Happy New Year! As I was planning for a January printable calendar to share, I came across this quote from Emerson in my journal. It really tapped into my heart about the new year, and I decided to paint it. As my sketching and thinking process usually goes, the opportunity for my mind to wander as my hands put strokes to paper brought clarity to a jumble of thoughts… The turn of the clock last night has ushered in one more benchmark in how we number our days — 2019. Although that flip of the digital lights from 11:59 to 12:00 happens twice every day, this one time on December 31st every year seems to hold within it a deep breath, an inhale of possibility and anticipation. Why do we rest so many hopes and aspirations — what to change, what to grow, what to do, who to be — in that singular moment? Sixty seconds where it seems like the whole world can change.
We need those benchmarks, I guess. We relish them. The changing of the year is a way to break down our lives, to reboot or reset. A logical time for a fresh start if we need one. A time to give new dreams a power boost. Or, inexplicably loosen the hold of our obstacles. We demand a lot from those sixty seconds and the hopes and dreams and possibilities that seem to rest in them.
This year, I’ve found myself resisting the resolutions and goal-setting – the grand gestures and well-thought-out plans. I don’t have a big idea to announce. I’m not on the cusp of a new endeavor. Some detailed task list isn’t poised to hit the ground running. There’s no 9-point plan ready to launch at the infamous tic of 2019. As I look around on my digital platforms, there’s a lot of pressure to make a splash… creating the “best year yet”. And, I’m resisting.
I don’t want to think about this year. I want to think about today. Every day. I don’t want to think big. I want to savor the small. Every day. I want to work hard on the small — the every day stewardship of holding on, or letting go, of treasuring and celebrating, of creating a project, a home, a life.
The fact is: December 31 is magic. But no more or less so than every other day. Years are made up of days, each one alive with possibilities. All the hopes and dreams, the overcoming, the wonder and resolve we cast on New Year’s Day are just as alive in every Tuesday. Or Thursday. Every 12:01. As we begin this collection of days called 2019, my hope is to keep a keen eye on the small moments of each new day. To capture them, invest in them, and pull from them every joy, every hope, every lesson they hold.
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I hope you enjoy this printable calendar for January as we begin 2019 together! Download Here It includes a tiny version of the Emerson quote as a cut-away reminder. The print is also available in my Etsy shop. Welcome 2019!
Hello & welcome! I’m Haley Montgomery, and I’m the designer and owner of 
