Don’t use a new year as motivation for your laziness
This is the time when everyone reflects on the year that was and says, “What a dumpster fire, can’t wait for the new year.”
It’s as if people believe because they flip a calendar or write the incorrect year for the next few weeks that it symbolizes something, I dunno, new. It doesn’t.
It’s no different than resolutions that people make. You know what they are: exercise more, eat better, stop smoking, save money, blah blah blah. People use the new year as motivation and a ticking clock, almost seeing it as punishment or a jail sentence. “Only two more days of eating garbage before I start having salads.”
I’ve always had the feeling that if something is important and you can change it, you act now. What makes Jan. 1 so special? If it’s June 23 and you decide to get fit for summer, that’s wonderful.
American fitness chain, Equinox, took heat for posting “We Don’t Speak January” directed at the new year’s resolution crowd, halting new gym memberships to its clubs on Jan. 1. The company essentially said resolutions are stupid and don’t work.
In the past 20 years or so, I’ve always looked back at the year and celebrated my accomplishments and achievements. I think it stemmed from growing up in a household where my parents didn’t understand the entrepreneur lifestyle so I needed to be my own cheerleader to stay motivated.
When I started my SpeakFreewithJB.com website over 20 years ago, I hauled out cheap birthday decorations and hung streamers around my little office setup and took pictures of the one-year celebration.
Fast forward to owning a media company and producing broadcast and print content, I still — believe it or not — have decorations and cake and pizza and booze when we recognize milestones. (I think we spent more on the 10th anniversary celebration of my “cheapskate” book in November than on any other party.)
Every year between Christmas and new year’s, I look back at the photos on my phone. Whether I covered a Hollywood red carpet, went on a sightseeing adventure, had the dogs do silly things, I slowly scroll through the year. I laugh at the funny times and pause at the sad times.
Of course, every year has bad moments but why do we dwell on those and have them overshadow what was a good time?
On Christmas Eve, The Canadian Press ran a story titled, “Good riddance: Most Canadians feel 2022 was worse than 2021, poll suggests.” The headline is self explanatory. Overall, people look at the year as one lump of time. It’s not.
I don’t understand why we’re so hung up on Dec. 31 as being the end and Jan. 1 as being a breath of fresh air. After all, remember when year 1 of the pandemic ended and everyone was optimistic about the next calendar year? How big of a letdown was that?
