New Year's: A Probably Overthought Insight

Hello! Each year, I experience different feelings towards starting the new year. Last year, I felt pretty good about it. I wrote down my thoughts on it, and I made my New Year's Resolutions. But the year before that, I did not feel quite as well. I felt anxious at the thought of having a whole new year in front of me, just like having a blank canvas and not knowing what to paint because, what if I make a mistake and ruin the whole thing?

This year, on the other hand, I don't feel anything in particular. I don't feel stressed out about it, and I don't feel the urge to reflect on it. I'm writing this as a way to understand my emotions or the lack of them.

I'm trying to think of what to tell you that could be potentially interesting, but as soon as I think about New Year's and what it all means, my mind just goes blank. I was hoping for one of my two common reactions, or even both, but nothing.

I feel like Devi in that episode of Never Have I Ever Season 4 where she discovers that her mom likes Margot's dad, and she spends the whole day waiting for some Crazy Devi reaction but it never comes. She realizes and says: 'I think I'm cool with it.' And I think I feel the same way about starting a new year.

Illustration of a cat for New Year's by me.

I know that people all over YouTube make it this big thing where you need to plan, organize, and make vision boards like it's going to ensure a good year or something. And I think that all of that is great, but not doing anything and just accepting the fact we're changing the year is also fine. Technically, the year is just the amount of time the Earth takes to orbit the Sun. Besides that, it's pretty meaningless, at least in science. It's not this magical white canvas where you can start over and amend all your errors. Why? Because you can do that whenever you want! It's never too late. It reminds me of when a few years back I would set a time for me to start studying, and if it was one minute late, I felt like I had already failed my mission. Yeah, I know, it makes no sense, but it happens the same with years even though they are scarier and bigger.

In conclusion, let's do whatever makes us happy to start the new year, even if it's nothing. Let's just live and be grateful for another year on this planet we call Earth. I hope you've been able to relate to this. What are your thoughts on starting a new year? Do you have any unique traditions or resolutions you'd like to share?