Why every year feels the same and how to fix it

Discovering the Misogi: A simple concept to bring joy and purpose to your Life

I was talking with some friends a few days ago, and realized we were all facing the same problem. We all felt that every year was the same. Now, we could attribute this to the increasing amounts of time we spend on social media. Though there is definitely some truth in that, this stems from a much bigger issue, which is a lack of growth.

For example, 2022 was bound to be memorable for me. It was my HS Senior Year and I got the chance to live overseas for a few months. Yet, what sticks out for me the most from 2022 was that it was the year I started going to the gym. Apart from the changes in my body, going to the gym allowed me to push myself in ways I had never been able to do before.

We roll on to 2023, and it didn’t have that same feeling that I had in 2022. I continued to lift, read books here and there, moved along in college, yet it was forgettable. This is because I lacked something that defined my year. I lacked a Misogi.

A Misogi is a concept I learned from Emmy-award winning artist, Jesse Itzler. Jesse defines the Misogi as: A goal so big it defines your entire year. The Misogi is different for EVERYONE (for some people that could be a 5k race and for others a 200-mile run).

Some other Misogi ideas could be:

• Writing a book

• Learning to play an instrument

• Public speaking to a big audience

• Changing career paths

• Going alcohol-free for the entire year

• Starting a business or side-hustle

• Going to the gym /getting in shape

• Learning martial arts

• Moving to a new city

• Take on a Biking race

These are only 10 of 100s of possible Misogis you could take on. For me, my 2024 Misogi is writing this weekly newsletter. I decided on this Misogi as writing is an essential skill to have. It allows me to connect everything I learn and experience into something useful.

So now, decide on a Misogi for yourself. Figure out something that would bring on tremendous growth and change in your life. We’re almost halfway into the year, which is still plenty of time to pick one and get going.

Trust me, you don’t want another forgettable year. You want to look back on 2024 and have something to show for it.