I love this time of year! I always look forward to hanging my new wall calendar and loading my Day Planner with crisp/clean/new pages brings me organizational joy! Every time I hear someone say that the new year is a blank page waiting to be written on, I get that “first day of school” feeling all over again. Transferring recurring dates into my 2019 calendars allows me to look ahead at the new year. January feels like the Opening Act for the eleven wonderful months that will follow.
Recently, I was in the car with my son and I was busy thinking about Opening Acts when the country song “I Don’t Know About You” came on the radio. My son, who is a country music fan, promptly said “It’s so amazing...last summer this singer was the Opening Act for the Opening Act and now he’s on the top of the Country Billboard Chart!” I agree with my son...that is amazing...and also inspiring. The singer and songwriter that he was talking about is Chris Lane, an unsuccessful American Idol contestant who after graduating from college, worked for his father’s landscaping business but never gave up on his dream to become a successful country music artist. Year after year, Chris kept writing songs and performing small gigs until he was “discovered”.One of the notable parts of Chris’s backstory is that he played baseball in college and was talented enough to play professionally after graduation. He suffered a career-ending injury which ended his baseball dreams. The great news for country music fans is that when Chris was forced to put down the bat, he decided to pick up a guitar. Almost two decades later, Chris Lane is now one of the most played country music artists with songs that have topped the charts and even gone platinum!
When I mentioned earlier how much I enjoy the ritual of changing over to a new calendar, I failed to tell you the most important part of the process.Going back through the previous year’s calendar, in order to transfer birthdays and anniversaries, allows me to get intentional about my plans for the new year. I find this process so much more effective than making resolutions that will be broken before my husband presents me with flowers and candy on Valentine’s Day. I find that making generic pledges like “eat healthier”, “get organized” or “work out more” is not the best way to ensure success.
For me, action item # 1 every January is to take the time to review my past year achievements and failures. Since past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, looking at 'the year that was' is a wonderful tool to set you up for success in the new year.The things that have worked for you in the past are the ones that are most likely going to work for you in the future. Looking back at your calendar from the past year will remind you of the things that you accomplished, that made you the happiest, and that had the biggest impact on your life. This “walk down memory lane” is a snapshot of the habits that served you well and those that did not. The things that end up on your positive list are the ones that you will want to commit to doing more of in the coming year.
Enjoyed that yoga class that you went to last summer? A great resolution would be to regularly schedule a class or two to attend each week.
Fond memories of the delicious meal you had at a friend’s home who cooked from her garden? Make this the year that you plant your very own organic vegetable garden.
So glad that you read the book “Crazy Rich Asians” before you saw the movie? Then you will want to check many more books out of the library this year.
Since you have your 2019 calendar out already, go ahead and “commit” to doing these things by adding them into your planner. While you are at it, make a mental commitment to eliminate or reduce anything from 2018 that ended up in the negative column.
I can’t think of a better Opening Act than starting your new year off with a fresh new perspective that is motivated by your own past successes and fueled by your specific vision for happiness. Just like Chris Lane, today’s Opening Act could end up being next year’s Platinum hit!