Foolproof Resolutions

2023 was supposed to be my fun year of adventure, doing the digital nomad thing—traveling around the world while working on my projects. Instead, it made 2020 look like a walk in the park. A beloved friend passed away unexpectedly, both my parents had health challenges, I was in Israel and experienced the collective fear and grief on October 7th, I got sicker than I can remember as soon as I made it back to the US, and the Airbnb in Portugal I was going to finally settle in to live my best nomadic life had black mold. Lying in the hotel room I escaped to, sick for the second time in less than two months, I admit I indulged in some self-pity.

I obviously care infinitely more that people died or suffered than that I experienced some physical or emotional difficulties. Still, this felt like an unusually long streak of setbacks, so I asked myself, “What is this experience here to teach me?”. After a few days of journaling the answer came: The lesson is that regardless of what happens, I need to keep coming back to myself—remind myself who I want to be and keep doing what I need to do to live as that person. That is my center.

It’s not about whether everything happens according to my expectations or timeline. It’s not about being lucky enough to not experience grief, pain, or hurdles. It’s about being able to let the experience be—and then get back to my center and pick things back up where I left off. And since I was able to do that after each setback, I was fine after all.

At this time of year, we tend to make grandiose decisions for the next year, only to be disappointed in ourselves within a few months and abandon said decisions until the next New Year comes along.

If my lesson speaks to you, then your most important resolution is who you want to be. If March comes along and you’re nowhere near your plan, remind yourself to drop the judgment, come back to center, and resume doing what that person would do. If you keep going despite the lapses, you’ll be in a different place by the time New Year's resolutions are due again.

Happy Holidays!

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