Fotografo de Bodas, Santiago

January 1, 2011

When I posted my dancing like an idiot video yesterday, I didn’t even realize it was New Year’s Eve. In truth, the holidays would come and go without me ever realizing it, if other people didn’t decorate and Tweet and Facebook about Happy New Year’s and Merry Christmas to all. I’m not anti-holidays. I’m not a scrooge. I feel warm and fuzzy inside when I hear Christmas carols and I enjoy spending Christmas Eve with Seba’s family, as hectic as that might be.

I don’t stop working on Christmas and New Year’s, so really they’re just days when I get less email and can focus on being productive in other ways. I worked up until midnight last night and killed my to-do list. For the first time in forever, I finished everything. Man, did it feel good. I crossed off items that have been on there for months — things like re-write my about page, and update my portfolio, which I’d just been transferring from to-do list to to-do list since I always had more urgent things to finish first.

Without even doing it on purpose, I’m starting 2011 off with a totally clean slate. Today, there is nothing on my to-do list. It’s 1/1/11, and I am free to start out the new year doing whatever I please.

I made some resolutions and most of them I don’t want to post about because they’re very specific. But I will say that I made the resolution to forgive and move on. I’m forgiving people who never even know that I was mad at them. And it’s hard. Last night when I made up my mind to forgive them I started crying. I didn’t want to. Human nature holds on to grudges — I know it’s not just me. But I’m letting go. I do think a lot of the New Year’s Resolutions stuff is bullshit. I make goals and fulfill them throughout the year, I don’t need a holiday for that. But there is something to be said for starting off with a clean slate. It’s very mentally freeing to know that this could be the year, this will be the year, that you achieve everything you set out to do, that you become a new person or a better person or in my case, that I forgive and that my relationships are renewed and back on neutral ground. I’m trying.

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10 Comments

Thank you, Kyle … this post will touch a lot of people because it’s so real and so true. If forgiveness was easy, the world would be a more peaceful place …

Comment by Maria Kent — January 1, 2011 @ 12:13 pm

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Very true Maria, it’s not easy, and I don’t even know if I can do it, but I’m definitely going to try.

Comment by kyle — January 1, 2011 @ 12:57 pm

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What a beautiful resolution to forgive. Thank you for sharing this.

Comment by Kai Heeringa — January 1, 2011 @ 1:51 pm

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Kai, I debated sharing or not, but in the end I’m glad I wrote it out. Writing is always cathartic and plus now you guys can hold me accountable.

Comment by Kyle — January 1, 2011 @ 2:07 pm

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Very nice. Much more thought-through than the “lose 20 pounds” kind of resolutions. And on another subject, where did you get your book that has your to-do lists? It looks really neat.

Comment by Chrissie — January 1, 2011 @ 4:54 pm

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Ah, another person who understands the profound joy of crossing items off a list! Thanks for this post, it certainly resonated with me, and good on you for writing it all out. Happy New Year!

Comment by Petunia — January 1, 2011 @ 7:19 pm

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Aaaaagreed, crossing things off to-do lists is the BEST.

And Chrissie, I got the notebook in the U.S., it’s Jonathan Adler for Barnes and Nobles. It was like 12 bucks I think, and I LOVE it. So thank you for noticing

Comment by kyle — January 1, 2011 @ 10:56 pm

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Great post, and it resonates with me too. I’ve spent a lot of my time here letting go of things in the past, living in the present moment, and focusing on bettering myself for my future. The fact that your forgiveness made you cry means that it’s real so good for you! Happy New Year and cheers to meeting you very soon.

Comment by Heather — January 2, 2011 @ 8:30 am

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What a powerful post! I’m a new year’s resolution chic, but this year I vowed to not make any for once!!! Feels good! Forgiving people is tough, I’m proud of you for doing it. And how great to cross everything off your to-do list. Jealous!!!

Comment by Andi — January 2, 2011 @ 4:30 pm

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Great post! That’s an amazing resolution that wouldn’t even cross most people’s minds. That says a lot about what a caring and strong person you are!

I hope that I can be as brave as you and learn this year to let go and forgive some people that don’t deserve my anger and resentment.

Thanks!

Comment by Annie — January 3, 2011 @ 4:46 am

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