Mood Vector
Hey friends,
As the first week draws to a close, it’s helpful to see how we can ensure that January just does not turn into June. So this week, I thought hard about how we set goals, use color-coded planners, and mark a fresh beginning of all things, all with good intention.
I learned: This approach does not work.
You see, notes or resolutions or planners are an outcome of something deeper: your mood vector. The mood vector is how you feel about the things you plan to do, about the things you plan not to do, about the new year. I learned that setting this vector right is far more important than making resolutions, developing plans, or setting goals.
The mood vector matters. It matters because goals and resolutions are likely to change more dynamically than the mood vector which is not as likely to change. The Gregorian reset makes this vector more nimble, more light-footed, easier to be reset in the direction you plan on going.
When I try to reset and align my mood vector, I answer three things:
- What do I feel about the things I am doing now?
- How can I get started and continue with at least one thing?
- If nobody read my annual review, what would I do?
As I try to answer these questions, I am able to triangulate and find where my mood vector is and the direction it points in: happy, content, despair, sorrow, or blankness. This sense of emotion gives me more useful information than making any resolution does.
That I am writing this also means that I don't have any resolutions laid out even now, well into one week of 2023. This is surprising. But an even more surprising thing is that I don’t feel any urgency at all. The Gregorian reset has given me enough incentive to realign my mood vector, which is more than enough to set meaningful goals I actually plan on pursuing, rather than meaningless goals I plan on abandoning.
Writing this newsletter consistently, getting better at calisthenics, and representing information more succinctly, are only a few of the meaningful goals I have set so far. As I readjust my mood vector and feel right about 2023, I am confident of developing other, meaningful pursuits.
Until next time,
Abhinav