The subtle transition into a new year

An old year fades a new one arrives and everything stays the same. Welcome 2025!

I had to think back to how emotionally charged the turning of the year was for me back then. A new year was always like a blank sheet of paper on which you could draw a new picture. Pure and white and with unlimited possibilities. I always waited impatiently to get started on the new resolutions I had and especially to use the new agenda, the new diary that I had bought weeks before. Even though the resolutions usually fizzled out quickly and the new agenda was soon as cluttered as the old one, for a moment everything seemed perfect and that’s what made the turn of the year so special.

Two steps forward, one step back

In the meantime, I have moved away from good intentions, or rather from the idea that they require a specific date. Sitting down, reflecting and recognizing where things are going wrong and then changing them has become something I do from time to time without waiting for a new year. The agendas have been replaced by soulless calendars on the computer, which conveniently also appear on the phone and thus ensure that no appointment is missed. Since last year, however, I’ve gone back to organizing my days in a notebook. This is precisely because, despite the advantages of digital options, I was missing the haptic feel that comes from paper. And the opportunity to scribble somewhere when I’m on the phone or bored. I also try to do as much as possible without digital support so that I don’t spend all my days in front of a screen. Since I can’t find an agenda that is organized the way I want it to be, I use a blank notebook and divide up the pages in a way that suits me. As a result, I didn’t need a new agenda at the turn of the year, the week that had begun simply faded into a new year and that’s how the turn of the year felt for me too otherwise.

The power of little changes

The whole week was actually quite monotonously structured. The days were too short and too cold for my taste. Every now and then a colorful sunset or a beautiful dawn provided a highlight, otherwise grey dominated. But that didn’t stop me from going out and doing my jogging laps. A run that I did after sunset and one where I ran a new route provided variety. Small variations always make everyday life interesting.

Silent new year

This included New Year’s Eve with friends in a bar, which began with a thunderstorm and heavy rain over the city and ended with New York, New York by Frank Sinatra . I am always surprised that the turn of the year here is not accompanied by private fireworks and outbreaks of violence, as it is the case in Europe. People are simply happy, have fun and celebrate together.

A happy and healthy new year to all of you! Always remember, life is what YOU make it and no one else. It sometimes needs courage and it sometimes needs hard work to take it all in your hands. But true freedom and happiness will be your reward. Stay creative.

Matthias

Highlight number one

Apart from a very lazy New Year’s Day due to the long night before, I was busy with a web project for a client, which went online at the end of the week after almost two years of work. Ticking this task off in my notebook was the first highlight of the new year.

Show time

The highlight of the week, and therefore the second great thing in the new year, was a show by Alvin Ailey at the New York City Center on Friday evening. I’ve wanted to see a show for a long time, especially since I visited the Alvin Ailey exhibition at the Whitney Museum in September. It was an emotional evening that will definitely remain in my memory.

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