Fermented resolutions

Five intentions for the new year

As we spiral around midwinter, my personal intentions for this year have finished fermenting and are now ready for consumption. 

1. Listen to more new music

2. Explore more

3. Work my way through an intentional book list

4. Reach out to give compliments

5. Use all my vacation time

An overarching theme is to manifest intention into action. There are plenty of other things I want to do, but I culled the list to five motions I can easily incorporate into my life. All are tackling things I’ve said I’ve wanted to do for a long time but haven’t actually put into practice. 

I wrote last time about the dilemma of finding time for a new hobby, and I don’t want to overwhelm myself. I’m working to craft a system beneath each, which can keep me on track.

Photograph by Jasmine Mithani.

Listen to more new music

Every year my Spotify Wrapped is a carbon copy of my liked songs list. I find comfort in familiar rhythms but would like to listen to a wider variety of artists this year. I mused about listening to a new album each week, but I think this goal is better left squishier. I am reaching for new playlists and have started a running list of artists to explore. If you have suggestions, please comment or reply!

Explore more

I have a list of places I want to visit but tend to default to known entities when faced with a block of free time. I started a list of restaurants, bookstores and parks so I don’t need to keep it all in my head. I also left notes relevant to the specific location like what was recommended to order there, or who suggested I try it. It is a lot of work to keep all this information in my memory, so I’m surrendering it to the digital page for safekeeping.

Work my way through an intentional book list

I am a book magpie. I read a lot of book reviews, and with an e-reader nearly every book is attainable in seconds. If a book sounds interesting, I’ll check it out from the library and start reading immediately. I found at the end of last year, I had a sizable list of books I genuinely wanted to read but I kept getting distracted. This year, I’m making it a goal to read one or two books off my TBR each month — in addition to whatever else strikes my fancy. I have yet to settle on the best tracking methodology.

Reach out to give compliments

Frequently I will encounter a piece of media that I enjoy immensely. I’ve thought about sending notes with positive feedback to authors or reporters but never actually done it. I have a habit of sharing articles, books and games I like with others but I doubt any of that good will ever goes back to the creator. This year, I’m going to try harder to leave a comment or send an email to let someone know I liked their work. 

In the past, I thought that writers were drowning in fan mail so a message from me would be inconsequential. It turns out writing is lonely, positive feedback is rare and many people have no qualms about saying extremely nasty things on the internet. I want to let creators know they are appreciated.

Use all my vacation time

I haven’t been able to shake the internal moniker of “the lamest resolution,” but it’s something that I’ve shirked two years running in my new workplace. (And honestly, probably every year I've worked a job with PTO.) 

At the end of last year I felt incredibly rundown and exhausted. Everything seemed to take so much effort. I hadn’t set aside the time to rest throughout the year and it finally caught up with me.

I recently had a distressing day at work and it was such a relief to know I had time off coming up. In an election year, it is even more important to take care of myself. Which means actually taking time off work when I’m able.

Unlike many people, my workplace gives us generous PTO allowances and I’ve essentially been lighting them on fire at the end of the year because I’m bad at planning ahead. Not using these benefits makes it harder for me to do my job.

Quick hits

1. I wrote up an explainer on the laws mandating ID checks before accessing online porn: how they work, why they’re so popular right now, and why some advocates criticize them

2. My colleague Chabeli Carrazana published her investigation into federal reporting requirements for child care centers this week, which is chock-full of useful resources for parents

3. Lois Beckett wrote in the Guardian about how misinformation and homophobia in the Glendale Unified School Board has affected queer Armenians

4. I read “The Luminous Dead” by Caitlin Starling on a whim and it has given me nightmares but I say that alongside the highest recommendation

5. Frankie de la Cretaz recounted how the American rock climbing governing body came to adopt stringent, transphobic requirements for competitors in The Nation 

6. My assigned discussion for “The Artist’s Way” book club I’m in revolves around a chapter about anger and I feel personally attacked by Julia Cameron

7. NPR’s Consider This did an episode all about No Fap culture and how it intersects with the manosphere

8. I’m figuring out which art classes I can fit into my schedule this year, because unfortunately paying for something and committing to a time slot is one of the ways I can ensure I will do something

9. The 19th teased our first foray into podcasting: The Amendment with Errin Haines!

10. Shout out to my dad for sharing the best article correction I’ve ever seen

Do you have any resolutions for the new year? Let me know!

💜 Jasmine