Happy New Year!  2020 is finally over!  Never before have we collectively wanted to get rid of a year so badly as this past year.  Since I actually have a blog this year, I thought I would use this opportunity to post some thoughts here in honor of the arrival of 2021.  Admittedly, I’m finding this to be a difficult exercise, in large part because I’m generally not one to put a lot of importance on New Year’s.  However, I’ll post what I can on this holiday, and if you stick with me to the end, I’ll include a link to a New Year’s Quiz for you fans of The Office.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the fact that New Year’s Day gives us another reason to celebrate, an extension of the holiday season, and a day off work (as well as a few college football games for those of you who follow them).  Beyond that, I usually try not to get too sappy about New Year’s.  I often hear the sentiment that a new year provides us with a fresh start.  A sense of renewed hope.  A reason to make improvements.  I don’t disagree with this, and since this perspective can be helpful, I don’t want to discourage this type of thinking.  But at the same time, I also find myself thinking, sure, it’s a new year, but as far as our circumstances go, nothing has changed yet from December 31.  Especially this year, when it seemed like the world was so anxious to get rid of 2020 that January 1, 2021 seemed to be this magical date when everything would suddenly, automatically be better somehow.  But as I have already belabored this point in a previous post in October, I don’t need to keep repeating myself here.  (In case you missed it, you can read more of my thoughts here from October on appreciating each moment as it comes without having to wait for 2021 or for the pandemic to end.)

While the new calendar year also gives us a chance to make New Year’s resolutions, I’ve personally never been too big into these either.  Every year, I make the same New Year’s resolution – and that is to not make any New Year’s resolutions.  (And yes, I realize the paradox I’ve created by doing that.)  I don’t want to discourage resolutions, especially for the people out there who do find them helpful.  Personally though, I don’t like the thought of putting pressure on yourself and then feeling like crap on January 5.  Sure, we should be open to self-improvement, but I’ve always asked, “Why January 1?  It’s just another day of the year.  Why not Arbor Day?  Or why not August 28?”  We can pick any day to start making changes as we feel led to do so, without having to wait until January 1 and then put pressure on ourselves to live up to our self-imposed expectations for the year.  But if you’re reading this and you have made New Year’s resolutions this year, if it helps you, by all means, go for it.  I just stay away from them, personally.

So, if I don’t place that much importance on New Year’s, why I am posting this?  While I don’t want to get too sappy about it, I do understand there’s a psychological element to it.  New years are like birthdays.  Sure, perhaps they exist to mark an annual passage of time, but when you have a birthday, it gives you an excuse to be sung to, feel special for a while, and eat cake.  And with a new year, it gives people a chance to sing at midnight, feel special for a while, and eat cake.  (Wait a minute…I didn’t have cake on New Year’s.  Actually, does anyone ever eat cake on New Year’s?  Okay, we all need to make this analogy work by having cake on New Year’s going forward.  Who’s with me?)

At any rate, in some small way, although I don’t like to overemphasize the holiday, New Year’s gives us a chance to be encouraged, hopeful, and looking forward to the possibilities ahead (and maybe have cake).  I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful and blessed 2021, and that this year is much better than 2020.  Oh my goodness, it had better be better than 2020!  Whatever happens, let’s stay encouraged and continue to help each other through.

And now that I’ve said my little bit about New Year’s and you’ve read this far, here’s a little bonus for those of you who watch The Office.  In the episode Ultimatum from Season 7, the events of this episode took place on January 3, 2011 – exactly 10 years ago today.  One of the storylines from this episode features Pam making a resolution board for everyone in the office.  At this point in time, there were 18 people in the office, and each one put up a resolution.  So, for those of you who are familiar with this episode, there is a quiz out there in which you have to match each of the 18 people with which resolution they made.  I did not make this quiz, and I am not claiming ownership of it; I thought I would include this quiz here as a fun way to mark the new year and the 10-year anniversary of that episode.  Have fun!

The Office New Year’s Resolution Quiz