Janus, the Greek God behind the name of January, has 2 heads. One head looking backward, and another towards the future. Probably, that was the reason for adapting January as the 1st month of the Julian Calendar Year. Many countries like India and China still maintain their own Lunar Calendars but January is the first month officially nevertheless. And this January, in particular, brings the start of a new Decade. I like to think that the new decade starts now. 2020 was a Trial or the Zeroth Year for calculations and shaking everyone by the throat just to wake them up.
We like to quantify our lives in decades mostly. And every time, the previous decade is always better in popular opinion. 70s music was good. The 80s had the craziest hairstyles. The 90s were the right balance of new and old. 2000s were good for the actual liberalization and middle-class India smelling the luxuries money can get. And 2010s was when everything went online and people stopped talking to each other in person but made friends in dozens on Facebook. You might have heard of the Roaring 1920s from the Great Gatsby. Now we are ushering our way into the new decade a hundred years after that with mixed feelings. 2021-2030 would be the decade of ____________________.
A cautious start is better than an overconfident drive and giving away the wicket cheaply. We need to find out footwork first, judge the conditions and then get into the groove. Once we do, we will see everything clearly and might go on till a Century. Although, I said a few days ago, that nothing really changes when a year changes but it is a reset of sorts. We can always choose a logical day to reset things and get back to basics. Or starting something new. Or just do something good. Taking a cue from the Greek deity Janus, we should remember the past, and get on with the new.
I watched this of New Year Celebrations in Wuhan. They seemed to have moved on pretty fine. We should move on too. But if you notice, they are still wearing masks. So should we.
As far as starting your New Year Resolutions are concerned, I would stay start from February 1. Gyms are back to normal attendance (of a handful of people) by then.
