When younger, each last December day I jotted down what might happen to me the upcoming new year, then put the list into a drawer to not peek at it until the following December.
I was often right. An unusual ability to foretell the future? Hardly. When you know yourself, you can make good guesses as to how any year unfolds.
We are creatures of habit and it’s not hard to guess right what might happen. Try it for yourself.
Still, there were always surprises: new job, new friendship, chance meeting with an old buddy, the passing away of a dear chum. Such events surprise but also expected; but they never made it to the list.
I would rather be surprised than right.
I wrote my list alone (it is meaningless otherwise), making educated guesses or, occasionally, a wish. Sometimes the latter came true; more often it took more than a year for it to come to pass.
Most of my plans were not major events: distant travel, or a book or article published, or putting a business idea into practice. I had fun composing the list. Whether they came true or not was irrelevant.
It’s a compelling way end one year and to herald in another. And it was always revelatory to see what came true from the previous list.
What my list will contain this year? An end to the Ukraine war and covid a distant memory.
Why not think big?!
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Please contact me: taso@uw.edu