Why do I love New Year’s Day?
It’s not just because of the lie-in, or the not-so-fashionable all-day pyjama fashion, or playing on the Wii or XBOX, or watching good films on TV, or even pigging out on chocolate – although all of that is of course good tooJ.
No, the main reason I love New Year’s Day is this – it has a great sense of clean, fresh start about it. Somehow the start of a new calendar year makes us realise that we can start something; something we’ve put off, something that’s important to us, something we really want. We can wipe the slate clean, we can change something, we can find the energy to turn things around, to start afresh.
I don’t believe in “New Year’s resolutions” though. They tend to become a threat and a slow or fast journey to failure (as we somehow know, or have even decided, that most New Year’s resolutions fail). They could work though – if we called them something different or if we used them differently – as a great possibility, as an encouragement, as a carrot, as a lever. Although this is not about resolutions, let us instead get back to the magic of New Year’s Day.
You could argue that the problem with all other days is that it’s not New Year’s Day; that we don’t give us that same sense of hope and opportunity that 1 January brings.
Make every day New Year’s Day; keep the clear outlook, the hope and the drive. Learn from yesterday,
So let’s make every day New Year’s Day! Every day is a fresh, clean start – if we choose to look at it that way. It’s never too late or too early to act on our dreams, our aspirations, our interests, our passions.
Take this day with you throughout the year. Make every day New Year’s Day; keep the clear outlook, the hope and the drive. Learn from yesterday, take from it what you can; learning, insights, results – and move forward with curiosity and joy. Anything can happen – and often does. What do you want to happen? And how will you make it happen?
I will start by treating myself to a leisurely day, full of joy and relaxation, and opportunities to recharge. If there is anything I will start this New Year’s Day with, it’s the continuous learning that to achieve anything, you need to take time to take care of yourself too. Too many people are just busy running, running, running; trying to do everything. And it’s not a very effective use of time and resources.
Think about it this way: When you fly, the cabin crew will tell you something like: “In the unlikely event of the cabin pressure dropping, oxygen masks will appear. Before helping anyone else, please secure your own mask”. And in these simple little instructions lies great wisdom – whatever we want to achieve, for others, for the world, for ourselves – we need to look after the instrument that is us, to recharge and refuel, to “sharpen our saw” so that we have something to give. We’re no use to anyone else if we have simply passed out (from lack of oxygen, energy or steam).
So it’s oxygen mask on for me. Go ahead, you do it too! Here’s to a great new year!
Find out more here about Mandy and Elisabet and purchase a copy of their popular book – Team Formula
