I had lofty plans for yesterday. It was my first New Year’s in Detroit. I was going to brunch, spend a day at the DIA, have dinner with friends and end at Campus Martius to see the “D” drop, a perfectly planned Detroit day.

I did not one of those things. Besides a small Whole Foods run and a very unsuccessful Uber attempt, I spent most of the day alone in my apartment. And it was exactly what I needed.

Between learning the ropes at a new job, exploring everything happening in the city and wanting to make the most of my Challenge experience, I haven’t given myself any time to just be, to sit or stay in one place. I feel like I have been constantly running. Today, I finally decided to force myself to stop.

It was tough, I had urges to make new plans or follow through with the ones I had thought up for the day. I also had moments of feeling like I was wasting a monumental once in a lifetime opportunity – after all how many New Years’ will I spend in the “D.” By nighttime, I even decided to just give in and go downtown, but (perhaps in some weird cosmic way) was thwarted by an Uber mishap.

Throughout the day, I kept thinking of how unnatural it felt to not be out and about or doing something. I have gotten so used to going from one thing to another that not having a plan feels as if time is being wasted. And when you are in a year long program, there is no time to waste.

But what I’ve learned, albeit with a lot of internal resistance, is that there will always be new experiences, inspiring speakers, friends I want to catch up with. There will always be additional things to do at work, side projects to take on, memories to create. It’s up to me to find a way to strike a balance, which also means it’s on me to learn how to cut things out. A family friend recently said to me, “Wherever there is a canvas you can paint. But don’t let it overwhelm you.”

At the end of the day, there probably wasn’t a more fitting way to ring in 2016 for me. In this new year, my goal is to be more mindful of where and how I am spending my time. When I am constantly exposed to so much, I can’t help but want to absorb it all. But there are only so many hours in the day, and I only have so much paint.