There are exactly 76 days left in the year. Seventy-six! That’s just enough time to panic, make a resolution to not panic, and then decide to do something new instead.

I’ve been thinking. What if, rather than waiting for January 1st to reboot our lives, we start the process now? One small new (or rediscovered) thing every day for the next 76 days. Nothing grand or performative, just acts of curiosity, courage, and maybe even corn chowder.

Yes, corn chowder. I haven’t made it in over a decade, but somehow that simple act feels symbolic. I’m stirring up an old version of myself that got lost in the shuffle of busyness, routines, and Uber Eats orders. Maybe the secret to momentum is found in revisiting what once brought comfort.

Of course, new things count too. Maybe it’s listening to a song you’ve never heard, visiting that nearby town you keep meaning to explore (I have one, two hours away, perpetually on my “someday” list), or even trying a new medical specialist. Not everything on this list has to sparkle with glamour. Self-care doesn’t always look like a spa day; sometimes it looks like sitting in a waiting room with old magazines and quiet bravery.

At work, I’ve thrown myself into new tasks, and to my surprise, I’m actually enjoying it. It feels like learning a new dance step. It’s not graceful yet, but energizing in its awkwardness. That’s the thing about novelty. It wakes you up to yourself.

So here’s the challenge or maybe just an invitation: for the next 76 days, do something new, or something old in a new way. Bake that pie. Call that friend. Walk down that street you usually ignore. Revisit your teenage playlist. Dance in your kitchen. Or simply think a new thought.

Because maybe the goal isn’t to start fresh on January 1st. Maybe it’s to arrive there already in motion, warmed up, and ready.