The last few years, I’ve come up with a word or phrase for the year instead of a resolution. I know most people do this in January, but last month was really busy, so I’m just getting to it now. This year’s phrase is “out with the new; in with the old!” (And no, I didn’t write that wrong.)
Every January, I do Storystorm, which is a brainstorming activity created by author Tara Lazar. My critique group and I read the daily prompts and type our ideas (not always related to the prompts) into a shared document where we can comment on them. It’s a really fun way to kick off the year with creativity.
Only this year, I was struggling to think of any new ideas. Part of that was because I was deep in revision mode on a novel, so I was singularly focused rather than in brainstorming mode. I also kept thinking about ideas from past years that I haven’t yet pursued. There’s a lot of good stuff in my backlog of ideas!
Finally, I was preoccupied with learning about octopuses (not octopi as I’ve learned). I’ve been working on a new picture book about an octopus and was reading all the books about the cephalopods. One particularly good nonfiction one was Octopus Ocean: Genuises of the Deep by Mark Leiren-Young.
That got me thinking about the phrase, “out with the old; in with the new.” It fits our modern society with our short attention spans, disposability of goods, and a desire for all things new and shiny. But I haven’t been feeling that way, so I decided to flip the phrase.
This year, I’ll be taking a look back at the old things. Old ideas. Old hobbies. Old hopes and dreams. I have lots of good old things that have been waiting in the wings for my attention. This is the year to give them that attention.
And while I may replace things that are truly worn out (I’m looking at you, my old handbag whose strap is about to break), I’m going to be thinking twice before going all-in on anything new. This phrase may also be a reflection on being a middle-aged woman, but that’s a post for another day.
Do you have a word, phrase, goal, or resolution for this year? I’d love to hear it!
