New Year goals

I'm not entirely sure why we humans do it to ourselves really - essentially throw a dart at the calendar, and declare it New Year's Eve, as if tomorrow we'll wake up in 2020 and for some incomprehensible reason, everything will be different, new, better. And yet I'll go along with it like the rest of the world, tune into the fireworks (suitably inebriated I hope), get quietly emotional as the hour approaches, thinking not only of the past year, but of every past year shunting one more notch backwards into ever-dimming memory. Perhaps it's time to start viewing life as one long string of days, rather than apportioning them up into bite-sized sections, easily boxed-up and stacked on the high shelves of the brain's Hanger 51. Would it be easier then? And heavens Nich, you're in a jolly mood today!

Actually my mood's ok today and do you know why? Because despite my misgivings, I know that 2020 will be different. Here's the thing - I finally get it. I finally figured out a few of those questions that have been knocking around my mind for a while. They may not be answers exactly, but at least I've worked out a roadmap, which my goals this year can really help address.

In New Years past, I've become accustomed to setting reading goals, and equally accustomed to failing them. This year, I want my goals to be more beneficial, long-lasting and meaningful, so that they revolve around the cares and interests in my life.  To this end, I actually started some of my resolutions early this year. Here's what I've got:

1. Make more of an effort to appreciate others and improve my connection with them. See previous blog entries.

2. Bound up in the above, I am resolved to keep my expectations of others realistic. People are busy, forgetful, or sometimes just don't care. I aim to be understanding, but also honest and realistic about these.

3. I am resolved to dedicate more time to the interests and passions that I feel I've neglected in recent years. I aim to study more history this year, to visit more archaeological sites, to enjoy the types of visits that thrilled me so much as a student. And I want to contextualise these by reading more around the subject. I'm hoping this blog will help me in this goal, acting as a focal point to share my trips and discoveries!

4. Ok so I just criticised reading goals a bit, but it wouldn't be New Year without one. So I'm setting the goal at 25 books of a 'high brow' nature. We'll see...

So that's my goals set down in writing for 2020. What are your resolutions, and how do you intend to keep them alive this coming year?