There is this German phrase to describe the time between Christmas and New Year: zwischen den Jahren, literally “between the years”. Which, of course, doesn’t exist.
But somehow, it does. As most folks are off work, at home, enjoying some family time. Schools are closed, too. Exciting and busy Christmas days are over. With this extra time at hand, and because the end of the year draws closer by the minute, people tend to recap, but also lay out plans for the new year. Maybe resolve upon changes. You know, all the stuff you stop doing, come February.
As if the change of the few digits in the date you type on top of letters somehow wipes the slate clean. Giving you a fresh start.
I can’t quite tune into this spirit, although I remember I did, when I was younger. At a time, when I still believed, I could reinvent myself. Turns out, I just stayed the same old me, no matter how much effort I put into becoming someone different. It was much better to eventually befriend myself.
The recapping bit, yes. It’s nice to go over last year’s happenings once more, to pin-point all the good stuff. One tends to forget too much of it. So it is a good practice, to fixate a point in time to actively sit down and rewind a period of time, picking out the important stuff. Which usually is the good, not the bad or the ugly. And “zwischen den Jahren” is a good time for it.
But all this resolution-business I’ve grown out of, somehow. Maybe, because experience taught me, that I am not prone to stick to any of them for too long. Or else – my preferred view on this matter – because there are not so many things in my live, I would wish to change. I am happy, as it is, and thankful for it. All I want, is, that things just keep on going as they are.
floatsome 
Very much in agreement there. To a child this might appear a great idea, start at the beginning, wait for a point in time to bring about change. Bollocks! IF WHAT IS BEING SUGGESTED holds true, repetetive actions over time change our behavior. If I go run around town to never ever do it again I m not a jogger. Its an excuse – an arbitrary deadline as malleable as bubblegum. We all know how well those go. Imprecise goal descriptions are of the same cloth.
Once the decision has been made to change things to the -hoped for better state- one is doing a disservice, devaluating goal, own actions, selfworth not to do so right away. ‘Oh lets have one more shot of heroin.’
How come one spends all week talking of a diet fad, to then -late at night- stand at an open fridge stuffing blocks of softcheese in one’s mouth. If this happens in a sober state one might argue a more regretfree day afterwards. ^^
That being said, we ve all done things we are not pround of looking back, be it shooting the old h., not going to a shindig that may introduce us to new folks and ideas, believed in a fallacy, repeated harmful behavior, … .
I m always highly suspicious of and worried for the ‘big announcement resolution person’ – their recent crash and burn still showing vividly on the image one has of a person. Mustn’t grumble though. My hat is off to those who try – however the outcome. Sadly oftentimes its little more than thoughtless activism.
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Don’t get me wrong, I’m still always wanting to diet – no, wait, wrong wording – wanting to lose weight. I’m just not into dieting so much đŸ™‚
A real change in lifestile doesn’t come with New Year resolutions, I think, but with what you said: a goal and measurable steps to achieve them. Chapeau to everyone, who follows through. And I have to say, that I did change a lot about myself in the past, to the better, I hope. Am just happy, how things are right now….
Have a happy, worry-free New Year!
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That’s about as good as it gets, I think. Resolving to appreciate what you have and hoping the coming year will be as good as the passing one.
Sounds like someone is in the process of writing up her year – I’m looking forward to reading it!
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you’re spot on đŸ™‚ almost done…
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