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New Year Wishes
- Loredana Filip
- Dec 30, 2023
- 3 min read
As the year comes to a close, we usually reflect on the highlights and anticipate future accomplishments. Yet, I find myself at another crossroads filled with uncertainty.
As the new year begins, I'll be jobless, having chosen to pursue the audacious dream of writing another academic book. Despite academia feeling like a battle with windmills, I'm ready to be Don Quixote because of my passion for this project. It takes me back to where I was six years ago, wanting to write my Ph.D. but feeling there was no opportunity. I stuck to my project long enough to get that chance, but I know there was also luck AND the incredible support of my partner, supervisor, and my parents.
So let's talk more about the people who lift us up. It's also what I'm wishing you for the coming year. To have that passionate project and the love and support that you need. Hopefully, everything else will then fall into place.
Even if I start 2024 with a title nobody is proud of, I also feel privileged to be so. I can't deny there's a bit of anxiety, but a calming clarity coats my being, knowing that this is what I feel like I have to do for my future.
Reflecting on the past year, I can't help but wish for it to stay the same. New projects took life, like the Plant Diaries on Instagram, my first volume of short stories, or the launch of my website and blog.
Reflecting on our achievements often gravitates towards the grand and quantifiable, be it career milestones or academic triumphs. 2023 meant a lot to me – completing my dissertation, earning suma cum laude honors in my defense, writing two articles, and venturing into my monograph. Presenting at five renowned conferences, including those in Paris, Rome, and Birmingham, and initiating a postdoc project proposal added to the list.
Yet, there's more. In 2023, I appreciated the simplicity of working from home, the joy of crafting a blog post, engaging in local colloquia, or joining the Commission on Science and Literature. Academics can easily get distracted by the "wow" of h-indexes or reputable names, be it universities or presses. But we know there is something more in the joy of pursuing a project or networking with like-minded researchers. The sense of community and connection is so important to what we do, yet we often times find ourselves alone in our pursuits, and our career becomes a personal CV that does not reflect all the interactions that made us who we are.
We measure our lives by the "wow" index. But there are simpler things that we tend to overlook and deserve our attention. It's not about how many milestones our toddlers reach, or how many awesome vacations we had. Not about counting from 1 to 10, but all those silly moments where we laugh together. Not about traveling to exotic destinations, but those short trips close to home.
It's not about how many job applications we send and how many interviews we get, but connecting with someone even when we don't get the job (Thank you, Funto!).
It's not about the number of followers, but the joy of content creation and those special moments when it reaches the right people who can resonate.
It's not about publishing our first bestseller ever, but the joy of writing a book that you feel deeply about and can hold in your hands.
This is what keeps me hopeful. I'm a bit afraid of what comes next because life's lifeline has its ups and downs, and as I step into 2024 jobless, I anticipate the inevitable "down." But I also know that no matter what, it's these simple things that matter. And this is my second wish for you and for 2024. That we can find joy in these overlooked moments - be it the routine of working from home, biking trips close to home, gardening, crocheting, or reading books with our toddlers. No need for grand trips or big projects to enjoy these simple things.
I hope 2024 brings these simple things to you each day. And that you see them.
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