Why do we celebrate New Year? 

This is not my normal type of article. Bear with me.

We are two weeks into January, so not exactly ahead of the curve here, but New Year has always been a bit confusing for me. I got it in my teens and twenties - it was a great excuse for a boozy, a searing headache and only getting better with a massive roast dinner the next day. But why the first of January? The universe doesn't care that we have chosen this way of charting the year. Why set so much store by that particular day being the ‘first’ of each year? 

I now see the concept of a new start and the rhythm it gives the year,  giving communities a chance to come together and begin again. We are social animals and the only way we manage to function in such big groups is our ability to buy into common narratives, functioning as if it is absolute truth. In the absence of physical connections ‘in real life’ these interactions have moved temporarily on line - and probably not for the last time.

So, ‘New Year' is a big deal. It’s a new start, a chance to begin over, the start of a new cycle and a bloody good piss-up. Because we say so. COVID-19 has no idea it’s supposed to clear off now because it's no longer 2020 - it's an arbitrary milestone with no basis in anything outside our minds. Except what is in our minds is real - to us.

We exist in the physical world, but because we are human - we are just as present in our imaginary internal world and indeed in our constructed digital worlds. The richness and variety of all these is what has led us to be such innovative and driven beings - with all the brilliance that entails.

It is important to remember just how ‘real’ these three worlds are. The messages we send need to be purposeful, and well meaning. Sometimes the mark is missed, and this needs recognising, but we are just learning how to use new media with skill and responsibility - users with malintent are always the first to exploit new environments. The rest of us need to be protected not only by our varied legislations around the world but also by our group understanding of what is going on and recognising hate for what it is, bullying for what it is, deception for what it is and not being lightning quick to judge those who miss the mark in error. 

We need a chance to begin again - and we need to bear responsibility for our actions. We are more reliant than ever on technology to keep us together - digitally if not physically - and to keep our society functioning. I have lost count of the number of times the comment has been made - what would we have done in the past, before the internet? Well - more of us would have died, we’d have behaved very differently and the economy would have suffered more than it has. 

The benefits of our digital world far outweigh any negatives. We all bear a responsibility to act in the best interests of each other - we will differ on what that means but I’m happy with that. I learned a long time ago that others would disagree with me and that was ok.

So - be kind. Be present. Check in with each other. Use all three worlds to the best of your ability.

Most of all - there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel and we are powering towards it. There is a lot to be done, and a hard road ahead. But humans are great at this sort of thing. I’m sharing my journey with fantastic people and you are too - even if it’s not always apparent.

If your business is struggling to be present in all three realities - come and speak to me. Quickly. I can help.