an unspent coin, an unwalked road. How the pages will read,
what treasures will be gained in exchange for time,
or what we find along the way, will largely depend on us. -Esther Baldwin York
It's almost time to welcome a new year into our lives. Although the measurement of years is a completely artificial way of dealing with the concept of time, most of us subscribe to it to one extent or another, so starting a new year in our lives does matter to most of us. We see the "new start" as a fresh opportunity for change, for beginning new projects, for repairing relationships, for learning new skills, for getting in shape. . . the list is very, very long, obviously.
From what I've been hearing and reading over the last year, though, it seems like many people are not seeing the "opportunity" part of the new year, especially people who have lost jobs or who are making much less money than they made last year, or are spending so much more on basic living expenses that they don't see any way possible for them to take on anything new. And all of the people who are going to have to spend much more money every month for health insurance are facing a year when they'll probably be struggling to keep their heads above water, much less thrive or be able to fill their new year with new goals or projects.
A mother who's now going to have to pay much more for insurance this coming year won't have the income necessary to take the college courses she needs in order to advance in her job or to change jobs. A family that has seen its work diminish severely due to economic factors such as tariffs, which are making the less wealthy people suffer more than anyone else, won't be able to afford to take that vacation they've been planning on, and they won't be able to afford the extra classes that their son or daughter needs. Families that are paying much more for utilities, rent, or mortgages will be stuck just trying to get by.
Of course, the most important element of getting ready for the new year is accepting the reality it currently presents, the possibilities and limitations, for they're real for most of us. Accepting a limitation does NOT mean that we think we can't do anything to get over it, of course, but unless we accept it for what it is currently, we simply won't be able to try to overcome it. Acceptance means that we know what our current situation is, and that our plans fit realistically into the reality we're living. If my disposable income is $500 a month, then I probably shouldn't be planning a summer in France.
Personally, my wife and I see many such limitations in our future, as we've recently retired and we'll be living on that famous "fixed income" that definitely limits our possibilities. The first thing we did in order to retire was to move to a country that's much less expensive than the States, because we want our money to stretch as far as possible while we still try to maintain a basic quality of life. We're not people who have inherited lots of money or who have a home that's completely paid off, so the income we get will be it. The good side is that by moving, we were actually able to retire--had we stayed in the States, we would have had to keep working at least another ten years, probably. So our planning for the next year is rather simple--we'll take many day trips to explore our new surroundings, but we won't be planning any extensive vacations for the year. For us, this will be a year of settling in and getting used to life in a new country and to new ways of life.
What will your new year look like? Will this be a year of being careful with money? If so, how can you still maintain a decent quality of life while spending less? Does this mean fewer meals out, fewer trips, and fewer luxuries? Perhaps this can be a year of focusing on improving family relationships or friendships. Maybe it's a year to spend at home, strengthening your home life. Many people find time that they spend at home to be beneficial because they can read more and do more things with their families. Perhaps a game night each week can strengthen ties better than a meal in a restaurant can.
Or will your financial situation not change significantly, so you can continue to do the things that you like to do, that make life more interesting and enjoyable? You can still look for ways to strengthen relationships that you already have, to improve the home you live in, to contribute to the neighborhood you live in. Maybe it's time to buy a few books on something that fascinates you, and learn more about it.
Or will you be doing even better financially, so you can do some things that you've dreamed of doing for a long time? Then congratulations, and have fun! Just try to keep in mind that those people who use at least some of their money to help others tend to be happier and feel a stronger sense of purpose and fulfillment. Giving back to the world is one of those things that everyone sees in different ways, but that tend to make people happier and more emotionally well-balanced.
Your new year is coming up, or has already started, depending on when you're reading this. Right now, you're just thinking of what's coming and how you're going to deal with it all. I would say that Esther is right--what this year becomes definitely will be affected by outside circumstances, but will mostly depend on us and how we approach the year. Once we accept where we are and what we have and what we don't have, we can get to work trying to improve things, if necessary, or to maintain things that should be maintained. My main hope is that you're able to make your coming year a wonderful year indeed, in both your own life and in the lives of the people with whom you associate in one way or another. What we make of 2026 is up to us, isn't it?
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