There is something about the freshness of a New Year that usually gives me a sense of buoyancy. I have always enjoyed the quiet pause in the fleeting days of December – a rare opportunity to reflect on where I’ve been and contemplate where I want to go. But, this year felt different on so many levels. I found myself grappling with bone-weary exhaustion and the heaviness of knowing that turning over a page in the calendar wouldn’t instantly transport me forward to a time when I could return to my international work, hug friends, and re-capture the former vibrancy of my life. 

The challenges of 2020 have many of us soldiering bravely into the frontier of a new year – scavenging for joy, connection, and fragments of the life COVID-19 stole from us. It can be tempting to steel ourselves with sweeping resolutions and commands that we will wrestle the year ahead into being better. We deserve it. We have earned it. 

But, what if – rather than feeling like we need to make declarative statements about the year ahead – we could tiptoe across the threshold of 2021 and hold our intentions and our plans lightly? 

What if we could relax our grip on jockeying for a way to make this pandemic feel more bearable and, instead, allow ourselves the opportunity to rest and recalibrate as often as we need to? What if we could start thinking about self-care in terms of doing less, not more? 

What if it’s enough to tell the people in our lives that we love them? To say yes to any small experiences that might bring us joy? To do something to brighten someone else’s day? To find one thing each evening to feel grateful for? 

Perhaps by focusing on small things, we will replenish our reserves of resilience and gather the energy to work on the bigger things. There is much to be done in our lives and in the world, but we don’t have to do it all today. Maybe today, a small, gentle step towards healing or joy is enough.