Another year down. 2023 was a whirlwind. Whether you’re the person who is cheering that 2023 is over or the person who is reflecting on the joyous moments that 2023 brought, it’s time for another year. 2024. 

I’ve written about goals and resolutions. In last month’s editorial, I wrote that December was the month to start focusing on new goals and resolutions. This month, we can start implementing those goals and resolutions. 

But January is also the month of new beginnings. There’s a newness in the air. It’s a new soundtrack. We can turn the page to a new chapter. 

While January is all about hitting the ground running on our new goals and resolutions, one goal I want to focus on is finding joy within my goals. I also want to find joy in the mundane. I want to find joy in the small, mundane tasks that I do around the house. I want to get excited and joyous when a new book or TV show or movie comes out. I want to find joy in the news that my friend shares. I want to find joy in planning a trip, even a trip of running errands. 

This quest to find joy in the mundane is a goal within my goals. Goals are typically measured in some type of way, and almost always have outputs. If one of my goals is to read more books this year, my output would be the number of books I read in a year. Instead of reflecting at the end of the year at the number of books I read, I want to reflect on whether or not reading these books truly made me happy and whether I found joy in it. 

And while yes, this goal of mine can be measured in some sort of way (the number of books I read), and measuring goals is a part of growth, it’s about finding joy in the action working towards that goal. 

For Christians, the Bible is our source of inspiration and guidance. Psalm 32:11 (NIV) tells us to rejoice and be glad: “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” Romans 12:12 (ESV) also tells us to rejoice, but in hope: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” As we move into the new year, I can’t help but feel hopeful as I quest to find joy, especially in the mundane things.