New Years Day is my least favorite holiday, and in my humble opinion…the most contrived. What is it but the calendar default back to the beginning of another year?
And what do we do with it? Emotionally charge it full of promises to our selves to be and do better than our current circumstances…to the point that making resolutions is a running joke. Nope, I don’t need a holiday for that.
Instead, I celebrate Mulligans Day. You know, a day for do-overs.
What’s the difference? Instead of wishing to be a new improved version of my self, Mulligans Day allows me to embrace who I am and continue forward, like a gesture of goodwill I give to yours truly. You know, like slicing a golf stroke. I correct my swing and try again, and over time my technique improves, helping me get closer to my goal.
No, I don’t golf. I don’t have to in order to embrace the concept. Neither do you. We all understand that over time we can achieve our goals as we gain more experience and add to our expertise. There’s nothing inherently wrong with us. We simply need to give ourselves the grace of do-overs.
Why put pressure on ourselves to do a hard stop on bad habits and compulsive behaviors? We’re setting ourselves up for failure before the new year even gets here...the kinds of failure that reinforce those feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness that prompt well-intended resolutions in the first place. We're not fatally flawed...we just need to put in the time and effort and be patient with ourselves.
Make January 1, 2025 your reset to continue making a difference in this world. No pressure to be someone other than who you are.
You are more than enough:
You are good.
You are loving.
You are intelligent.
You are well-meaning.
You are hard-working.
You're all this and more. You are human. You are deserving. You are worthy!
So here’s my toast to educators everywhere! Let’s refresh and then resume the important work of leaving the world a better place than we found it.
Happy Mulligans Day - CHEERS!
Love the wisdom of this, Walter!