It is a curious phenomenon, the way we tie ourselves to clocks and calendars. The way we set alarms at the exact hour or vow to implement a major change when the next milestone comes around — be it Monday, the first day of the month, or a brand new year.
I find it fascinating how much significance we give to arbitrary man-made markers of time passing.
end-of-year melancholy
I know that the Western calendar is only one way to measure the seasons, and yet many of us view this time in December as a finish line to an imaginary summit. And once we are over the hump, we can leave it all behind in favour of “new year, new me”.
Keen awareness aside, I’m not immune to this. Just like everyone else, I spent the last couple of weeks reminiscing about everything that happened in 2025 and feeling upset as a result.
It hit me right after Christmas, like a ton of bricks. This year had plenty of highlights, and yet my mind is throbbing with the loss of my rabbits and my recently concluded divorce.
I am suddenly questioning my professional skills, appearance, connections. Instead of focusing on achievements, I feel incomplete and incompetent. Worst of all, I got caught up in comparing myself against everyone else’s “fictional” social media version of themselves.
comparison is the thief of joy
That’s what they say, right? It only makes sense that watching everyone recount their wins can make you feel inadequate.
To put it plainly, it sucks. I had to remind myself that I am not alone in this. A glimpse behind the highlights would surely reveal heartbreak, health struggles, unfulfilled potential, missed deadlines, sleeping through alarms, cursing the flu, and whatever else life throws at you.
be your own boss
Ultimately, you don’t have to be a slave to the calendar (outside of your usual commitments, that is).
You don’t have to wait for an arbitrary starting point to make changes. Similarly, you don’t have to become a whole different person on the 1st of January.
Life happens. Don’t miss out.