Let me start my first post of the year by joining my voice to the many shouts of HURRAH that 2016 is finally over. Woohoo! Yay for the first day of the new year!
Have you heard the superstition that whatever you do on January 1st determines what you’ll do for the rest of the year? It’s silly, and I don’t actually believe that, but it’s a cute little tradition that I’ve participated in over the last couple years. To be honest, I don’t really even remember most of my January 1st choices/actions because they ended up totally insignificant through the rest of the year (as expected). I do remember this last year, though. A year ago, I hosted a brunch for friends, and during the rest of the day, I wrote, blogged, read, exercised, drew my tarot, and a bunch of others things that have slipped my mind since then. I basically stuffed my day with lovely things, so full that I didn’t really have time to stop to appreciate any of them. (This is, notably, pretty much the definition of the Ten of Coins in tarot – having so many blessings that it’s hard to see any of them clearly.)
While the superstition is silly, last January 1st really did end up corresponding strongly with the rest of 2016. It was a year stuffed full of things both good and bad. It was a year that was rushed and productive, often pointlessly productive. It was a year of trying to experience everything all at once, instead floating through it without really experiencing at all. There has been a lot of that feeling over the last few years, and I desperately want and need to Slow Down.
This year, I have no set plans for today. I’m going to drink my coffee. Maybe I’ll read a book, maybe take a bath, maybe cuddle up on the couch with a movie. Whatever I end up doing, though, I want to truly experience it, deliberate and fully present. Maybe it’s a silly superstition, but it never hurts to make your intentions for the year known from the start.
Cheers to all of you lovely readers and friends! Happy 2017!
The Zen Leaf 
All of your ideas for things to do today sound amazing! Happy New Year!
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Happy New Year to you too!
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I hope you have a wonderful 2017! My plans for today are similar. 🙂
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Hope it was a good one. 🙂
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My plans are super lazy today — I blogged a little, made turkey stock, and took a nap. Tonight’s big plans are to watch the new Sherlock and go to bed early. I hope you have an excellent 2017!
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I hope you do too Karen!
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I hope you end up having a wonderful day. Happy New Year to you, Jason, and the boys! (And cats!)
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Back at you Kelly! 🙂
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I don’t think I have heard of that superstition but now I am a bit hesitant to do what I had planned. (I have some actual work to do because of year-end and switching everything over to the new year.) I don’t want my 2017 to be filled with work yet again!
Enjoy your lovely day and Happy New Year to you and to your entire family!
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I think I only heard of it in 2013, when Leigh Bardugo hosted a couple writing sessions online as a way to usher in the new year with writing. 🙂 Happy New Year to all of you too!
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This is an interesting superstition. I’m not sure I’ve ever done much of anything on January 1st. I tend to take lazy days seriously. But today I blogged and listened to audiobooks and did a bit of cleaning and cooking. That’s pretty productive for me these days so hopefully it’s an emerging pattern! And I actually started a relisten of The Raven Boys so if my year even just ends up full of these amazing stories and characters, I’ll be more than satisfied. 😉
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Oh yes, if there are wonderful stories and characters in the caliber of the Raven Boys, I’d be totally satisfied as well!
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