The art to begin again

I love having the chance to press a reset button, but I have to admit — January feels like one eternal Monday disguised as a month. In case you didn’t realize, yes, this week is still January, but at least it’s the last week of January!

Do you remember when teachers would start the school year by giving you a test to show everything you already knew? To me, that’s exactly what January feels like. It’s a time to reflect and take stock of everything I’ve learned, failed, or accomplished in the past year. Sure, it’s easy to dwell on the negative, but growth comes from facing everything head-on, the good and the bad.

The first step in moving forward is revisiting our past selves. Think of it like spring cleaning—not my favorite task, but one that’s absolutely necessary to bring out our best. For example, when I was younger, I had a habit of saying “huh?” instead of “sorry?” or “excuse me?” whenever I didn’t understand something. Once I realized how dismissive it sounded, I made a conscious effort to change. I haven’t said “huh” since.

Then there are the things I can’t go back and fix — like my overplucked eyebrows. But hey, nobody’s perfect.

One of my greatest challenges has always been myself. I’ve struggled with impostor syndrome for as long as I can remember, which makes accepting compliments feel impossible. So this year, my goal is to celebrate my wins. The new year symbolizes a clean slate for most people, but I see it as a continuation of a never-ending project. Who’s counting anyway?

As I’ve said before, I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions, but I do believe in small, realistic goals. It doesn’t matter how slow you go; progress is still progress.

Take my Goodreads challenge, for example. I set my goal at 10 books this year—low enough to feel attainable. But here’s the catch: I thrive on exceeding expectations. I’ve already finished two books in January, and I’m convinced I’ll hit 100 by December. (Bookmark this part and check back in a year — I’ll keep you posted.)

Of course, starting over has its setbacks. Building a new habit or schedule is hard enough without trying to stick to it perfectly. Slip-ups are inevitable, but I’ve learned that failure teaches you more than success ever will. You just have to get back up and try again.

Ultimately, the art to begin again lies in letting go — of bad memories, toxic habits, or even people. Think of it like pulling weeds from a garden. It’s painful at first, but it’s the only way to make space for growth.

One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that some friends are only meant to be in your life for a season. Like high school classmates, you drift apart once you no longer share the same biology class or hallway. It doesn’t mean they’re bad people; it just means you’re on different paths.

Sometimes I don’t realize I’ve drifted from a friend until they call me out for it. But communication is a two-way street—it’s not just one person’s responsibility to maintain a relationship. And sometimes, despite your best efforts, life pulls you in different directions.

I’ve had friends getting married while I was still in college. Our lives and priorities were just on different wavelengths. That’s normal. We all have different paths and destinies, and it’s up to us to read our own scripts and decide what comes next.

Your journey may not be linear, but the beauty of life is that you can begin again anytime — not just in January, but every single day.