Nothing Happens
January 3, 2026 – HELLO 2026 and Happy New Year!!
Sadly, this photo was taken from the archives… LOL. It’s a photo from September 2025 and it kind of reflects my current feeling. So, why not? The reason why this photo was in my recent images, I was reviewing my photos throughout the year and selecting a photos for each month for a photo collage of highlights for 2025 (see below). I guess this image of me did not make the cut. It’s snowing today and I just finished my PowerPoint presentations for my classes on Monday. I still have to prep on Sunday, but it’s nice to be ahead on the “lesson plan” and then prep the details the night before. I’m hoping to figure out my routine for the winter term. Last year, it was terrible. Having 8-hours of instruction on Mondays does not lend well to “be a person Saturdays.” I am a little combobbled right now. I totally forgot to recycle today because I was working today.
Recycling will now have to wait a week… a natural consequence to being combobbled. I did do the weekly cat-cleaning duties this morning, but I guess working on the PowerPoint and planning offset my momentum for the week. Nor here or there… I’m not even sure why I’m writing about it. LOL. Actually, I do enjoy recycling. I love the closure of sorting and emptying out my recycling bins and bags. I did realize that I did not recycle this afternoon and it would have been viable to “get up and go” to recycle this afternoon, but it was snowing A LOT and I just came back from a short outing with the kid (and she was driving). I made the executive decision NOT to recycle. I did not want to go outside. Accept the consequences and move on. But here’s the deal… NOTHING HAPPENS.
No one cares if I had recycled today or not, or if my photo was just taken yesterday or four months ago. NOTHING HAPPENS. This life’s lesson has taken me a very long time to understand. There are always natural consequences, but the intensity of anyone caring or that life will end or that “something terrible” will happen… doesn’t happen. I learned this lesson almost a handful of years ago when I rented a car. I backed into a planter on my way back to the airport and I was stressing the whole way there. During the whole trip, I imagined many different outcomes… and none of them were good. My anxiety was at an all time high as I approached the parkade to drop off the car. I told them about the back bumper on the driver’s side. One of them went out to inspect the car and confirmed my claim. They asked me to sign in a few places and said that the bill to repair the vehicle would be in the mail. There was no judgement, no shaming, and no blaming. NOTHING HAPPENED. I got the bill and for such a “small” ding, the bill was a doozey, but not unreasonable. I realized then that I was the one who cared… but no one else did.
There are some instances when people do care, but the actions are my doing and others may have been negatively impacted. Again, there are natural consequences, but I can take ownership for my actions. That’s another life’s lesson. Take ownership of what you do or what you believe in… that’s my agency but also my responsibility. I can understand that, for sure. I will admit that I do appreciate when “nothing happens.” It was almost like I had to cool-down my nervous system and not overthink or overreact to a situation. That fear was deeply embedded in me and I needed the time to unlearn or deprogram myself into a different way of being. I can see that I can be my biggest obstacle. The fear of failure or success is overwhelming sometimes that it just leads me to avoidance, procrastination, or self-sabotaging behaviours. That’s not a good thing either, even though NOTHING HAPPENS. And, even if something did happen, I would potentially be deeply triggered into cognitive paralysis. The fear would be and can be overwhelming.
Of course, I see Adam Grant’s post tonight as I was writing this blog post and I was heartened by the message of focussing on habits and not outcomes. The outcomes will come. I would give that message to my math students (when I taught high school math). “Don’t focus on the grade, focus on the math… the grade will come.” How full circle is this? It’s the pot calling the kettle black. I am so grateful for my #OneWord2026: PRACTICE… in particular, “deliberate practice.” What I really intended with this word are HABITS. Changing one thing at a time… nothing major… but with a real focus on improving my health, courage to take (academic) risks, and be present. Today, I exercised for 30 minutes, I had 2 Stanleys of water (with electrolytes), and I’m getting used to using my NEW electric toothbrush and brushing for 2 minutes twice a day (and flossing). I am also trying to blog on Saturdays (even though it’s now Sunday after midnight).
There are a few habits I want to break… or minimize… but it’s these small victories I need to be celebrating and PRACTICING different habits and “alter actions that are in my control.” I also finished my planning for Monday on Saturday (with some prep on Sunday). THIS IS PROGRESS. I am also going to bed at a decent hour and I will get up tomorrow morning to start anew. I can do this and I am realizing that I also need to be reasonable with all the things I put on myself as well. I can’t expect that I can do a million things (plus one) just because I perceive other people are doing that or if I believe that is something I should do. There you go… another habit I am practicing. When do I say no? What do I love to do? What makes me happy? I also believe I am trying to kick the PLEASER-mindset to find my self-worth, but rather I am understanding my self-worth and learning how to act accordingly. Focus on the process. In the end, NOTHING HAPPENS.