Dear 2022

It’s Sunday, January 9th, around 8:00 pm. We’re a little over a week into the new year and the rhythms of 2022 are beginning to reveal themselves.

New Year’s brings with it a whole spectrum of baggage – excitement for resolutions and fresh starts, relief that some sort of closure has come to what the previous year railed through us, melancholy that festers from fallen expectations and self-protection against hope. Put plainly: there are feelings.

At whatever point we each plot ourselves along that spectrum, there is one line running through it all that connects each and every one of us: this year is new.

We’ve never lived these days before. Each day to which we open our eyes has never been seen before. Lately, I’ve been taking note of this in the quiet of the morning. The sun rises during this time of year right around the time my alarm goes off. For a brief few weeks, I wake up to morning light that is different and unique each time, reminding me that though I follow a routine and my life has its patterns, it also has surprises – if only we look for them.

I don’t have a concrete list of resolutions this year – though I have in years past! This year I am approaching it more open to the possibilities of it all. These past years I have nearly white-knuckled my plans and prayers, hoping for things that sometimes did and sometimes didn’t materialize. For 2022, I’m holding open space for whatever God has for me, and am focusing on consistently keeping my soul’s windows open to those winds. For me, this looks like a lot of journaling, meditation, prayer, as well as delicious dinners, quality family time, being present in my work, and more.

A few places to find new year’s inspiration if you’re looking:

Atomic Habits by James Clear – I read this book with my TENFOLD work family last year and it changed how I approach my identity entirely. Highly recommend.
2022 Collection from Appointed – Huge fan of Appointed and everything they do. I have an unreasonable amount of their product on my desk and have no plans of stopping.
Spotify Cafe Playlist – Curated by yours truly. Ideal for those cold winter days when you need warming up. Pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee and get productive alongside some french cafe-inspired tracks.