Oh, January is one of the most enigmatic. The month of fresh starts, new beginnings, and resolutions that are frequently broken before the week is over. It is also a time of endings, a time of letting go, just like with all beginnings.
This dichotomy, this paradox, lies at the heart of the question: is it really the Monday of the year, as some would have us believe?
It might appear that way on the surface. It’s the first month of the year after all, and just as Monday signals the beginning of the workweek, January signals the beginning of a new calendar year.
However, to compare the two is to fundamentally misinterpret the nature of both January and Monday.
Monday is frequently equated with dread and an impending sense of doom. It’s time to resume work now that the weekend is over.
But, January is unique. It’s a period of opportunity and hope. An opportunity to bid farewell to the previous year and welcome the new. This is a time for introspection and making plans for the future.
On the one hand, some people experience the same anxiety and dread at the beginning of each New Year as they do on Monday. It can be depressing and overwhelming to consider having to deal with yet another year of work, responsibilities, and labor.
With all of its indulgences and excesses, the holiday season only serves to highlight the slog that lies ahead.
On the other hand, January is a month of possibility and hope for some people. The start of a new year offers a clean slate and a blank canvas on which to paint a new future and a new life.
It is a season of rebirth, evaluation, and reflection. The end of the previous year is not a time for lamentation, but rather for celebration, thanksgiving for all that has passed, and eager anticipation for all that is yet to come.
We shouldn’t also ignore the other side of the coin. Monday can be a day for a fresh start. The beginning of a new workweek. The same applies to January. A new year is a new beginning, a great opportunity to make fresh starts in terms of resolutions, challenges, and memories.
Although, people are blind to the reality of this side of the coin.
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In other words, January is not the Monday of the year. Much more than that is involved. It’s a time of optimism, rebirth, and fresh starts. It is the time to embrace the future and let the past go. And that, my friends, is something you should anticipate rather than dread.
Perhaps our perception of the month rather than the month itself holds the key to whether or not January truly is the Monday of the year. Just like every other month, January serves as a timekeeper and a barometer of the seasons; ebb and flow. We individually give it significance and meaning by bestowing meaning upon it.
At the end of the day, each of us must decide for ourselves whether January is the Monday of the year. It comes down to perspective, attitude, and mindset. It is a function of how we decide to live our lives and how we decide to approach the New Year.
“He who does not know one thing, knows another”, says a Yoruba proverb. So, in the grand scheme of things, January, like all months, is but a passing moment. It is up to us to make the most of it, take advantage of the opportunities it offers, and create meaning from it.
And let’s not forget that January is also the month of “New Year, New Me” memes when people make bold declarations and impossible goals only to realize that by February, they will be returning to their old habits. However, for a brief period, you’ll believe you can take on the world, and that’s worth something, yes?
So let’s make the most of the fresh start in January by embracing all of its potential and opportunities. And let’s forget about Monday and its unfavorable associations. After all, it’s just a day of the week.
About the Writer
Greatmichael Kayode is an ardent lover of God. He’s a graduate of the Department of Chemistry, University of Lagos, a Copywriter, Class-cum-virtual (Content Writing/Marketing) coach, and Editor/Proofreader.
He currently works as a freelance writer for different companies. He’s also a very reserved gentleman, jovial, and very friendly, loves to read books and write poems in his leisure.
