I’m not very superstitious…maybe just a little. For example, I believe that how you spend your New Year’s Eve sets the tone for the rest of the year. I don’t remember where this belief came from but when I think back, it rings true. When my NYE sucked, so did the rest of the year. When I spent New Year’s Eve surrounded by friends I love, the highs of the following year were really high.

Being Korean, I also follow some Lunar Year superstitions such as paying your debts before the New Year, not cleaning or sweeping your home (so you don’t sweep away your good fortunes) and not showering on the Lunar New Year. Who knows if these superstitions work or if this is some sort of cognitive bias. Whatever the case may be, approaching life with a specific perspective seems to work for me.

Setting myself up for success isn’t limited to NYE. I try to do this every day. Because honestly, I’ll take all of the help I can get. I have a daily ritual of making myself a Cappuccino from a stove top espresso maker. I began this ritual four years ago when I started living alone. It has become a life affirming exercise. It’s a way for me to take care of myself, it’s meditative and it touches all of my senses.

This weekend I had the makings of a perfect situation: I woke up in the woods in my Airstream Bambi, walked Butters, and came back to make a Cappuccino.

As I listen for the coffee maker to do it’s thing, I know it will be a good day.