Beginning at the End

New year, new me” is a common refrain on January 1.
For many, the start of a new year presents the
opportunity for a restart. You know what that means:
dreaded new year’s resolutions. Some promise to
start healthy habits like eating right and exercising.
Others open new bank accounts or resolve to save
more money. The boldest decision-makers might
embark on life-changing journeys: a move to a new
city, a decision to have a baby, or opening a new
business. But just because it’s the start of a new year
doesn’t mean everybody wants a new beginning. In
fact, some people want just the opposite.

Zack, Zoe, and Zeke might remind you that January 1 is
Z Day, a day to ditch beginnings altogether and start at
the end. So many things in life are organized according
to the alphabet, leaving those with Z names waiting until
the end for their opportunity to shine. Sure, today is a
day to give Zane and Zelda a little extra attention, but it
is also a day to reverse your order of thinking. Instead of
prioritizing the usual resolutions, give some attention to
the items at the bottom of the list, the stuff that so often
gets ignored, like trying a new hobby, donating your wedding dress to Goodwill, or even cleaning the garage.

If you find resolutions to be a chore, have no fear:
January 17 is Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day.
After keeping up the charade for a couple of weeks,
exercising when you don’t want to, and eating healthful
but unappetizing foods, this is a day to be honest with
yourself if you’ve set unrealistic or unattainable goals.
Skip the workout, grab a bowl of ice cream, and retool
your resolutions to make them more manageable and
enjoyable! Remember, January wasn’t always a month
for reinvention and rebirth. January and February were
the last months to be added to the calendar, falling after
December. For centuries, March was used as the time
of annual renewal. It wasn’t until 153 BC that the Romans
decreed January 1 the new New Year, and some
countries still didn’t adopt the date until the 18th century