Compared to a typical night, New Year’s Eve was a late one for us. We have two young children, and by the time we got home and began putting them in bed, it was close to midnight. And so, just as the kids started to fall asleep, fireworks began to explode in the distance.
“What’s that, Daddy?” my oldest asked. (I don’t think she or her little brother were big fans of the sudden noises—and neither were we, given the timing of it all). “Oh, just some fireworks,” I answered. “We’re celebrating a new year.”
As I tried to explain to her why people were shooting off fireworks in the middle of the night, it dawned on me that this concept of a new year wasn’t really clicking with her. For her, it was just another day.
***
In one way, New Year’s Day is unique in that it’s a permanent fixture on the calendar. It regularly reminds us that time is passing, and can provide motivation to review and evaluate the direction of our life. But, ultimately, is there really anything special about the day in itself?
In reality, it’s just another day.
What makes New Year’s Day powerful for some people is not about the day in itself, but about how they choose to use it. Some decide to make a break with the past, or to clarify their priorities, or to establish new habits. And the results can be fantastic.
But the truth is these decisions can be made any time throughout the year—be it February or June or October—and not just on January 1. And it’s in these decision where the value lies.
Now, New Year’s Day may be a convenient time to make them, but ultimately it’s just another day. And like every other day, its value is connected with what we choose to do with it.