We essentially have a little under one month before 2019 ends and 2020 begins. So many of my friends have expressed how tired and exhausted they are these days. Many thought it was the holiday season or (for teachers and professors) the end of the semester. For some, the changing of the seasons can be tiring and filled with emotional instability and feelings of SAD (seasonal affective disorder). For others, it is the end of the year coming to a close that can bring feelings of depletion and restlessness. What I have recently realized is this simple fact––we have under one month before the close of the decade. It is this ending that has caused me to feel exhilarated about the next ten years, proud of the accomplishments of the past decade, and a bit overwhelmed and exhausted from the decade (especially these last three years dealing with this presidential administration).
Once I realized much of the exhaustion many of us are feeling is due to the close of the decade, I have had a series of reflections about the last decade and how I would like to plan for the upcoming decade(s). In these next few weeks, try to reflect on your various accomplishments of the past ten years. What did you do to make yourself and/or your ancestors proud? How did you challenge yourself or leave your comfort zone? Did you overcome a particular fear and make a drastic change in your life? Maybe you didn’t have any life changing events. If not, what small thing are you most proud of from the past ten years? Is there anything you wish you had done? Are there any areas where you feel like you fell short?
In these next few weeks, I challenge you to write down a few goals for 2020 and beyond. Is saving money a goal? Or is spending your money and seeing new places and experiencing new adventures a goal for the next decade? Are there any books you want to read, concerts you want to see, friends you want to reconnect with, hobbies you want to try? I implore all of us to make 2020 (and beyond) the era of, “Yes!” Yes to new experiences and challenges. Life is for the living. We have roughly one month to reflect and plan for the next ten years. However, if that is too daunting, just thinking of something new and different that you would like to experience in the first month of 2020.
As 2019 comes to its end, I implore each of us to try at least one new thing before the new year rolls in. Maybe it is as simple as trying a new food or maybe it is a more difficult or complicated choice you need to make. Whatever it is, do it!
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University, the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream,” the co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.