I’m writing this from the laundromat up by Publix at 10:00 am on the day before the day before new year’s eve.
As I was walking Keely this bright, pretty morning I thought a lot about how I wanted to start the new year, and I realized that I really want to start off with clean sheets! I know that sounds cheesy but for somebody who doesn’t have a washer/dryer or a car, getting up to the laundromat to do linens and towels is a real chore. So here I am. The sheets I’m washing now will be put on my bed Saturday, the official New Year’s Eve.
With my decision to come into the new year with clean sheets, I started thinking about traditions, rituals, and mindset. I’ve decided I wanted to do something different and meaningful to mark the turning of the calendar. Last year I stayed up until midnight, watching fireworks across the world via the internet, then fixed black eyed peas for my first meal on the first day of 2022. It was a nice call-back to the many new year’s eves spent with my parents, but I don’t feel compelled to do that again.
Quite frankly I’ve never spent too much energy on celebrating the secular new year. I’ve gone to parties in the past and so forth but the majority of my New Year’s Eves have been spent at home, either with family, friends, or my dog. Not planning to change that, honestly.
But I can do something different:
I’m going to do a spiritual and physical “retreat” starting tomorrow.
I’m approaching it like meditation retreats I’ve done in the past: restful, intentional, challenging. For 48 hours I’ll be fasting and abstaining from social media, spending a lot of time in meditation, and focusing on my mental and emotional wellbeing. I will not do any “work” in the usual sense, other than maybe some new-year-prep cleaning. I will only engage in light stretching and gentle walks for my body. There will be lots of water and herbal tea imbibed!
This is a retreat designed to prepare me to advance bravely into the new year with personal conviction, commitment to my goals, and a clear mind.
Today and tomorrow I’m going to finish the Year Compass workbook, and do some project managing for my business in preparation for 2023. I’ll also eat or put up whatever perishables I have lying around. Officially, my retreat starts at noon on Friday, Dec. 30th and will last until noon on January 1st.
I think this will be a valuable and meaningful experience. My word/theme for 2023 is “actualize” which I honestly believe is the culmination of all the work I’ve been doing on myself for the past few years. Also, I’ve had a super busy and somewhat stressful 2022 so taking time to rest from that and prepare myself to move into what I intend to be a pretty momentous year feels like a good decision.
See you all next year! 😉
