When I was much younger, I thought the spaces between months on a calendar were days or nights that are not counted. I could not comprehend the concept of the next day being the next month.

So when I write a date in my notebook, I do this 00/00/0000; because it meant nothing to me. I didn’t understand why people did any work or serious stuff. To me, it was supposed to be a rest period. If it weren’t, they would have put the months closely together on the calendar, don’t you think?

But it seemed I was the only one who shared this thought. Everyone else just woke up and said happy new month! Or happy new year! And I’m like that was just yesterday. It’s impossible. I do not clearly remember how I accepted it, but now I can point out why I thought that way.

My mum is a very hardworking woman. The concept of rest is weird to her, especially when there is work to be done. She always said, “when you finish this, you can rest” which made me assume that when this month is over, we can rest before we start another.

Now, more than a decade later, you and I have realized that it is never over, there is no finishing and the only time you can truly rest is when you leave this earth. That’s why we are so fascinated by novelty.

Everyone likes new things, a new house, a car, clothes, a phone, or a new year. You get so excited to try it out, but after a few trials, it’s no longer new. You get some other new thing and the cycle keeps repeating itself.

But here’s the thing about the new year: you don’t get a new one after a few days, you’ll have to wait 365 days to do that. So, what happens when the year is old?

I am not disregarding the concept of counting; it is very important, but the only thing that makes today different from yesterday is the date.

Technically, it’s not a new year, it’s a new day. If it was, you will have the 365 days at once, and you could decide today is June 19th. Why? Because you have the entire year and control.

But you don’t. What you have is now. Your vision, dreams, goals, or every other thing you hope to achieve all comes down to this moment. It doesn’t matter if it’s the start of a new year or the end of one. What matters is the little action steps you take at each moment.

I am not saying don’t set new goals for the new year, please do. I absolutely believe you will smash it. But don’t abandon the unfinished ones or give up on your new ones when it’s tough.

Every day is a new opportunity, I really hope you make the best decisions in this chapter.