Thoughts on 2018: is it going to be good or bad?

In the build up to New Year I confess that I felt quite jaded at the prospect of 2018.

Usually I am excited at the opportunity of a new year. I’m ready with my goals and determinations and I am happy to get caught up in the whirl of possibility. This time, I didn’t feel that.

Over the last few days 2018 has had an ominous feel to it. On the world front, let’s face it, we’re hardly in a good place at the moment are we? Politically, environmentally, social injustice-ly — it’s all pretty fucked.

Personally too I’ve had an air of foreboding. I finished 2017 exhausted. Juggling work, writing, family responsibilities and my role as a local Buddhist faith leader had worn me out. I was pleased with the outcome of all those areas of my life but it seemed that the year had been relentlessly busy.

I haven’t felt the need to make grand determinations or huge goals. For me it is a case of continuing with my writing habit. If I am honest I have a feeling of reluctance because I know how tiring it can be to keep the creative ball in the air. I finished 2017 in need of rest (which thankfully I have had lots of) and mixed feelings about the new year.

Today however as I write this on New Years Day I am feeling more optimistic. I think unplugging from social media, not being as involved in watching news and concentrating on just being at home with my husband and family has been healthy. It has taken my mind away from the trials and tribulations of Brexit, Trump and everything else that could go severely tits up.

It is a lesson for me to be more in touch with my relationships and in the real actual world of my immediate vicinity and less caught up with the negativity and outraged that is constantly supplied to me on my smartphone.

That’s not to say that world affairs are not important and that I should refrain from taking any action I can to improve matters — I think it is just about getting a better sense of balance.

I practise Buddhism and New Year’s Day is a day that we celebrate — it’s a bit like Buddhist Christmas. I have done a lot of my Buddhist chanting and had a lovely day out re-connecting with an old school friend. I read this blog post by Jeff Goins earlier and decided to give it a go. What the heck, I’ll commit to writing 500 words a day for 31 days. As I did my chanting this evening I had loads of ideas of topics I could write about and the benefit I might gain by writing and publishing more frequently than in the past.

So my takeaway from all of this is to keep a better engagement with my close relationships, write little and often and not fret so much about things I can’t control. Let’s see how this pans out over the coming weeks.

I wish you a very happy new year — and may you find the best path for you in 2018.