2018: A New Hope

I love the philosophy that a new year symbolizes a new start, Modern Philosophers.

It gives people hope.  It allows them to believe that they are facing the year with a clean slate, and anything can happen.  I’m all for being positive.

The reality, of course, is that turning the page on the calendar marks nothing more than the planet safely completing another revolution of the sun.

Don’t get me wrong, completing that journey without spinning out of orbit and into the cold blackness of space, being hit by an asteroid, or being consumed in nuclear hellfire is a major accomplishment.

It just doesn’t mean you will magically lose all that weight, find a great job, or meet that someone special simply because you resolve to do so as you are sipping champagne on New Year’s Eve.

I’m not saying I’m against the concept of New Year’s resolutions.  I’m just pointing out that you can vow to change your life on any day of the year.  It does not need to be January 1, or even a holiday for that matter.

Change can happen whenever you muster up the drive to make it happen.

Look at what I did last year.  On April 1, I decided it was time to stop being so lazy and out of shape.  I put on a fitness tracker, found my sneakers, and went for a three mile run.

That run, which was really more of a pathetic jog with many stops for me to catch my breath, was the first step in my losing sixty pounds and completely turning around my life.

Instead of being the sad, fat guy, I became that peppy weirdo who runs five days a week, pesters his friends with running selfies, and tries to get everyone else to be active, too.

Now I’m a lot happier, and nine months later, I’m still running and excited to see how much more weight I’ll be able to lose this year.

By succeeding in this endeavor, I’ve changed my life in several ways.  I’m thinner, healthier, and I’ve seen my self-confidence skyrocket.  Because I was able to make this work, I believe I can accomplish more.

You don’t need for it to be New Year’s Day in order to set your plans in motion.  Any day can be New You Day (patent pending) if you simply follow the sage advice of the Greek goddess Nike, who was fond of telling anyone who’d listen, “Just do it!“.

Let’s be honest, January 1 isn’t exactly the best time to make major life changes.  It’s cold and snowy, the days are short, you’ve probably got a hangover, and it takes a little time to readjust to real life after the hustle, bustle, and excitement of the holidays.

People get caught up in the intoxicating thrill ride of New Year’s resolution, make big promises because they are under the impression that this is what they are supposed to do, and then become disappointed in themselves when they cannot follow through on the insane goals they set.

I say refrain from making any major life changing decisions until you’ve had a chance to sit down and really think through what it is you want to do.

While I’d never want to shatter your dreams, it might be best to set some realistic goals.  That way, you can gain a little traction in the confidence department and then move on to loftier targets.

I agree that 2018 offers us a new hope.

I also know that A New Hope is the title of the original Star Wars flick, and number four in the series.  As well as the fact that it is associated with Luke, Leia, and Han.

However, I choose to use a photo of Rey because of my massive crush on Daisy Ridley.  It’s all part of my master plan to have her fall for me, but that’s an entirely different post.

Back to the idea of 2018 offering a new hope.  There are 365 days in the year, and any one of them can become Day One of your plan to make changes.

Set your goals.

When you’re ready to tackle them, go for it!

Happy New Year!