<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s the new year, but I don’t feel any different. Unless you count my new cold.<\/strong><\/p>\n

New years are always strange in that they traditionally start out with a heart full of hope, a head full of optimism and, equally a decent touch of nostalgia.\u00a0Conversely, nothing has set this weekend apart from most other weekends in my household, besides the bottle of champagne we shared, or my husband having a three-day weekend, or my oldest daughter being home from school.<\/p>\n

I don’t feel different exactly, but my stuffy nose\u00a0and slight grumpiness are helping me to appreciate things I normally love and take for granted—like a good workout and breathing through my nose.<\/p>\n

I’ve also\u00a0generally\u00a0rebelled against the idea of a new year’s resolution.<\/p>\n

There’s something gross about trying to make ourselves into better people only once a year—we mentally cram our already pretty worthwhile selves into some glass-Cinderella-slipper-vision of who we wish we were, rather than taking in the positives of who we already are.<\/p>\n

I work on myself throughout the year, regardless of the calendar date.<\/p>\n

I work on my temper, and my relationships, and I try to be a kind person who cares for myself and others, because that’s the way I want to live while I’m on this earth, and while I don’t think that resolutions are necessarily\u00a0a complete waste of time, I do think they’re overrated.<\/p>\n

Still, it’s inspiring to cross the threshold of a new year. It’s invigorating to step out into the cold air and breathe in the sunshine of a brand new moment when everything seems possible and everything seems throw-away too. We can throw away our bad habits and embrace new, better ones—exercise, eating and sleeping are all well-versed resolution ingredients. Moreover, we’re reminded to double-check our routines and rituals.<\/p>\n

Our habits make up who we are, but we often pay little attention to our everyday, commonplace activities.<\/p>\n

I wake up in the morning, and I turn on the gas burner. I start the hot water going in my kettle, and I measure out coffee into my aeropress, and I create my preferred flavors—with a splash of whole milk—into my favored mug. I eat one of two things for breakfast. I get my oldest daughter ready for school; I nurse the youngest. My husband gets ready for work. I exercise a little and typically write a little bit too. My days are often similar with some deviations\u00a0thrown into them—things like my daughter’s gymnastics session, or a doctor’s appointment, or a different errand add some uniqueness to my average post-coffee afternoons.<\/p>\n

We should always question our habits while appreciating them too.<\/p>\n

I appreciate that first, smooth sip of coffee, even if I do hungrily take it in as the clock counts down to the school bus arriving at the edge of our driveway. I kiss my husband as he walks out the door, and I maybe eat oatmeal instead of grainy toast with peanut butter.\u00a0My life is fulfilling because of these comforts of familiarity—of the people I love surrounding me, and good food, and my favorite jeans—yet\u00a0I’ve found that the most dramatic changes happen when we barely change at all.<\/p>\n

They happen when we drink a glass of wine less\u00a0in the evening, or when we write a page a day and it quickly becomes a book.<\/p>\n

And this year I don’t think I’ll entirely throw away the concept of new year’s resolutions, like I usually do. Instead, I think I’ll take a moment to pay more attention to who I am now, and to where I want to go.<\/p>\n

I want to remind myself to slow down and enjoy my coffee.\u00a0I want to remind myself to hug my husband when he leaves for work in the morning, even if we had a spat beforehand.\u00a0I want to pay better attention to the pathways that I’m carving—to these grooves that my existing habits are creating—on my heart and in my life.<\/p>\n

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