Year of the ____________

Remember I already declared 2026 will be the Year of the Pen. Meaning, I switch from only using wood pencils for everything … work notes, journaling, sketching, etc … to using ONLY pens. Additionally, it’s going to be the “Year of” a few more things. These aren’t New Year’s Resolutions. These are themes. Total behavior change.

Allow me to explain the difference between “Resolutions” and “Year of the ___________”.  Resolutions are activities I commit to doing or things I say I’ll stop.

• Workout 150 minutes per week
• Read 24 books
• Floss daily
• Don’t look at my phone before bed

“Year of the ____________” are things I already do and can’t avoid doing, but I’ll just do them differently and in a new way. These are declarations. As in, “I declare this year, 2026, the Year of the Pen,” and say if you say that aloud in a really exaggerated British accent, you’re getting it.

• Write ONLY with a pen (or pencil last year)
• Only use my left hand with my computer mouse or my iPhone
• Write in cursive handwriting
• Only do basic math in my head or long hand on paper (never a calculator) 
• Skip instead of walking

That last thing … “skip instead of walking” … is a perfect example. If I did something like that, it would mean full commitment and lifestyle change. It’s not about “when I go walking”, but instead, every time I walk. If this was “Year of Skipping” I wouldn’t walk around my house? I would skip around my house. I wouldn’t walk from my car to Kroger and then walk around inside Kroger? If this was “Year of Skipping”, I would skip from my car to Kroger. Then I’d skip all around Kroger. I’d skip at the office. I’d skip around the mall or Home Depot. I’m saying “Year of the __________” just replaces my normal everyday behavior with whatever “of the” I’ve picked.

With that said, 2026 is the “Year of the ________________” following.

Year of the Pen:  I think I’ve covered this enough above (and in this Blog entry) but it means I’m only writing with pens all year. I’ve identified my Cross Bailey and FriXion .5mm’s as my pens of choice.  Not gonna lie, while researching pens, it’s not crazy to think 2027 (next year) could be the year of the fountain pen. 

Year of Positivity and Kindness:  I’m done being negative. I’m done responding with anger or passive-aggressiveness. I’m done saying shitty things about people or situations. I’m pulling out an oldie-but-goodie . . . remember “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all?”  I’m going to prove that’s possible. I’ve even toyed around with what I’m gonna call the new persona… 

• Donnie Sunshine?
• OpDonmistic = “Don” + “Optimistic”
• OpDonmisms = “Don” + “Optimism”

What I call it is still a work in progress but basically, I’m going to crush the world with kindness and positivity. I’m “talking” anyway, so why not make the words nice and kind and uplifting?

Year of Being Less Embarrassing: I don’t know if I try to be embarrassing, or if sometimes my instincts are actually embarrassing, or maybe I think being a little loud or crazy or dressing to shock is my personality, or maybe it just has “look at me” vibes and for that (the people I embarrass know who they are), it’s time to change. I can tone it down in some areas. And trust me, I’m still gonna “be me” (which this Blog and the fact I still have a Blog and I’m committing to cleaning up and using my YouTube Channel better …I still have avenues to embarrass myself and embarrass some people I know and who know me), but everything doesn’t have to get a laugh or reaction. 

That’s a good start. One silly thing (Pen) and two things that’ll make my life better and will improve the life of people around me. 

It’s Year of the Year-of-The.