Dear Reader,

With the pressure of resolutions, setting goals, and fresh beginnings, the inside of my brain around the new year often looks something like this:

It would be typical of me to start the new year with a million unanswered questions, worries, and concerns about if I was “on the right path”.

But often towards the end of the year, reflecting back, I realize I have come very far in answering many of those concerns and untangling a situation which at the time felt too overwhelming to tackle.

What is a YDK?

There is a Japanese slang term used among younger people, “YDK”. It is an acronym of sorts for “yareba dekiru ko” (やれば出来る子), which roughly translates to “A child who can, if they just do”.

It’s an endearing (although maybe slightly condescending) term, to describe someone who usually doesn’t care to, or doesn’t have the confidence to, pursue the things that would benefit them.

But on the occasion they decide to take a chance on themselves, they exceed their expectations.

Rejections meet breakthroughs, failures teach lessons, and dreams discover some sky again.

Navigating life with the playfulness of a YDK

In any given tough situation, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the fear of not knowing. We make a series of educated guesses, do the best we can, and hope it works out.

And often, we’re capable of a lot more than we give ourselves credit for.

I like how YDK specifies “a child” — a person who, by nature, is on a path of growth and discovery, and still doesn’t know what they are capable of. Through this lens, should we not consider ourselves like children at times?

I don’t think we need to challenge or push ourselves in the traditional sense of the word, but we can take on a playful mindset, and challenge what we think we know about ourselves and our abilities.

Experiment, try new things, or explore a little corner of the world that we haven’t had the opportunity to look into yet. We did this as a child, we can do it again.

Wishing you the best in the new year

I hope you are able to spend this holiday season surrounded by your loved ones, in good health and spirits. Be kind to yourself and others, and take care of your wellbeing.

For I always come to the conclusion that at the end of the day there is not much more I could ask for than love and good health.

I'll personally be taking some time off, and newsletter will resume on January 11th 😊

Happy holidays! ❤️

Warmly,

Kaki

⭐️ Bonus: Starting the new year with clarity

It's always a delicate art for me, balancing the structure and pressure that comes with goal-setting and planning, with honoring my bandwidth. On the one end I might find myself being too complacent, but on the other I find myself burnt out.

So I tried something different last year, a more gentle, yet clear approach to my goals.

Last year's approach - for confidence and direction

1. Pick 3 tangible goals. These are goals that you can "check off". For example, mine was to run a race, learn how to sew, and read 3 Japanese books. These were things that I've always wanted to learn or do more of, and were totally within my capacity, but I just never made time for it.
2. Pick 2 intangible themes to live by. These are things you can't necessarily declare you've done, but what you've strived for, and let be your guide. For example, the theme "peace" may help you re-evaluate a relationship or career choice. Other themes include freedom, creativity, compassion, connection, learning, courage, responsibility, or growth etc.

Honestly, this approach went pretty well for me. I completed all of my tangible goals, which reaffirmed in me -- like yeah, if I set my mind to something I can do it. The themes I had chosen also helped guide my choices when I was at a crossroads, and made me feel more assured in my self-agency.

The approach was helpful because it was flexible, yet still clear enough for me, that I felt like I had a direction I could follow. It was also super easy to remember, and remind myself of throughout the year.

In an especially turbulent year, this was a welcome approach.

This year's approach - for growth and adventure

My planning for the coming year looks a little different, as I'm trying something with a bit more structure.

1. One big, bold goal. A personal challenge, that I've always wanted to complete. Something I'll be proud I did (or attempted) for the rest of my life.
2. 6 mini adventures. I'm typically drawn to routine, so I'm trying to make sure I plan for newness and novelty in my life. This year, I'm putting 6 mini adventures (trips, events, etc.) into my calendar before the year even starts.
3. 4 projects. For every quarter of the year, I'm working on one project, for a few hours a week. A creative project, a skill, a book, and a course.

I don't know how this will go (does it seem overwhelming?), and maybe I'll revert back to what I had done this past year. We'll find out - playful experimentation!

Anyways, if you're looking for a way to start the new year with clarity, I hope this inspired you to take some time for yourself to reflect, recharge, and redirect yourself towards what feels most meaningful to you 😊

Thanks for reading!

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