So, at thirty, I decided to stop setting expectations for my New Year that were woefully out of line with reality. Instead, I tried to winnow down what I wanted more of in my life, and what I needed less of. I wrote a list, stuck it on the fridge, and left it at that. And I had one of the most interesting, growth-filled years of my life.
This year, as I was on my way home from my parents’ house in January, I added a tool to my non-resolution larder. As I drove past barren fields filled with birds and lamented cars that had no place in the left lane, I listened to a podcast, which always feels like something of a luxury. When I was a child, the car radio broke and it wasn’t going to get fixed… So my mother and I became the radio instead. At three, it was no doubt an interesting ride, but as an adult, every time I get to enjoy something coming through the speakers, I am thankful.
The podcast theme was leveling up for 2018, and I almost pulled the car over to take notes as the interviewee, Sabrina Hersi Issa, started talking. Although all of her advice was brilliant, I couldn’t get over the wisdom of her primary recommendation: set a personal inventory day for yourself.
What is a personal inventory day? It’s a day that holds you accountable. A day when you make appointments, when you set goals, when you check in on the goals you’ve already set, when you take the time to see where you are, where you’re headed, and where you really want to be.
The key to Hersi Issa’s recommendation, however, is that this day shouldn’t come once a year. Instead, this day should come once a month—she sets hers for her birthday. So, if your birthday falls on the 12th, you have an appointment with yourself on the 12th of every month thereafter. In doing so, you give yourself the opportunity for a new year every time you turn the page to a new month.
If you, like me, have started 2018 more than a little weary, you are not alone. If you’re wondering how in the heck you’re going to make this year work, I hear you. If you want to see yourself reach new heights, but can’t quite figure out what those heights should be (much less how to get there), I’m inviting you to join me. I have a note in my calendar, a reminder in my phone, and I’ll be starting again each month.
Here’s to new beginnings, and I’m wishing you the very best.