It's okay

Words of affirmation for you, for us, for the new year

Hey you,

It’s okay that you didn’t achieve all your goals for the year last year. It’s okay that there are still some items you’ve yet to cross off, and even some you’re still far from. It’s okay that this makes you hesitant to set goals for this year, and it’s okay to feel afraid you’ll never reach them. You don’t need to doubt, but it’s okay that you do.

It’s okay that you didn’t read all the books you said you were going to. It’s okay that some days you just felt like scrolling on your phone because everything else felt like too much. It doesn’t make you any less you or the way you spent your time any less valuable. It’s okay to rest, to give your brain a break.

It’s okay that you feel guilty or envious of others. It’s okay that they are doing things you want to or wish you could. Their paths are just validating where you want to go, and it’s okay to let it light you up. It’s okay that for now, you feel tired. It’s okay to let them pass and trust that you’ll get there when you get there.

It’s okay that you still feel sad. It’s okay that sometimes it feels like it will always feel this way. It’s okay to let yourself grieve, and it’s ok if it takes time.

It’s okay to tell others how you really feel. It’s okay to confide in the ones who have made space for you and your grief, the ones who will sit with you in it. It’s okay that not everyone can, and it’s okay if that means you only lean on a few. It’s okay that you feel like you’re too much, but it’s okay to believe them when they say you aren’t.

It’s okay if you don’t know where to go from here. It’s okay to feel daunted by all the “needs” and “shoulds.” It’s okay if your goals for this year stay the same as the ones from last year, and it’s okay if they don’t. It’s even okay to not set goals and just let things happen.

It’s okay that you’re not yet where you want to be or where you’d hoped to be by now. It’s okay to feel disappointed, but it’s okay to trust that it will all work out. It’s okay to let yourself dream as big as you possibly can and leave timing completely out of it.

It’s okay to believe that everything is going to be okay.

Because it will be, okay?

🤍

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Author’s Note: New years are interesting mile markers, aren’t they? They always come right after the rush of the holidays and seem to imply that we’re ready to have our acts together, when all we really want to do is collapse on the couch with a plate of Christmas cookies (just me?). It feels incongruous, especially here in the Northern Hemisphere where everything around us is in hibernation, which is likely why I always find it hard to set goals this time of year. It feels much more natural to simply reflect on the previous year and sit with the learnings.

This time last year, I shared the journal prompts I’ve been answering for the last several years. They’re linked below in case you’re in the mood for a more introspective (and retrospective) approach for 2025.

Thank you for reading, thank you for being here. 🫶

Year-End Reflections