At the Crossroads of a New Year: Purpose, Reflection, and Eternal Sunshine

A new year always holds a promise of beginnings—an opportunity to look inward and re-evaluate who we’ve become. In many ways, this echoes the journey in my all-time favorite film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Michel Gondry, where memories, whether cherished or painful, shape the path forward. In this article, we’ll explore how the tradition of New Year’s resolutions can give us the clean slate we crave, while also revealing how much our priorities evolve over time. Along the way, we’ll discuss why shifting our long-term plans isn’t a sign of failure, but rather a testament to our ongoing personal growth. This article serves as a bite size article to scribble down some thoughts, opinions, and potentially some references to one of my favorite pieces of art out there.

"Blessed are the forgetful: for they get the better even of their blunders." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Rediscovering Our Purpose Through a Clean Slate

One of the most exciting (and sometimes intimidating) aspects of starting a new year is the sense of a blank page. It’s like stepping onto a freshly cleared stage where you can rewrite the script of your life. Whether you’re setting new health goals or planning a significant career pivot, each objective stands as proof that you’re no longer the same person you were twelve months ago. This recognition is important—it reminds us that we’re constantly in flux, continuously shaped by the experiences and lessons that came our way.

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot. The world forgetting by the world forgot Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd. -Alexander Pope

If Eternal Sunshine teaches us anything, it’s that our memories—painful, joyous, or somewhere in between—are precious building blocks of identity. In the film (spoiler alert for any person that hasn't seen this gem) the characters who attempt to erase their past soon discover they are erasing essential parts of themselves. In a similar vein, when we reflect on the previous year, the intention shouldn’t be to forget mistakes or hardships but to see how they’ve informed our present perspective. Letting yourself feel pride for the wins, sorrow for the losses, and even confusion for the puzzling moments allows you to craft more empathetic resolutions moving forward.

Changing Our Course, Embracing Ourselves

Personally, 2024 stands out as a year of both trials and triumphs. I faced challenges I never saw coming, but I also uncovered strengths I never knew I had. As I sifted through the memories—big wins, small defeats, heartbreaks, and moments of unbridled joy—one resounding question emerged: How would I handle these same scenarios if they happened now? Realizing how differently I would respond highlights how much I’ve changed in just a single year. And in this realization, I do not believe I am much different than most people out there. It is precisely this core belief, the one in our ability as humans to continuously evolve, that allows us to grow. It is, after all, what has allowed our species to thrive for a long time (relatively speaking, of course).

A common misconception is that changing direction in life means admitting defeat. In reality, it can be the most mature choice we make. Goals that once felt paramount might now seem distant from our true selves. Whether you’re pivoting careers, moving to a new city, or reassessing personal relationships, honoring your evolving aspirations is a sign of self-respect—not surrender. It acknowledges that you’ve done the work, taken the hits, and emerged as someone who fully understands their updated set of priorities.

Recap and Closing Thoughts

The start of a new year serves as a powerful checkpoint, not only to celebrate how far we’ve come but also to reimagine where we’d like to go next. Much like the protagonists in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, every memory—good or bad—has shaped the person we see in the mirror today. Recognizing that constant evolution and allowing ourselves the grace to change direction is both liberating and essential for true growth.

Towards the film's end, as all but one of the memories are all gone, the protagonists realize that there is nowhere left to hide and thus, in desperation, Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet's character) attempts to brainstorm what will their course of action be. Which new plan or attempt will they try out next. This last memory, being one of them both having lunch by the cold beach in Montauk. At this point, we have seen the protagonists make every attempt to run and escape through each memory as they are being deleted. Joel (Jim Carrey's character) replies in a profound yet brief manner as to how to treat this last memory, those last fleeting moments before the procedure gets rid of them forever.

"Enjoy it" - Joel Barish (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)

As you look ahead to the possibilities of this new chapter, a full 12 months of 2025 (almost, as I never got to publish this article in time), remember that a clean slate isn’t about forgetting the past; it’s about honoring the journey that brought you here and boldly stepping into the next version of you. Embrace it, be amused by it, and let the lessons guide you toward a future that’s truer to the self you’ve become. In Joel's best words... Enjoy it.

Until the next time.