“New Year, New Me” doesn’t really work because as the clock strikes 12, we don’t actually change. We may have been given a new calendar year, but we are the same people with the same problems and the same bad habits.
I don’t mean to put a damper on the new year. I for one love the blank slate, fresh start idea. However, I also believe in realism. Don’t expect a new year to bring all the good into your life – you still have to work for it.
2017 was a really weird year for me. I can’t decide whether it was “good” or not. Helpful or not. I mean, yes of course it was helpful; if anything, it showed me what I don’t want and what I shouldn’t do.
Despite the confusion, there are a few things that 2017 did bring me that are note worthy, important, fantastic, or grown-inspiring which I’m sharing here to show myself (if nobody else) that even though life may seem dull or unproductive, when you look back, a lot of worthy sh*t actually happened…
- I became a lover of Chinese food
- I republished and revamped the Eternity series
- I wrote a book that I didn’t publish
- I spoke at a motivational seminar
- I freelanced
- I went to South Africa
- I went on a quad bike safari
- I went on a normal African safari
- I went to France
- I left Argos
- I got a full time writing job
- I became a more confident driver
- I had a fun summer
- I moved into a new room
- I quit jobs
- I started plotting and writing the new book series I hope to pursue next year and in the years to come
- I started the process of moving in with my partner
- I rode a horse
- I learnt some Shona
- I ate octopus
- I developed my YouTube channel
- I was interviewed
- I hosted a Goodreads giveaway
- I went for Japanese afternoon tea
- I made new friends
- I had good nights out
- I sold things online
- I read nearly 30 books
- I went in the sea (in Durban in South Africa)
- I went rage kart driving
- I went air rifle shooting
- I started to love curry
- I withdrew my self-help book with the intention to republish it better next year
- I started eating salmon
- I went to watch Jeremy Kyle live (and potentially will be on tv)
- I lived like a local in South Africa
- I started The Write Way
- I had my 2nd anniversary
- I explored France
- I did Halloweeny stuff
- I did Christmassy stuff
- I met my baby cousin for the first time (first baby in the family)
- I went to my baby cousin’s christening
- I gave blood
- I had hair changes
- I went to the sea life centre
- I met my brother’s girlfriend
- I wrote about a third of the third book in the Eternity series
- I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London
- I decided to bet on myself.
There’s a lot that I’ve done this year. Though some things may be small and potentially meaningless to other people, they were significant to me and my development. I’m living, I can see that now, and that’s what counts most of all.
So, there’s no “new year, new me” instead I want to be the same me, with a fresh start, because I’m doing just fine.
Last year my motto was “More”. I think that put a lot of pressure on me but yes, I guess, I did do “more”.
This year, my motto is simple – “It’s time.” Time for whatever I want…
S. R. Crawford 