A weird feeling came over me upon January’s arrival as I gazed at the fireworks outside the window of my mom’s room at Ochsner Hospital. I felt out of place in both space and time, like I should be somewhere else. I felt uneasy, unprepared, and unhappy which is the total opposite of how I usually feel entering a new year. The lack of excitement for 2024 without its clean slate and plethora of possibilities waiting in the wings to take flight were marred by an unfortunate event and the recent death of my best friend. Never in the history of my life have I entered a new year in a state of disarray, discomfort, and despair.
There is nothing wrong with grieving after a loss or feeling a sense of hopelessness after an accident. However, getting bogged down by negativity can be tempting if the grief or hopelessness remains constant. Thankfully, a negative outlook on life is not my nature. I understood that I was in a season of sorrow at the end of 2023, but oh, how I wanted to enter 2024 in a season of celebration. Life is full of surprises, some are pleasant while others not so much. When those unpleasant surprises arise, I generally take a step back, feel all the feelings, then take a deep breath, and put the unpleasantness in perspective.
Therefore, that’s exactly what I did at the beginning of January. In the past, I announced my plans for the new year along with my one-word theme on January 1st or 2nd. At the start of 2024, my plans had not even been put on paper, and I was struggling with my word for the year. Even though I accepted that I was behind in this area of my life and had plenty to catch up on, I still fretted a little over the delay. I wanted my clean slate. I wanted to begin anew.
Finally about mid-month, I settled on my word for the year, and I started writing out my 24 for 2024 List. I recently filmed a couple of videos to close out 2023 on my channel and participated in a number of readathons, including one of my own, while also preparing for another one happening in February.
I realized this week that I have actually been laying the foundation for my year ahead throughout the entire month of January. On January 4th, I started reading, The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and The Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. The meditations for the month of January are focused on clarity. Then, yesterday evening, I saw a comment on the Happier in Hollywood FaceBook Group where a woman and her family, who encountered some unexpected surprises, are starting their year on February 10th, the Lunar New Year. I thought, “What a terrific idea!“
So, dear reader, I have decided for 2024, I am starting my new year on February 10th. I will be announcing my “Happiness Trifeca” in the coming days which includes my one-word theme, my 24 for 2024 List, and the 24 in 2024 Challenge that Gretchen Rubin has chosen for this year. I look forward to sharing my aims for the year with you. Have you set resolutions or made plans for 2024? If so, did you start on the first day of January or did you pick another day to start your new year? Happiness!
“No matter how hard the past is, you can always begin again.” ~ Buddha
The Kat Files 