The first week of the new year can be characterised as a week of reinvention. We mindmap, journal, moodboard and discuss with friends the person we want to be, and all the ways we want to achieve this glorious fantastical version of self. I’ve fallen deeply into this hole. I’ve written a letter to myself reflecting on the coming year like it had already happened in hopes of manifesting a perfect existence. I’ve outlined exactly what i want from my year; what countries I want to visit, what outfits I’ll wear to my job, what grades I need to boost myself from a distinction to high distinction average, what diet to follow for model abs, what the perfect Sunday reset routine looks like, the dinner parties I’ll host with friends. Every minuscule detail has been selected, refined and encapsulated in a photo I can look at daily to remind me of my path. 

The one thing I was missing was forgiveness. There is so much hype and at times pressure to create the perfect 2025, and become the best possible version of yourself overnight. Throw out this old ruined version and replace it with something new and shiny. But we’re not plastic, we’re not an old phone or a new car. The new year shouldn’t be about reinvention, but growth. You don’t need replacing every year. The new year should be about embracing your old self, reflecting on and working on your flaws so that you can improve, evolve and do better. At the core of growth is acceptance and forgiveness. We must forgive who we were to be better tomorrow. There is no use running away from our past - it promises to always catch up. 

This new year I'm trying to find peace, and the biggest part of that is not self care routines or wellness rituals, but forgiveness. Ground your practices, affirmations and routines in a love so strong it forgives your darkness and mistakes, and let that darkness become light. 

By Brooke.