Give Yourself a Free Pass; Less Pressure in 2020

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Give yourself a free pass to kick off 2020. Start the next decade without predictions, and live life in the moment one baby step at a time.

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As the New Year approached I found myself too busy to really care that a) it’s a new year, or b) it’s a new decade. With a nudge from a friend, I finally came to the realization that I deserve a free pass. A free pass for feeling apathetic the way I do, a free pass for intense frustration levels, and a free pass to choose myself first.

While I saw many articles about changing yourself for the new year or recounting accomplishments of the past 10 years. I found no profound meaning to them whatsoever which is a tad strange for me. I’m usually one of the first people jumping on the bandwagon to attribute meaning to the new year. In with the new and out with the old! But this year I felt a little bahumbuggy about the whole shebang.

Then, a bunch of interesting links and articles caught my attention.

1. Lem’s Christmas post Not Today, Santa! (or; To Gift or Not to Gift?)

I was so frazzled trying to think up the perfect gifts this year and fell short on most of them anyway. No gift giving sounds like the perfect solution to me!

2. From Obama’s list of favourite books of 2019 one in particular called ‘How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy‘ by Jenny Odell.

Excerpt from the Synopsis: “Nothing is harder to do these days than nothing. But in a world where our value is determined by our 24/7 data productivity . . . doing nothing may be our most important form of resistance.”

3. 60-Second Habits for Quick Bursts of Personal Growth. Six not-so-obvious but oh-so-quick ways of amping up personal growth.

Six quick, easy, and achievable things to consider. This will not drain your brain or your time. Phew.

4. 5 reasons why most New Year’s resolutions don’t stick, according to a psychotherapist

The odds are your resolution won’t stick anyway.

5. The Importance of Doing Nothing: Art of Relaxation

A little meditation help from the Chopra Centre. In case that’s your bag.

Part of the impetus for easing-off the pressure, I imagine, is that I’m tired from a hardworking and an emotionally draining year. Now I Instagram a lot less and live in the moment more often. I suppose the pendulum will swing back in the other direction or I’ll eventually discover a happy balance of time well spent. But for now, I will give myself a free pass. I’ve earned it. A free pass for all of the things I imagine I should be doing instead of what I accomplish in reality. I don’t have to feel guilty for not living up to an unrealistic ideal. It is what it is and I can use baby steps to make lasting change this year. But don’t hold your breath, I’m not going to bother making any predictions.

Cheers all! Here’s to taking time off to do nothing! Happy 2020 and Happy Year of the Rat!