Everybody makes a big hoopla about January 1st. Parties are thrown, television specials are aired, people talk about what’s past and what’s to come, and they make resolutions – fantastical promises of what they’re going to accomplish in the next year.
Add to that the idea of “New Year’s resolutions”, and you’ve got a mob of people out in full force talking about what they’re going to do differently in the coming year.
When it comes down to it though, there’s nothing magical about January 1st, other than the fact that it’s the only real available marketing holiday between Christmas and Valentine’s day.
Here’s the reality: all of time can be divided into two sections. These are:
- Stuff that’s already happened
- Stuff that will happen in the future.
The little space that we call “now” is just a dividing line. If you’re going to have pizza for dinner, that’s future. If you had pizza last night, that’s past. If you’re making pizza right now, you’re experiencing the event as it moves from future to past.
Dates and times are just an arbitrary way of letting us know if something is forward or backward of where we are now.
This means that January 1st is just a day. There are 364 others just like it this year. It’s probably not even going to be the best day you have this year.
And today is the beginning of a new set of 365 days, just like January 1st. So it doesn’t matter if you made New Year’s resolutions this year. It doesn’t matter if you abandoned them. What matters is that you do something today to move yourself toward your goals.
What are you going to do today to make your goals a reality?
Many January 1st have probably been the worst day rather than best due to overindulgence the night before. Not the last few however, having kids kind of makes you watch how much you drink! I don’t do resolutions, not good for me – as a born procrastinator I need no extra excuses to delay to a time in the future when I am going to do something. The only time there is is ‘now’ – use it or lose it baby!!
ha, this post made me chuckle. it’s so true Robert! at any given time, we have 365 days ahead of us so really a jan. 1 resolution is just arbitrary.
“For most people in that boat, the focus is lost – to be resumed with anticipation about 355 days from now.”
classic. and so funny when you look at it from that point of view.
Jo, I can see that – having kids can sure put the brakes on those all-night benders pretty quick!
Marianney, glad you appreciated the post! I just always thing it’s fascinating how arbitrary people can be sometimes.
Hope you both have a great week!