Back in the day, when I worked at my first job, the staff gathered for an in-service in January. We all had to fill out this chart with our personal and professional goals for the year. I found it interesting but not so useful. A great idea for an interactive group meeting, but not really so helpful for me as a person. Maybe if we had to incorporate our projected setbacks, I would have found the exercise more practical. Setbacks and failures are part of real life. So much for New Years Resolutions.

Every year when we roll over from December 31, #OldYear to January 1, #NewYear, I feel equal parts excitement and tension, that sentiment stemming from change and newness. I like change and I like new things. The thing is, I have to remember to implement the change.

For example, how unacceptable does a check look when we have to change a 2017 to a 2018 or a 2018 to a 2019? Turns out the latter is much harder to change without camouflaging the original mistake (try them both and you’ll agree), and that’s why I’m somewhat concerned (okay, I’m exaggerating a bit here…) about how many checks I’ll have to waste until I get the date right. And whether it will be mid-January or later before I finally write the 19 instead of the 18. The first time. Changing an 8 into a 9 with dark ink does not count as getting it right the first time.

Even the dates have to be correct on essays, printed letters, bullet journals, diaries, memos or any professional presentation. As I write all these types of written documents, I know if I slow down and think before writing the year, I’ll probably get it right without having to say “whoops.”

But does it really matter? I mean, how uptight am I getting all stressed over writing the wrong year on documents when starting a New Year? What really matters is that I get it right eventually. And one thing I know for sure: No matter how many days or weeks (please, let it not be weeks!) for me to catch on that it’s the year 2019, and mark it so on paper, the first time, I know that I will have learned that lesson eventually.

As the song goes “Que Sera Sera.” In that song, the a child converses with a parent, worrying about his future and what he will be like when he grows up. To which the parent answers, “Que Sera, Sera,” or what will be, will be.

Errors are part of the process of learning. To err is human, to forgive (oneself!) is divine. Eventually, through practicing and just doing repeatedly, we get good at doing things without thinking too much about it. Every so often I’m faced with that elusive new skill to master. Whatever will be, will be. What matters is not how many times I do things till I get it right; what counts it the eventual learning over time of the new skill. Because there always will be new things to learn every day of the year. New behaviors to practice and gradually master. Let’s practice lots of new things in this New Year. Let’s celebrate the process as well as the behaviors that stick all the way till the end of the year. And into the following year.

That will be changing a 19 to a 20! That’s two numbers to get right…..