If you’re planning to begin a new habit tomorrow, don’t wait.

Do it today.

There’s tradition around New Year’s resolutions, but there’s power in being able to change your habits today, no matter where today is on the calendar.

Why not begin now?

If you can’t cook, maybe you can set the table. Or perhaps you can wash the dishes.

And if you can’t do those things, you might try to engage in a pleasant conversation.

A lack of ability or opportunity in one area doesn’t relegate you to idleness.

Seek to contribute. Even more, seek to be a contribution.

Sometimes the countless things outside of our control lead us forget the many things that are within our control.

As a colleague once advised, “Keep your house clean.”

What he meant was: just because other departments are chaotic or disorganized doesn’t mean you have to operate that way. Recognize the areas where you can create beauty and order, and make it so.

Whether a tiny footprint or a vast empire, where you have influence, create the world in which you seek to live.

Certain challenges and personal struggles can cause us to feel uncomfortable, ashamed, even isolated.

Surprisingly, when we’re courageous enough to reveal our vulnerabilities to others, we often learn that we are not alone. Quite the contrary.

If you cut your hand while chopping vegetables, the cause and effect will be clear.

If, on the other hand, you wake up in the middle of the night with nausea and an upset stomach … the cause might not be evident at all.

Was it something you ate? Are you sick? Is it your nerves? A new medicine?

When we don’t know the cause of something, we begin to craft a story in our minds. Like novice detectives or scientists, we piece together the story of what we believe to be true.

This happens outside of our personal health, too. We can easily find ourselves telling a story about why the country is the way it is, or why there are problems with the economy, or why we were or weren’t picked for something.

Whether we have evidence or not, we tell stories.

Be careful to recognize when you’ve woven together a story that has little basis in what’s actually known. Sometimes we tell a story so well that we forget it’s all invented.

When it comes to gifts, it’s hard to overstate the value of thoughtfulness.

Money, power, and influence — in the end — pale in comparison.

A gift without thought is a transaction.

A thoughtful gift, however, is a manifestation of love.

Part of the charm of tradition is in its familiarity. There’s comfort in shared customs. There’s a warmth to ritual.

And we can create new traditions too.

Even as we celebrate in the way we have for years, we can also imagine new, meaningful ways to honor the passage of time, the things we believe, and what we hold dear.

Our traditions are our own to create and repeat.

* * *

Love and peace to you and yours.

When we say we miss a thing (because a change has happened in time or circumstance) — often what we mean is that we miss the convenience of that thing.

For the things that matter to us, we change in response to the change. We travel the extra distance to the store’s new location, we adjust our schedule to attend the new weekly meeting time, we visit with the friend who has moved to a new town, we adjust to work in a smaller studio space …

When we don’t truly care, we don’t change.

When it matters to us, convenience is secondary.

Undoubtedly, there are one-time events that drastically alter our lives, for better or worse. Sometimes those events are a result of our actions. Other times, they’re consequences of chance or the actions of others.

But more often, the things that drastically alter our lives are things that play-out little by little over the course of a long time.

What’s remarkable is that we have significant influence over the little-by-little.

Small moments, small choices, small commitments, small wins — over time, they all add up.

We write the epic story, but we do it one word at a time.

I overheard this conversation between a hotel manager and member of the housekeeping staff:

“How was your weekend? Did you get to see the baby?”

“It was great. I had a nice time off and it was wonderful spending time with that little guy. How about you? Did you get away?”

It was a beautiful exchange. A testimony to the kind of work culture at this hotel.

These environments don’t happen accidentally; they’re created on purpose.

It’s the kind of culture we can all strive to build.

The sponsor form for the school club offered three options: $5, $10, or $20.

No blank line. No “other.” No flexibility.

Yes, one could donate more, but there wasn’t a prompt.

There’s value to defining goals and creating boundaries. When there are just a few options, it’s easier for us to choose … and more likely that we will.

But sometimes, it helps to remove the boundaries. To create an open space for others to fill in the blank. To intentionally include the possibility of what-if.

Besides: the most interesting things in life are a result of the blank lines, not from having selected the predetermined choices.

Austin Kleon tells us, “All advice is autobiographical. … [W]hen people give you advice, they’re really just talking to themselves in the past.”

True words, A.K.

Knowing this, take a moment to imagine a future version of yourself.

What wisdom would that future version of you offer? How would future-you advise the you of today?

If your key doesn’t work, make sure you’re using the right key.

Then, see if its teeth are worn or the blade is bent.

Check the lock, too. It might need to be lubricated.

Or the mechanism could be broken.

Someone might have even changed the lock.

The point is, there are a lot of reasons a door might not open for you. Even the possibility that you’re at the wrong door.

Organize your thoughts. Find the right words. Speak them aloud.

And, regularly, commit them to writing.

Particularly when we capture what we know to be true … the written word allows that truth to ring with a sustained clarity.

Embrace the practice.

When we ask, “Can I get your honest opinion?” we should keep in mind: honest opinions are not necessarily expert opinions.

Whose opinion we seek matters. Whose approval we seek matters. Whose standards we seek to meet matters.

Honesty matters, but who’s being honest matters even more.

Some situations are taxing enough on their own. They’re even more of a challenge if they coincide with natural stressors like hunger, fatigue, or a feeling of loneliness.

When this occurs, have the presence of mind to pause. Recognize what’s happening. A bit of food, a little rest, or a conversation with a friend can go a long way in helping us gain clarity when things feel like they’re going sideways.

Alexandre Desplat wrote the score for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio to be performed with only certain instruments, not a full symphony orchestra.

No brass. No cymbals. Only wood-based instruments like woodwinds, guitar, piano, and a wooden accordion. The music itself is native to the world of Geppetto, the woodworker, and the boy made out of wood.

This musical constraint is as beautiful as it is fitting. It’s a foundational layer of meaning. It’s not explicitly told to the viewer, but it seamlessly contributes to the effectiveness and nuance of the work.

Sometimes circumstances present constraints. Other times, we intentionally adopt constraints in service of a conceptual goal.

In a culture that often praises “select all” and the idea of unlimited choice, it’s refreshing to see creative constraint used to add such meaning and depth.

If you knew your words would cling to someone else and take root in their heart, what would you say?

Because sometime words — even words said in passing — sometimes words do that.

Sometimes we learn one skill only to learn that a related, secondary skill is where we truly shine.

For instance, in learning how to cook, you might find that you’re a great entertainer.

Or in learning how to teach, you might find that you’re an excellent public speaker.

Or in learning how to design websites, you might find that you’re a capable marketer.

Whether you’re learning news skills or you’re already a seasoned professional, keep an awareness of secondary skills. In some cases, that may be where your more remarkable strengths reside.

Last month, my youngest son wrote down his plans for a particular Saturday. It went like this:

8:40. Oatmeal.
9:00. Ask to go to bookstore.
10:00. Ask for screen time. Yes or no.
10:35. Run back and forth.
10:55. Read.
11:30. Run back and forth.
11:40. Read.
12:00. Lunch.
12:10. Play.
12:30 or 40. Read.
1:00. Play.
1:30 or 40. Run back and forth.
1:50. Read.
2:10. Play.
2:30. Screen time.
3:00. Snack.

When you have a day to yourself, what does it look like? Would others delight at reading your schedule? When it includes, “run back and forth,” is it literal? (For a seven-year-old, it certainly is.)

Do you schedule enough time for play? If not, you might consider an adjustment.