New Year ... New Habit

In my last article I wrote about trying a misogi, Kevin’s rules and four winning habits.  

Well … here we are … the start of a new year … I have mapped out my misogi, a handful of mini adventures and identified four habits to layer into my year.  

Not going to lie, the process was hard.  So hard.  

I’m convinced this is why sooooo many resolutions fail. 

Identifying the misogi wasn’t the hard part, executing it, that might be.  

The habits, sighs, I landed on four … I’m resisting the urge to do them all at once.  My first instinct was … why can’t I do these all at once?  Places face in palm of hand … takes 10 steps back in time 

Clearly that all in, unbalanced mentality … still an instinct … clearly!

One might argue that mapping them all out doesn’t allow for flexibility or spontaneity … possibly … but I want this … so … I need a plan, the habits may change as I go, that’s ok, but if I hadn’t identified four, I’d have implemented none.  Full.  Stop.  

I have them written on a sticky note beside my calendar in my closet.  At the moment habits two through four are high level … habit one, the one I’m currently implementing, it has a plan … some actions, to allow me to implement - with less thought - into my routines.  So far - it’s winning!  Yay!

The mini adventures … They were surprisingly hard.  They are mini adventures … like fun … I’m actually fun, I do things, I have a life … or so I tell myself … yet planning six mini adventures, wildly difficult.  

Of course, it’s entirely possible I’m overthinking this concept, I don’t think I am, but, I have been known to overthink a time or two!  

Honestly, people who aspire to things like marathons, mini adventures abound!!  Me - I am not a runner, I don’t aspire to things like marathons … so, I struggled.  Thank goodness for google, I may have looked up things to do, or adventures in … 

Sidenote: I may have also looked up the definition of adventure - by may have, read, I did.  I did look up the definition.  The “might be dangerous” part is throwing me, just a little.  Maybe I need to define dangerous.  Hmmmm … 

Danger aside, I don’t consider the mini adventures I’m considering to be dangerous … I managed to come up with eight options and am expecting more to surface over the course of the year. 

I have a “note” on my phone where I'm just going to jot down ideas as I stumble upon them.  The thought has occurred that maybe I need to make a habit of living a life more conducive to mini adventures.  Maybe that will be one bonus habit as a result of this process. 

As I sat down and put thought into all of this; It did occur that this is a crazy thing to plan and shouldn’t I just be more spontaneous etc. etc.  That voice … sighs … needless to say … I shut that narrative down and went back to planning.  

It actually worked out … I had a busier than usual holiday season … filled with a lot more social engagements than usual … so I enjoyed a day of downtime … packed up and put away all the Christmas decor … well, all except the greens on the front porch and the wreath on the door … they get to stay into the new year … I like the colour and life they bring to the front porch. 

In my anti-social mood, I watched a movie, updated my 2025 calendars and began mapping out my plans for the New Year.  The idea of mini adventures - when you are rebuilding energy stores - slightly counter intuitive … maybe why that process was a struggle … maybe.  

I’m happy with the list I have, they can be done alone - or as a part of a group - big or small.  When I sit back and look at my misogi, my adventures and my habits … I’m set up to have a good year.  I’m excited about who I’ll be a year from now … how much growth I’ll experience … 

To future me … show up - for yourself, for your life, be present during each adventure!  Remember to breathe when it gets hard, or scary, or you stumble or fall … that voice thinks it's protecting you - shut her down; gently but firmly - when she’s not. 

Regardless of the outcomes … remember you chose bold … you chose life … you chose adventure … 

That’s a winning habit right there!