As the year begins peeling days, weeks, and (soon) months off the calendar, certain truths serve as rallying calls in these early moments of uncertainty.
- The start one is looking for might not be where and when one thinks it is. The Gregorian calendar is one way of organising and managing time. There are others: Chinese, Hebrew, Nanakshahi, Hijri, Pachanga, Buddhist, and many other solar, lunisolar, and seasonal calendars that are used by different cultures and practices. Thus, the first of January is not the universal commencement of any new year—there are other places and times to start. Birthdays, anniversaries of some special occasion, tomorrow—and now. Regardless of where and when one chooses to start, the most important thing to note is that there can be no resolution without resolve. Making choices is easy, keeping commitments is not. The question, then, might not be when to begin, but when one is ready to shoulder the consequences of one’s action (or inaction).
- The end may not be within sight or reach. Some goals are further than most, and some are unattainable. Regardless of which one they might be, the determined pursuit thereof is the most important and, at times, the most pleasurable aspect of the undertaking.
- Chop wood and carry water. The work is the work, and the work must be done.
- Effort compounds. Invest now, enjoy later. Continue putting in the work. Even when the growth curve slows down, even when the curve plateaus—growth does not only occur vertically, it also happens laterally. Sometimes, progress is found in the process, not the event or milestone.
- Do the right thing in the correct manner. First one works, and then one works hard. After some time, through trial and error, and after the attainment of experience, one works in a smart and efficient manner. The steps towards this final stage of endeavour cannot be bypassed. Shortcuts have always been the quickest way to regret.
- Choose discipline, not detoxing. There are no hard resets and no reboots. Slow, gradual, and constant changes are the only way to steer the ship in new directions.
- Find your own way. And take comfort in the unknown. Curiosity leads to interesting journeys.
- Walk your own path. Focus. What is for you, is for you.
- Enjoy your turn and place in the dance. Sometimes one is in the centre, and at other times one is on the periphery. The bench is still part of the game; not all of the action happens on the field—sometimes one needs to warm the bench to get their hunger back, to enjoy the view of the game, and, perhaps, to see it from a different perspective.
- Embrace change and its numerous gifts. Since the only constant in the universe is change, it remains imperative to learn how to move with its dictates, and to see its strange gifts for what they are: opportunities for growth and discovery.
- Rest and replenish thineself. Because it is impossible to pour from an empty cup. Rest is not optional, it is necessary. Take your time. Before time takes you.
- Fear not the future. Fear is the mind-killer.
- Relish the eternal now. All one has ever had is now. Always now.
- There is no new sermon. Because previous gospels still ring true.
- Perceive beauty and acknowledge grace. “With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.”
- Know that you are made of the same stuff as the stars. And there is no easy way from the earth to the stars.
Ain’t nothing to it but to do it—let’s go. Let’s work.
Rémy Ngamije is an award-winning Rwandan-born Namibian author, editor, publisher, photographer, literary educator, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of The Forge.