Today is January 1, 2026.

As a younger man, that kind of date was only the type of date you’d see in some Blade Runner-esque sci-fi thriller, where cars would fly, other planets were colonized, and vacation resorts were populated by killer robots.

In reality, it’s just another cold, windy morning, albeit with too much AI saturation, but otherwise filled with the same problems, be it political unrest, economic downturn and other newsworthy TV reports.

Having nearly worked myself into yet another burnout these last few months, I have spent a considerable amount of time during my subway commute to and from work, giving though to how I wanted to spend my time ahead, rather than relive the bad habits and experiences of yesterday.

I don’t believe in New Year resolutions, as those are always well-intentioned but short lived, from unused gym memberships to dry January plans that feel like a chore rather than a worthwhile challenge.

I’ve therefore decided to adopt a technique I’ve made good on, at my day job, that of taking it one day at a time, to accept that I can’t control everything, also that my pathological need to fix problems needn’t extend to trying to fix my friends’ problems, and choosing instead to take a more self-directed approach to mental health and physical well-being at the same time.

I know, these sound like resolutions, but I prefer to think of them more as guidelines, which should hopefully make me wake up each day, feeling more hopeful about each day ahead:

1. I miss writing with regularity. Even positing this blog feels good this morning, the act of putting thoughts into words, sharing some insight, feels good, and brings me back to the joy I once had, in the late 90s and early 00s, when I wrote daily. More of that, please.
2. I wish to practice mindfulness. I struggle with a daily obsession of having to share my every saved tidbit of pop culture trivia and other random thoughts stuck in my head. This made me realize, more often than not, that nowadays, people don’t listen, they wait for their turn to talk. A friend I’ve lost touch with (her choice, apparently) practiced mindfulness, and I liked the idea. It’s basically the practice of paying active, non-judgmental attention to the present moment, focusing on your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surroundings as they are, without getting carried away or labeling them as good or bad.
3. I own more cookbooks than I know what to do with, but like an undisciplined hoarder, I tend not to use them as much as they deserve. I had mentioned a new Instagram account I created a short while back, where I collected my documented attempts at becoming a better cook. I like that. I want to take more risks in the new year, to try new recipes, while being mindful of not overspending on ingredients.
4. I want to spend less time scrolling, and more time exploring. There’s so much out there in the world, without the need to travel. I mean, I live in the largest city in Canada, and after 25 years here, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface.
5. I feel like I don’t have a circle of friends I can truly spend quality time with. I’ve accepted that many of my friends now have families of their own and children to look after, and I’ll NEVER fault them for this. But I think it’s important to my mental and emotional well being, to find more opportunities to spend time being more social, without it being social media.
6. The best stroke of luck I had in 2025, was obtaining a donated FitBit from one of those Buy Nothing Facebook groups. Having had stress/anxiety related chest pangs in past years, my doctor suggested I keep tabs on my heart rate, to better regulate and monitor stress levels. My nifty, health-focused smartwatch does just that. It lets me plan targeted goals, .like walking 10,000 steps a day, lets me keep track of my sleep patterns and even allows me to track my weight and water intake, should I choose to.
7. Because of long work hours, I’ve neglected my hobbies, like writing about entertainment. I would like to get back to that activity, and share my thoughts with the world. So I plan to spend more time posting reviews on @popculturein60seconds, and explore new shows, movies and books out there.

So there you have it: Day One of a new year, full of great opportunities to try to do things a little different. With so much going wrong in the world right now, there’s no greater need than ever to take care of ourselves, and that starts with looking after ourselves, by protecting our self worth, our mental health and our personal space.

I invite you to join me in stopping the cycle of negativity, by focusing on the good things in each day, as little as they might be. Cherish the nurturing and nourishing friendships, and discard the bad ones. Focus on what makes you happy. It’s all we can really aim for.

Enjoy the year ahead!