More Than Black-Eyed Peas

“I woke up today, so I must have a purpose.” My friend told me these words one time. So simple, yet it makes so much sense. I have had several major life transitions. Before each transition, I had one major question: What was the purpose of the years that just passed? What do I have to show for what I have just come through? Sometimes I have no answer. Since then, probably once a week, I reevaluate if I am living life on purpose or living it passively. While many people spend the end of the year making resolutions for the year to come, I tend to reflect on the year that has passed to see how I have lived. There is another habit I have begun at the turn of the year.

Many years ago my sister told me to be careful about how I spend the New Year because I will be doing that same thing for the rest of the year. I was like . . . okay, right. Then I thought about it. The time I wrung in the New Year on a road trip was the year I made a brief move halfway across the country followed by a move halfway around the world. There was also a time when I visited a friend in a nearby state, and I drove home on New Year’s Day. I spent so much time on the road driving that year. I really started to believe my sister’s words.

I started to be more careful about my New Year’s activities. I don’t mind going out if there is an activity that sounds interesting; however, I actually prefer to be home with the family. One year, I decided that I wanted to have an easier year. I did as little as possible on New Year’s Day. I did not leave the house. I did not study or prepare for work. I cooked as little as possible. I did minimal to no laundry or cleaning. If I remember correctly, that plan backfired. That may be the year that I quit my full-time job. I was going to return to school, but I did not get in that year. I was home with not much to do and work was not stable.

So now I am invested in this whole New Year’s theory. I plan my end of the year purposely. I plan ahead, which is just good practice anyway. Don’t even think about asking me to run errands or do things that I know I don’t want to spend the year doing. I make sure I engage in things that I want to do in the coming year. I relax and have fun. I like movies and the company of my family. I try to do things with them. The exception was if I needed to travel when I lived out of state. It just happened that flights were cheaper that day. In that case, I did not mind being alone and breaking the rules. Even throughout the year, I, as an introvert, thrive on my alone time. I make sure I eat good food (and some not-so-good food because I enjoy that too). I engage my mind whether it is in a puzzle, game, book, assignment (because I am usually a student or a teacher at some point during the year), or similar thing. I do something involving my faith because I want my faith to grow. Also, I am always moving about the house. Moving around does not necessarily indicate exercise, but I do not necessarily want to be sedentary either. These areas of activity, family, mind, spirit, and faith are all important to me. I am always conscious of finding balance among them. Rather than making some great challenge or resolution for each January (because I never was able to stick to them anyway), I just look for ways to find purpose in those things that are important to me. Finding motivation for a goal is always easier when the goal is something in which I already have a vested interest. I try to find ways to shine brighter in the places that I already shine. Often during the week, I can look back and find a moment when my life had a purpose. At each New Year, I can just look for ways to improve upon what is already working.