New Year, New Start, New Goals - What to Expect from me and the NeuroDivergent Rebel blog in 2025

I plan to write more and am currently two-thirds of the way through the rough draft of my next book. If all goes well, with the support of my readers, I plan to release it by the end of this year.

Since I was young, I've had an interesting relationship with most of our traditional U.S. holidays.

While many children eagerly await days like Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Easter, I met these days with feelings of obligation and dread. They interrupted my routine and added stress to my days. This was not only because these days stressed me out but also because they tended to stress out the adults around me. Their anxiety and tension became my own, weighing heavily on me as I was a very sensitive and observant child.

Even "Little Me" had many gripes with Capitalism and the U.S. government. Unfortunately, when I was 5, most people didn't care to hear what I had to say about our country's political and economic flaws. . . yet.

From a young age, I resented the financial pressure these holidays placed on families to buy things and the normalization of people going into debt over the holidays to pay for those items (that they often didn't even need and couldn't afford).

The worst part (for me) was watching people act out of compulsion, putting themselves into debt that would take months to climb out of because they were worried about how others would perceive them if they didn't (or couldn't afford to) participate in the gift-giving tradition (complaining about every purchase and dollar spent instead of simply saying "no" to something that was adding loads of additional stress to their lives), serving as a constant reminder of the stress and financial strain these holidays brought.

I wanted to like Christmas and all the other holidays, but to this day, only two holidays sit well with me:

Halloween and New Year's.

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I LOVE Halloween

Halloween has always been close to my heart because I've always had a thing for eccentric outfits and bold costumes. The freedom to be someone else for a night, the creativity involved in making my own costumes, and the joy of seeing others in their unique outfits all contribute to my love for this holiday.

2 Jack-o-lanterns glowing in the darkness.

As a kid, and even today, most of the costumes I've worn for Halloween and other events have been homemade. The art of creating a costume (instead of buying one) is a big part of what makes costuming and role-play fun for me.

I also enjoy "trying on" the role of a character for a few hours. There's something therapeutic about playing a part and being in a costume that hides my identity.

One perk is that, although I personally DO have social anxiety, most of the characters I dress up as don't, and it's nice to have a break from worrying about what other people will think of me (because, in a costume, I get to leave being me behind for a short time). In this way, Halloween (unlike the other holidays) feels like a release from the pressures of conformity, and it is a day where it is encouraged and acceptable (but not compulsory) to do the thing I love - dress in costume and become a character.

New Year, New Start

Another holiday that holds personal significance for me is New Year's Eve. While I don't celebrate it traditionally, I mark it every year in my own unique way as a time for reflection, setting goals and intentions, and embracing fresh starts, starting on the Winter Solstice.

A Happy New Year sign appears in a wreath of green leaves and white lites.

The Winter Solstice is observed on the day the sun reaches its lowest point in the sky (December 21st or 22nd), marking the gradual return of light and longer days.

I use the Solstice and the time leading up to New Year's Eve to pause and reflect on the previous year, consider what I've learned, and how I would like to apply this information to help me move forward in the new year.

Every year, I pick at least one way (sometimes multiple ways) I would like to improve my quality of life (from within).

Being mindful of the types of behaviors I would like to leave behind (and those I hope to grow) in the new year, I carefully choose realistic goals I want to set based on what I've learned in the previous year.

For example, the year after I was diagnosed Autistic (8 years ago now), I had a goal of getting to know myself better as well as a goal of practicing saying "NO" to things I didn't want to do and speaking up about my needs (instead of ignoring them and suffering in silence).

Another year, I aimed to find my ideal work environment (including when, where, and how I worked best).

Last year, I learned a lot about myself, but I was mostly just trying to survive, which (in its own way) forced me into a period of self-evaluation, reflection, and rapid growth (though it wasn't growth I initiated).

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I hope this helps,
- Lyric