Trailhead

New Year’s Day 2026

If I am in the right mood and have a few free hours, I like to wander from room to room in my apartment searching for items I can give away. The mental boost of purging unneeded stuff from my space is addicting. It feels like I’m working towards some ideal state where I’ll own everything I need or want, but no more. And once I attain this perfection, the stage will be set for a simpler, more focused life.

In reality, though, I’m only detracting from that life if I wait around for such a thing to happen. There is no item I can give away (or keep) that will suddenly allow my life goals to be realized. The things I own don’t make the difference between articulating what I want to do with my days and actually doing it.

There are plenty of ways to make that difference on a daily scale – walks, laundry, and a good night’s sleep, to name a few. But on the whole, I know there’s nothing in the world that can magically make me live better. I am the only one who can do that, and then only through a slow, multifaceted process.

This year, I’d like to stop thinking that “if only I  ____, I could start ____” (writing being the chief word that would go in the second blank). Yes, I started writing this blog because I was conveniently stuck at home during COVID. But having a comfortable chair and no commitments did not magically cause me to write. I made the decision to give it a go.