak up. I particularly want to read more authors of color, more poetry, and more books about socialism/communism. I just feel like a better, more whole version of myself when I’m reading a lot.
3. Exercise to feel better not to lose weight
Every time I’ve gone on an exercise kick, it has been to lose weight and to “look better”. This also pretty much always failed. I want to get into an exercise routine not to get skinny, but just to feel better. Personally, I want to get more flexible, increase my stamina, and exercise works for me as a way to combat anxiety.
4. Think less, do more
As a self professed over thinker, I spend a lot of time in my own head. This year I want to do more and spend less time overthinking and obsessing.
Diary of a mad brown girl 