New Year, Same Me
Thoughts on New Year's resolutions, my word of the year, and what's in/out for 2023
It’s the time of year where everyone is resolving to be the best version of themselves, and let me tell you, I am not about it. I’ll admit that I’ve done this in the past, but unsurprisingly, nothing ever really stuck. First of all, the Gregorian calendar New Year falls smack dab in the middle of winter, a time when most creatures are hibernating. Throw in Mars and Mercury both being in retrograde, which means feeling low on motivation and high on reflection. So no, I didn’t feel like going all out on anything on January 1st. I wanted to sleep in, eat carbs, reflect, and set reasonable intentions. Even though there’s something about flipping the calendar that makes us want to start fresh, the reality is that it’s arbitrary; you can be a goal-getter any day of the year. So if you’ve been resenting the New Year hustle and want a permission slip to reject it, here it is. Not that you need it. ;) That said, the Lunar New Year is coming up on January 22nd, so if you’re feeling more of that fresh start energy more recently like I am, you’re right on time!
One trend that I have hopped on is choosing a focus word or phrase as a simple intention to ground me throughout the year. 2022’s word was Joy, which was a welcome reprieve after the heaviness of 2020 and 2021. Just a few days before the new year, my 2023 word randomly popped into my head in the shower: Savor.
At first I was like, “Really?” But I’m trying to trust my intuition in little ways, so I sat with it for a while and uncovered what the word means for me. To savor is more than just being present. It’s intentionally slowing down and luxuriating in each experience, making it stretch out as long as you can. We savor a bite of delicious food, the feeling of warm sunshine on your face, a beautiful view, the first sip of coffee in the morning, a really good hug. It’s a gratitude practice, recognizing the abundance that’s present in your life right now and basking in it rather than always trying to chase the next big thing. Anyone interested in personal development can fall into the trap of thinking that being satisfied means that we’re stagnant, which simply isn’t true. You can dream and reach for more while still loving and/or accepting what is.
Do you do resolutions? Intentions? Focus words? All or none of the above? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you. :)
What’s In/Out for 2023
I’ve been seeing a lot of articles and social media posts about what’s in or out for the new year, and I thought it was super fun. So I’m sharing a non-exhaustive list of what’s in/out for me.
In: Flow / Out: Force
Hustle culture would have us believe that we need to push towards our goals no matter what, to produce consistently based on others’ expectations. While there’s certainly a place for structure, discipline, and consistency, I find that I do my best work (especially creative work) when I’m in a “flow” state. When I create from a place of genuine desire and inspiration, the ideas come easily, time flies by, and I’m much more productive. I also find that opportunities almost magically appear when I’m not trying to force it, or agonizing over whether I’m doing the right thing. We don’t always have the luxury of only doing things when we feel like it, obviously, but it’s helpful to observe what we meet with resistance and what we could work on for hours.
In a random conversation with a fellow intuitive at an expo last fall, a piece of advice she gave was to create based on what I feel inspired to offer, not what I think others want to see. In the world of social media algorithms and jumping on the latest trend to gain visibility, this feels counterintuitive. However, I believe that this leads to more genuine content, which will resonate with the right people and bring them into your orbit. That said, this doesn’t necessarily give us a license to be stubborn and resistant to change either. Check your reasons for doing something and how you feel. Are you creating because you feel like you “should” or because you’re having fun with it? Are you resisting because you’re comfortable and scared to fail, or because other things feel more authentic to you?
In: High-rise pants / Out: Mid-rise pants
I’ll be honest, this one surprised me. I pledged allegiance to mid-rise jeans after the horrors of the early 2000s low-rise jeans and the refrigerator repairman locker squat (IYKYK). I had the limiting belief that high-rise jeans gave me a LA (Which stands for Long Ass—thanks, Mom! LOL). I’m happy to say I was wrong. Today’s high-rise jeans are flattering, don’t pinch weirdly, and actually stay in place. Hallelujah!
In: Curating / Out: Collecting
There’s a quote that pops up often and hits me every time: “If everything is important, then nothing is.” This can apply to a number of things: work priorities, personal to-do lists, and our purchases. When I get excited about something, I have the tendency to go full throttle and consume all the things. Whether it’s online courses, tarot decks, or books, I start a physical or digital collection to satisfy my seemingly unquenchable thirst for knowledge on my interest du jour. Then I realize that the backlog keeps growing, and I never actually get through everything I want. Something that seemingly had so much value is now sitting on a literal or metaphorical shelf collecting dust. We only have so much capacity, and more stuff just means more inventory to manage, more undone things hanging over our heads. So this prompts me to be more mindful about the things I purchase or projects I start, in the hopes that this will both save money and lead to less overwhelm. Curating feels more intentional and selective, whereas collecting can be erratic, lacking in direction, or operating from a lack mentality (i.e. I need this thing to be prepared, competent, abundant, or whatever).
The Overshare Zone
Pondering: Topics I want to write about, which vary widely between serious philosophical debates and light-hearted randomness. What can I say? I contain multitudes. So you’ll be hearing it all, whenever I get the nudge to share and fully form my thoughts, in keeping with my intention to stay in flow.
Surprised By: A recent burst of creative energy, even for things I wouldn’t necessarily consider to be my forte, like graphic design. I’ve been playing around with Canva to create cool designs for a personal tarot project, and it’s been really fun! I’ve also had a lot of random ideas come to mind for things that I want to do, create, or write about. Feels a little chaotic right now, but for now that’s okay. The stakes are low, and it’s not that serious. :)
Trying: A more casual approach to my tarot practice. When I have a slower morning, I usually incorporate some rituals before I pull cards for the day, like clearing and protecting my energy, shuffling for a while, journaling my thoughts, etc. My tarot teacher, Kate, talked about how she “takes a roadie,” which means she cuts the deck to see what card comes up for a quick message before she goes on to the next thing in her day. I decided to try it recently before I ran out the door for a busy day, and the messages were spot on! So I may incorporate this less serious approach more often to keep things fun and fresh.
Random Stuff I’ve Tried
A fun new series, because I’ve tried a lot of things, and I have opinions about them.
Let’s start with arguably the most random of random stuff I’ve tried: cutting hair by the lunar calendar.
Sound strange? Yeah, I get it. Oddly enough, I tried this before I got into astrology and moon cycles, so this all feels very prophetic. Several years ago, I began searching for more “natural” alternatives for my personal care products to minimize unnecessary chemicals in my routine. (I say “natural” in air quotes because I’ve since learned that natural doesn’t always mean safer or more effective. Also, greenwashing means this unregulated term is highly overused for marketing purposes.) I came across a company called Morrocco Method (named for the founder, Anthony Morrocco), which advocates for scheduling haircuts using their Lunar Hair Calendar in order to meet certain goals for your hair (lengthen, strengthen, thicken, root work, etc.). Conversely, they also recommend the best days for hair removal to minimize regrowth. I was skeptical, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.
The Verdict: While it was weird to get used to looking at another calendar when scheduling my haircuts to see if it would fall on a beneficial day, so far the results have been positive. I noticed less shedding in the shower, and my hair is healthy. This could be due to a variety of factors: my switch to safer hair products, minimal to no product usage, less heat styling, etc. Placebo effect or not, I like my hair, so I’ll probably stick with it. I don’t follow the hair removal schedule religiously, unless I’m doing something painful like waxing where I’d really prefer not to do it again sooner. Ha!
Rating: 8/10. I’d probably recommend it if you’re open-minded, looking for a solution to your hair woes, and willing to be patient with seeing results. It can’t hurt to try, but also have a back-up plan. :)
Would you try cutting your hair by the lunar calendar?