What I’m Not Taking Into the New Year- Habits, People, and Mental Baggage

Every New Year brings lists of goals, plans, and aspirations—but rarely do we talk about what we’re leaving behind. Growth isn’t only about adding more; sometimes it’s about unpacking.

This year, many of us are choosing not to carry habits that drain us, relationships that confuse us, or thought patterns that keep us stuck. Not everything deserves a seat in your next chapter. Some things were only meant to teach you, not travel with you.

Letting go doesn’t mean you failed. It means you learned. It means you’re paying attention. And it means you’re brave enough to admit that certain things no longer fit the person you’re becoming.

You don’t owe loyalty to dysfunction. You don’t need closure from everyone. And you don’t have to explain why you’re choosing better for yourself. The New Year isn’t about perfection—it’s about alignment.

Make space. Your future needs room.

3 Resources

• Book: Letting Go by David R. Hawkins

• Practice: End-of-year personal audit (habits, relationships, mindset)

• App: Digital detox or habit-tracking app

New Year 2026 Joke

“I’m not taking toxic habits into the New Year… except procrastination. We’re still talking about that one.”

3 Historical Oddities

• Ancient civilizations believed bad spirits lingered into the New Year, so they made loud noises to scare them away—early emotional decluttering.

• In Japan, temples ring bells 108 times on New Year’s Eve to cleanse human desires and faults.

• Victorian-era self-help books warned people against “excessive brooding,” calling it a moral failure—mental baggage had critics even then.