If there were ever a year with an auspicious date, it would have to be this one. I love the plump symmetry of the digits; the repetition of the words; and even, as my husband has pointed out, the phonics of the Roman numerals MMXX that say, mmmm kiss, kiss! That has got to be a great way to start the year.
I’m writing this from the Highlands of Scotland, where they certainly know how to celebrate Hogmanay – the last day of the year. The evening’s revelries are followed by two days off, no doubt to give everyone a chance to to recover.
And it certainly makes sense to mark the passing of the winter solstice, when the Earth tilts its face towards the sun once again. This far north, light doesn’t appear until nine in the morning and slinks away again at four in the afternoon.
The observance of the solstice goes back into the furthest reaches of time. Our ancestors would have celebrated with fires and fermented drinks; we celebrate with fireworks and Prosecco. As they say, plus la change, plus la meme chose.
But what is the significance of the New Year for those of us blessed with light at our fingertips? Our working lives are seldom tied to the seasons, and our social ones barely affected by the vagaries of the weather.
The Romans named the first month Ianuarius, which we translated to January. It is named after Janus, the god of openings and change. He was a threshold spirit who presided over transitions from one state to another: from beginnings to endings, war to peace, childhood to adulthood.
He is usually depicted in profile with his two heads looking in opposite directions: one backwards into the past and one forwards into the future.
Looking backwards
And the New Year is the perfect time to reflect and remember. Taking account of the previous year should be a source of celebration and not regret. Perhaps we didn’t get the house/car/promotion that we wanted, but unless we are extremely unfortunate, there would be times that we wish to recall and memories to cherish. It is a great time to get out the old albums and reacquaint ourselves with people and experiences that have been subsumed in the chaos of the everyday. This is in essence what Robert Burns’ poem is about – drinking with old friends and remembering former escapades.
New Year's favourite song - with the lyrics!
Looking to the future
New Year is equally a time to look forward, to think of how to make our lives better and more content. A noble pursuit, certainly, but there is a danger in putting too much emphasis on making all your plans on this one day. Resolutions made now may not be ideal for later on. For example, a vow to give up chocolate after Christmas’ over-indulgence is likely to run aground at Valentine’s. I prefer my friend’s method of making monthly resolutions that are smaller and easier to attain.
For example, instead of deciding to watch less TV and read more, choose a book that inspires your interest and plan to read it by the end of the month. Each time that you reach your goal, your success will make you more keen to repeat it.
Even better is to work on creating routines that will make your life more fulfilling. University College London’s research revealed that new habits are formed in as little as sixty-six days – a little over two months. If whatever it is that you have resolved to do is of value, surely it is worth that investment?
This is not to say that it will be easy, but we can make things more manageable if we choose. By breaking challenges into smaller portions, we make them more achievable. Far more important than doing a lot is doing a little, often, ideally every day. (If you are exhausted or just can’t face something one day, let yourself off without guilt, just make sure that you get on with it again the next.)
I use a recumbent exercise bike to help strengthen my legs and avoid stiffness and pain. When I started, I was exhausted after five minutes and one kilometre on the lowest setting. Now I routinely do five kilometres and a minimum of fifteen minutes. I know this is very weedy, but for me it is a success I can build on. My cycling comes before my shower every day and unless I feel drained by fatigue or unwell, I just get on and start pedalling. It is surprising how often on days that I thought I could only manage a few minutes, I actually achieve my goal. To succeed in anything, we need to turn up.
Looking to today
Handsome though our Janus is, he is a face short. I wish that he had one looking in the direction of the viewer – looking straight into the present. After all, our lives are composed not of the past or of the future, but an infinite number of nows. It is merely our thoughts that time travel.
New Year’s Day is a welcome opportunity for a fresh start. My aim is to make every day as significant, allowing each night to draw a veil on my disappointments and failures and each dawn to provide a pristine canvass on which I can make my mark.
So I wish you a wonderful day and hope that your year, like 2020 vision, is perfect.