The Morning: Renew your resolve

Can New Month traditions help us with this project of living?

View in browser|nytimes.com February 1, 2025 By Melissa Kirsch Good morning. On the first day of February, consider a monthly intention-setting ritual, even if you think you don't have a minute to spare. María Jesús Contreras Renewed resolve There's this lovely newsletter called The Moon Lists that arrives in my inbox sporadically, always just when I need it. It's a list of prompts, topics for journaling, ideas for reconsidering how you're living or not living. One prompt from a recent dispatch: "PHANTOM LIMB: Name something you miss but — if offered — you don't actually want back." A curious provocation! Missing without longing, a new way of considering the things and people and ideas we leave behind. People have taken in recent years to posting "More/Less" lists and "In/Out" lists on social media at the end of the year, itemized declarations of things they're going to embrace and eschew in the coming months. Take inventory: What stays, what goes? The Moon Lists' version of this is "Away/Toward" lists, and for the past couple of years I've loved filling these out. What am I moving away from (gorgeous but sad acoustic folk music that inevitably leaves me feeling depressed; diseased houseplants) and what am I moving toward (lowering the stakes; abbondanza!). The problem so often with these lists is that you fill them out and then you forget them. You set intentions and then you get back to going about things unintentionally and the next thing you know it's February and your well-considered plans are buried in a drawer. What if these New Year traditions became New Month traditions? What if we started each month with an Away/Toward list or a Yes/No list or a Loving/Losing list and kept it front and center all month, stayed accountable? What if, today, Feb. 1, you scrawled down a few things you want more of and a few things you want less of and set a couple of alerts in your phone to remind you to look at it throughout the month, and maybe set aside a half an hour on Feb. 28 to assess how you did? A lightweight ritual. An experiment for the month that reminds you at intervals that the project of living is not just the business you have to carry out day to day. It's not just the things to be done or the headlines or the weekend plans or the future and its endless what-ifs. It's also — maybe principally? — you, an interior process, who you are and who you'd like to be and how are you doing in your efforts at being and becoming that? So soft, right? So self-helpy, and maybe you're reading this on a particularly busy or stressful Saturday morning when you have things to do — who even has the time for this? Maybe you already have practices that remind you of your larger goals, or you never forget them in the first place. But if you are anything like me, underneath the rational voice that just wants to accomplish, you're craving a little more ritual, something brief and self-contained that for a moment derails the inexhaustible locomotive of living and reminds us we're still here, people with desires and ambitions and complicated hopes and tender needs that we're always forgetting to check in on. For more "Rituals often mark doorway moments, when we pass from one stage of life to another. They acknowledge that these passages are not just external changes but involve internal transformation." David Brooks on why there should be more rituals. THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV The best actress nominees, clockwise from top left: Karla Sofía Gascón, Demi Moore, Mikey Madison, Cynthia Erivo and Fernanda Torres. Clockwise from top left: Shanna Besson/Netflix; Mubi; Neon; Universal Pictures; Alile Onawale, via Sony Pictures Classics For the first time since 1978, all five nominees for best actress at the Oscars come from films also nominated for best picture. It's proof that this is the strongest best actress lineup in years, our awards columnist writes. "Atropia," a satire about performers playacting war with American troops, won the top prize at the Sundance Film Festival. "Love Me," an inventive techno-romance starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun, is one of five new movies our critics are talking about this week. We rarely see rom-com heroines age. In her own messy way, the character of Bridget Jones — who is returning in a new movie — is a trailblazer, Esther Zuckerman writes. Chuck Todd, the former "Meet the Press" moderator, is leaving NBC after nearly two decades with the network. Music At 85, the renowned conductor Marek Janowski is finally making his New York Philharmonic debut. Only three Black women have won album of the year at the Grammys. On Sunday, Beyoncé will, once again, try to become the fourth. Billie Eilish's album "Hit Me Hard and Soft" is nominated for seven Grammys. She shared the albums, movies and even video games that inspired its creation. More Culture "Onyx Storm," the third book in Rebecca Yarros's Empyrean series, is the fastest-selling adult fiction title of the past 20 years. The Louvre will move the Mona Lisa to a newly created exhibition space as part of the museum's renovation plans, Emmanuel Macron announced. Idina Menzel is returning to Broadway in "Redwood," a show about a grieving woman's search for sanctuary. The Smithsonian announced it would close its diversity office and freeze hiring to comply with President Trump's recent orders. THE LATEST NEWS Trump's Tariffs The Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Canada, on Friday. Ian Willms for The New York Times President Trump's tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China are set to go into effect today. Goods from Mexico and Canada will be subject to 25 percent tariffs, and those from China 10 percent. Experts predict the tariffs will be bad news for North America's economy. More than half of the crude oil the U.S. imports comes from Canada. The tariffs could cause gas prices to rise. More on the Trump Administration The Trump administration plans to examine thousands of F.B.I. agents involved in Jan. 6 investigations. It could lead to a purge of rank-and-file agents. The Justice Department fired more than a dozen prosecutors at the U.S. attorney's office in Washington who had been hired to investigate the Jan. 6 riot. "Everyone's walking on eggshells": Federal health agencies rushed to remove references to equity and gender from databases and websites. