How to Start the New Year Right

 I’ve often wondered why so many people obsess over the start of the New Year and make such a huge production of listing some random set of resolutions that rather quickly fall by the wayside. Don’t get me wrong. As a former coach, I believe in setting goals and stating them aloud or writing them down is an important step, but why New Year’s Resolutions? Why wait till the beginning of another year to start doing the things that will improve our lives or make us better, or at least happier people?

I suppose there is a certain logic behind the idea. New year, new start, that kind of thing. Not that there is ever a wrong time to begin making positive steps at self-improvement. I’ve heard that the most often cited resolution made for New Year’s is to lose weight. For many of us this is a worthy goal, especially after we have routinely overeaten at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Other people resolve to do a better job of sticking to their budget. Again, a worthy goal after we have so recently overspent on food and gifts and travel. Whatever tops your particular set of resolutions, allow me to offer one suggestion. Resolve to let go of the past year and all its baggage.

In my first novel, The What If Project, the main character, Jack, is convinced that his entire life has been affected, in a negative way, by one specific past event. In his mind, every bad thing that has ever happened to him can be traced back to this one moment in time. He truly believes that the only way to fix his present state is to somehow change his past. As the author, I can sum up the theme of the book in one word – regret. And don’t we all have regrets about our past decisions? Things we wish we could go back and do differently?

So, this year, let’s all resolve to stop letting our past get in the way of our present. And our future. Let’s make the conscious decision to look forward and start the year off right by giving ourselves an honest and a fresh new year unclouded by our past mistakes. Let’s wipe away the regrets and stop dwelling on the things we can’t change, but instead focus on the ones we can. Last year is gone. Let’s make this next one a truly fantastic new year!