January 1st, 2021
I’ve always loved the fresh feeling of New Year’s Day. Dreaming that this time anything is possible. That this year can be the one where everything falls into place.
Of course, you can start a new habit or make some change to your life whenever you want to. Your start date for getting fit can be March 7th, and no one will stop you. But rituals, constraints, and structures are more important than we realise – it’s hard to achieve anything without them. When you make a change at the start of the new year you aren’t alone, because others are striving to achieve their goals at the same time, and that can make all the difference.
One way to reinforce this sense of mutual support is to join online groups with friends or strangers. A great thing about 2020 was how it revitalised these kinds of groups – revitalized the best parts of the Internet.
Last year many new people joined this online world. I’ve always loved forums, instant messaging, and gaming. Not everyone was so interested, but in 2020 it was different. The same sense of shared momentum and shared circumstances which drives New Year resolutions helped encourage everyone to give it a go. We were all in it together.
For the most part, it worked well. Video chat has come on a long way, and despite missing my family and friends terribly, I probably spent more time talking to many of them this year than I had in the last five. Old friendships resurfaced. I laughed a lot.
After the recovery, we may be able to have the best of both worlds. A return to normal life, but with strengthened virtual networks supporting us. Closer to far-off friends than ever before, and learning and working with people from all over the planet. I hope that’s what will happen.
Happy New Year!