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would divest his stake in lawsuits over an HPV vaccine and give the proceeds to his son. Trump froze billions in international aid. The decision is already worsening humanitarian crises, including one in Sudan, where soup kitchens that serve nearly a million people have shut down. Plane Collision Crews have recovered the so-called black boxes from the Army helicopter and the passenger jet that collided over the Potomac River. The data inside could help explain how the two aircraft collided. At the time of the crash, the flight tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport was understaffed. It's a chronic problem: More than 90 percent of the country's air traffic control facilities operate below the F.A.A.'s recommended staffing levels. There had been at least 10 close calls at Reagan National in recent years. Other Big Stories A small medical plane carrying six people crashed in Philadelphia, engulfing vehicles and homes in flames. Officials believe everyone on board was killed. Gaza's border with Egypt is reopening to allow sick and wounded Palestinians to leave the territory. The crossing had been closed for the past eight months. Hamas released three more hostages. One is an American citizen, Keith Siegel, who lived on a kibbutz near the Gaza border. The Times Sale: Our best rate for readers of The Morning. Save now with our best offer on unlimited news and analysis as part of the complete Times experience: $1/week for your first year. CULTURE CALENDAR By Desiree Ibekwe 🎬 "Companion" (out now): A movie produced by the team behind the delightfully unhinged horror "Barbarian," starring Jack Quaid and about the perils of technology? Sold. This dark comedy is about a couple — Iris and Josh — who get away for the weekend with friends. A tip: There's a twist at some point in the film, so Quaid suggests not watching the full trailer. RECIPE OF THE WEEK Linda Xiao for The New York Times By Melissa Clark Mushroom Barley Soup Chilly February days keep me close to the kitchen, which is easily the coziest room in the house. Simmering a pot of Yasmin Fahr's mushroom barley soup gives you a perfect excuse to hang out there, chopping, cooking, then letting the mix slowly bubble on the stove. It's on the lighter, brothier side of the soup spectrum, but the starch from the barley gives it body and a satisfyingly nubby texture, ready to warm you through and through. REAL ESTATE Jeremy Turous and Harper Luke with their dog, Copper. Brian Kaiser for The New York Times The Hunt: After a year in Japan, a couple wanted to return to Columbus, Ohio. They bought a home from 10 time zones away. Which one did they choose? Play our game. D.I.Y.: Drilling holes in the wall can be scary. Here's how to hang anything, without fear. What you get for $240,000: A colonial-style house in North Adams, Mass.; a three-story brick house in Pittsburgh; or a 1930 rowhouse in Baltimore. LIVING Francis Kokoroko for The New York Times Travel: Spend 36 hours in Accra, Ghana. Health: Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic have had many other, unexpected benefits. Scientists are studying whether they can protect against Alzheimer's. In the garden: A bird's guide to surviving winter. High art: Modern weed paraphernalia looks so cool, you won't mind leaving it on the coffee table. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER The best timeless jewelry Over the years, Wirecutter's experts have recommended hundreds of rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Tastes vary and trends come and go, but if you're looking to give someone a piece of jewelry, it's hard to go wrong with something classic, like a signet ring or a curb chain. We've happily gifted or worn each of these sparkly pieces ourselves. And while none are holiday-specific, if you're searching with a valentine in mind, we think a heart locket is a good choice. — Samantha Schoech For more handpicked gifts and expert advice, sign up for Wirecutter's weekly newsletter, The Gift. GAME OF THE WEEK Ven-Allen Lubin of North Carolina and Cooper Flagg of Duke. Grant Halverson/Getty Images, Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports, via Reuters North Carolina vs. No. 2 Duke, men's college basketball: As the college basketball season ramps up to March Madness, Duke is setting itself apart. The Blue Devils have won 14 straight games. Their star forward, Cooper Flagg, isn't just the best freshman in the country; he might be the best player at any age. Over seven games in January, he averaged 25 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. That included a 42-point explosion against Notre Dame, a record for a Duke freshman. Today at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were additional and dilation. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week's headlines. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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