Anticipation, expectation, and the prospect of new beginnings are part of the magic. Even a sensible soul like me—one who’s admittedly cynical at times—is caught up in the excitement leading up to every New Year’s Day. The thought of being a phoenix rising from the ashes or, more simply, being able to erase past sins and start anew at the stroke of midnight is a fairytale so ingrained in our brains from childhood. From a more rational perspective, a new year allows for recalibration. Any conscious change requires a shift in mindset, and such iconic a celebration makes it all the easier to assign meaning or measure progress. It’s not to say that resolutions can’t be made anytime, anywhere, of course; New Year’s Eve is just an auspicious time to do it. But to make change of any kind requires clarity, and to achieve tabula rasa requires hitting the reset button with intention. For me, it’s not as easy as a snap of the fingers—and even if it were, I relish in the process. Prepping is poetic ritual, a re-charging that entails: Making sure all is in order. All as in: Credit cards, savings accounts, investments, work, email inboxes, paperwork,…