The Gift that is January

It seems fitting that each year concludes with reveling. With time off from work and routine to celebrate family and blessings - and the One we have to thank for both.  

With Christmas, New Year's Eve, and both my children's birthdays in a two week period of time, I did plenty of celebrating. I also did quite a bit of indulging in the process.

I was staying up later than usual, followed by sleeping in later than usual. I kept the downstairs clean but let my office and bedroom get cluttered. My girlfriend Kati brought me a tin of cookies, and I ate as many as I wanted. Plus Chex Mix.

I did a pretty good job of exercising up until Christmas, but after that notsomuch - unless you count shopping as exercise, or playing drums with the band on New Year's Eve.

Letting things slide while I indulge a little is fun. It feels good, decadent and worth it. And I think at the time I could sooo live this way every day -  I'd never tire of it!

But then I do. And I begin craving structure, order, growth and discipline.

I start wanting the feeling of accomplishment more than the feeling of indulgence.



So it seems fitting that the end of the year with all it's revelry is followed by New Year's with all it's emphasis on renewal and self-improvement.

And that is the great gift of the cold, quiet month of January.

It's a time for reordering. For reestablishing. For recommitting. In the slow pace of winter.

"Indolence is a delightful but distressing state: we must be doing something to be happy."

~ William Hazlitt

There is purpose in the rhythms and seasons of life. There is a need to break routine and to reestablish it throughout the year. I very much go with the flow that way. How about you, are you ready for the purposeful push of January or are you still hanging on to the indulgent mindset of December?