Sleep-deprived Sophie, who stayed up late on December 31 to ring in 2016 with her friend, crankily proclaimed on New Year’s Day that “Today is just another day.”
She’s not wrong. January 1 doesn’t really have anything going for it, other than its pole position as the first day of the Gregorian calendar year.
Which got me thinking. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wake up every January 1 and realize that a single aspect of your life had magically changed for the better? Screw new year’s resolutions. They require thought, intent and effort. Why isn’t there the equivalent of a fairy godmother for New Year’s Day?
I started to daydream about what my one thing could be. Nothing to do with world peace, the end of poverty or a return to reasonable politics. Too macro. Too impossible. This was meant to be a personal fantasy about passive self-improvement and fulfillment.
The number of items on my quickly growing list would have easily surpassed the average number of additional years I can expect to live (38.4 according to the Social Security Administration) had I not interrupted my reverie to take Chloe to the movies.
In no particular order of priority, here’s a sampling of what I’d like to discover when I wake up on future New Year’s Days.
- No more cranky kids or husband or me. Ever.
- A complete manuscript of my miraculously finished novel.
- An offer from a publisher for my miraculously finished novel.
- A sudden talent for cooking.
- A surprise inheritance that would allow us to buy a modest pied-à-terre in France.
- A clutter-free house.
- A psyche free of impostor syndrome.
- Seasonal affective disorder, good riddance.
- A newfound ability to organize my time and be consistently productive.
- A modified metabolism that thrives on a weight-loss regimen consisting exclusively of dark chocolate.
- A surprise vacation planned entirely by my husband.
- The discipline to refrain from worrying except when a situation legitimately warrants worrying.
- The discovery of a reservoir of patience deep enough to last until the end of my days.
- Well-toned upper arms, à la Michelle Obama.
- Two daughters who proactively clean up after themselves.
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What changes would you want to magically wake up to on New Year’s Day?
Loved your Fairy Godmother wish list! I thought of it the minute I lifted the lid on my overloaded laundry hamper. Do you think you could send yours to my house to work on my pile? Here’s to waking up our New Year with joy. 🙂
Ooh, laundry. Another bane of my existence. Do I dare admit that after I quit my full-time job a few years ago, I actually watched a video so I could learn how to properly fold a fitted sheet? I kid you not. Happy new year, Kate!