I have never really understood the “New Year, New Me” mantra. I mean, just because we’re starting a new year does that suddenly mean that you aren’t who you are anymore?
Just because you have decided to go to bed earlier/drink more water/spend more time outdoors/stop staring at your screen before bed doesn’t make you a new person. It’s still you, just with different habits, different intentions and possibly a different jean size.
Here’s the thing – I don’t want to be new. I want to be worn in a bit, be flexible and have a little patina if you will. Most things that are new aren’t that great anyway. Think about it – a new puppy (carpet stains, chewed heels) , a new relationship (overthinking, overanalyzing) new shoes… Anyone else worn a new pair of shoes to an event only to regret it later? My Mom told me to always break in a new pair of heels around the house before wearing them out but did I listen? Noooooooo….
But that was the old me. Even just saying old me sounds better, more like a favorite cashmere sweater that despite its hole on the sleeve and pilling that you scrape away each year, keeps you warm and feels great. But this year, I’m wearing it with a different pair of jeans – hell maybe even a skirt. Not new, just different.
The new me says “Eliminate gluten! Pasta is overrated!”
The old me says “Really, Myka? Rice pasta is NOT the same”
The new me says “Going to bed at 9:00 is the key to success” The old me knows that unless Harris is fast asleep by 7:30, there is no way I can be in bed by 9.
So I wind up with a mix of both, no gluten at home but when I’m out I will eat as I please. Sometimes I make it to bed at 9, sometimes I’m up until midnight. Not New Myka, but different. You see, the Old Me balances out the New Me. Because Old Me knows things that New Me might forget. Old Me knows that nothing is new, they are merely a conglomeration of existing things brought together and looked at in a new way.
Taking the old parts of me that I love, saying goodbye to others and trying on some new parts for size. If they fit – great, they stay, but if I have to slide them off under the table during dinner? Then the old ones need to stay. Because a New Year isn’t about a New You, it’s about new intentions, new habits and new perspectives. All because the Old You recognized that sometimes, something new is necessary.
This year my theme for myself is Simplicity. I do my intention setting on my birthday, so at this point I’m 6 months in. I have integrated it into every part of my life through ritual, reflection and intention. Taking things down to their most basic element and enjoying the simple practice of less is more. I remind myself of this theme on my yoga mat in the mornings, when parenting, while eating and preparing food and building a business.
6 months in I’m feeling extremely peaceful, grounded and acutely aware that the things that truly matter are usually the simplest ones. Just like that perfectly worn in cashmere sweater.
