Where we left off

Why shutting the door on last year is a mistake.

Photo by Roan Lavery

When the clock strikes 12 on the last day of the year, there's an understandable desire to cross the threshold and not look back.

This is a mistake.

I get the impulse—a fresh start can feel like forward progress no matter what preceded it. And maybe the holidays were a tough stretch for you. Maybe the whole year was a stinker.

If that’s the case, I don’t begrudge you for closing the door enough that the biggest bastards don’t follow you through, but even the years that take the most leave you with something to carry forward.

Despite what expense sheets and Q4 targets will have you believe, not everything fits tidily into one year. Just because the hourglass has flipped back over doesn’t mean you have to put your pencils down or that all the hours you put in along the way were wasted. In fact, all those conversations and kindnesses and times you went out of your way last year are still waiting for you at the right place when you find the right time.

So don’t start over just because you didn’t get everything on your list done. Don’t head out in an entirely new direction. Come out from wherever you took cover in December and keep going.

You’re still on the right track, and you’re a lot closer than you think. Here’s to finding a few more pieces to the puzzle this time around.