At the end of December, school is on break and work slows down. The days are short and the evenings long. Everything seems to go at a different pace. My favorite activity for those last few days at the end of the year is to think and reflect.

For me this means reviewing the year, the decisions reached, changes made and learnings realized.

New Year’s Eve Day

Ideally with close family or friends, out in the mountains or otherwise in nature, likely away from, well, most everything. This year, this meant skiing in a persistent drizzle with temperatures just around freezing. We were perhaps slightly cold, but happy. Afterwards hot chocolate, sandwiches and a content tiredness during the road trip back home.

Basically perfect.

New Year’s Day

Most every day can be a great day for a run. This is certainly true for this one.

With the benefit of recent reflections of the past and a hopefully calm and rested mind, this is the perfect day to also look forward. It is a great day to think of the year ahead, perhaps to set goals, make plans and set intentions.

Time is like a river that carries us forward into encounters with reality that require us to make decisions. We can’t stop our movement down this river and we can’t avoid those encounters. We can only approach them in the best possible way.

Ray Dalio, Principles.

Last year led up to – and prepared for – this year. The things you do, throughout the year, of course change you. The questions you pursue, and often the decisions you make, they matter.

The path is one to make, not just follow.

Now

There is an exciting year ahead. Let’s go.