“…It’s just another night, that’s all it is.  It’s not the first. It’s not the worst…It’s just another New Year’s Eve.  It’s just another Auld Lang Syne, but when we’re through this New Year you’ll see, we’ll be just fine…”

Soooo…I’m having a little tiff with New Year’s this year.  I mean, I just used a Barry Manilow song to kick off 2016.  Like, I CHOSE to use a Barry Manilow song to kick off 2016!  Okay, okay, if the truth be known, Barry Manilow was the first concert I ever went to. In my defense, I was in the second grade and I don’t remember having the option NOT to go.  Holy crap, I have the urge to blast some old school angry Kid Rock right now just to make me feel whole again!

Anyway, back to the whole me not liking New Year’s extravaganza.

“New Year! New Me!”

“Today is the first blank page in a 365 page book!”

“And so the adventure begins!”

BBBBLLLEEECHHHHHHH.

Thanks for having my back, Batman

I mean, life doesn’t just magically start over on January 1.

Did y’all know that you don’t just wake up on New Year’s Day a different person!?

What the crap?

WHY CAN’T WE JUST WAKE UP ON NEW YEAR’S DAY A DIFFERENT PERSON?!

Imagine this.  Your entire life is at zero.  ZE.RO. Some how- SOME WAY- all of your ducks are in a row.  Each of your ducks.  Lined up in a row.

Is that too much too ask?

Now I’m not saying that when you wake up New Year’s Day a miracle of biblical proportions should have taken place.  All I want is to be able to dive into a new year without all the crap from the old year still hanging over my head!

Now y’all know I’m not a naysayer. I’m a positive kinda girl, but really? I’ve had about all I can take of the beauty of a new year crap that’s been going around.

After all, the month or so from Thanksgiving to Christmas is just a blur anyway. And that’s not a bad thing! It’s a busy time of year. Hopefully a joyful time of year but still, busy is busy. And then the week after Christmas? You can’t get anything done the week after Christmas. You’re still in the Christmas haze. You’re celebrating New Years Eve. And more importantly, your kids haven’t gone back to school yet.

See, I think we should start a revolution.  Instead of January 1 being the day that we make our resolutions, being the day that we turn over a new leaf-that we START OVER-I think we should use January as a “finish up” month and then start those resolutions in February.

You know, build in a buffer!

Some breathing time.

A “work month” if you will.

Personally, I went from super excited on the night of December 31 to completely overwhelmed by the afternoon of January 1 because I realized THERE WAS SO MUCH I HADN’T GOTTEN FINISHED. I had all this stuff to get set up for the new year and all this stuff to close up from the previous year.  In hindsight, I realize I should have expected this. I mean, there’s not this magical slice of time somewhere between 11:59:59 on December 31 and 12:00:00 on January 1 where we wrap up all of our loose ends!

WHY ISN’T THERE A MAGICAL SLICE OF TIME BETWEEN 11:59:59 ON DECEMBER 31 AND 12:00:00 ON JANUARY 1!?

But really, it’s not like January 1 is the deadline of open enrollment for trying new things, for turning over a new leaf.  I mean, yeah, our goal won’t be wrapped up in a pretty little package (WOO HOO!  2016 WAS THE YEAR I WENT TO THE GYM TWICE A DAY, EVERY DAY!) like a brand spankin’ new calendar. But really, how realistic are our “neat little package” resolutions anyway?  If you’re anything like me, you fall off the bandwagon once and then the whole thing is out the window.  “Crap, I just took out a can of spray cheese.  Looks like eating healthy will just have to wait until 2017!”

Let’s not put so much dang pressure on January 1 anymore. Let’s use Janaury to get our heads in the game for the upcoming year. If 2016 is my World Series, then I’m using January to toss the ball around, to take some batting practice and to do a stretch or two.

January, even though you’re cold as a well digger’s lunch, I’m using you as my warm up this year.

February 1st, I’ll see YOU soon.  You better be ready!

Need a little something to help you organize your thoughts? Here ya’ go!  Take a look at mine if you get stuck!

Oh, and here’s a link to that Manilow song! (Seriously, just click the word “here’s” over there.) Turns out ole’ Barry and I agree about NYE.  You’re welcome!