Jan 1: Not Just Another Day

(Published in Banking Services Chronicle January 2004)

Happy New Year 2004! Yes, the greeting has already started because the January issues of magazines hit the bookstalls in December. That has been the convention. Perhaps the logic is: “Better early than late.” And these sporadic greetings would soon become a shower during the Dec 25-Jan 1 period.

What is so important about a new year? The pessimists say: Nothing. It is just another day. The same sun rises on Jan 1 as did on Dec 31. The new-age devices have only served in adding to the inconvenience. Earlier, you were at least spared if you did not attend the rejoicings. But today your vibration-mode mobile agitates you every now and then with those idiotic, similarly-worded SMS messages.

Those with a light heart say: C’mon yaar! Don’t be a prude. It’s an occasion to celebrate and freak out. Eat, drink and be merry. It’s party time. You have worked round the year and now it’s time to unwind. Become a part of the rollicking young groups on the bare-it-all beaches of Goa. Or, if you can afford it, ring the new year in lavishly in an upmarket Paris pub. Or, simply have an ice-cream at India Gate. Believe me, it’s a great feeling.

There are a few, however, who are destined to make a mark in life. Though partying is no more a taboo even for these serious-minded, the significance of the New Year is far greater for them. It is an occasion to survey the past year, learn where things went wrong, assess what the New Year will be like, and plan the year accordingly.

Often, people abuse the past. Their approach towards it goes to two extremes. One set consists of persons who wallow in the nostalgic past. Numerous stories can be heard reminiscing those “good ol’days”. The past was a perfect world, free of corruption, free of tension, full of happiness. In India, the British Raj is often fondly remembered for being filth-free. Or, you can hear parents saying: “Things were not so bad when we were young.”

The other set consists of persons who are dismissive of the past. They think it can be discarded like worn-out clothes. Since what has been done cannot be undone, it makes no sense to talk about it anymore. Such persons want the past files to be deleted even from the Recycle Bin. Unfortunately, a Recycle Bin laden with error does not have files deleted; it only gives birth to Osama Bin Laden.

The wise neither escape from the past nor indulge in it. They accept it as a reality and learn from the mistakes even though the future budgeting may be zero-based. If you don’t perform the last rites of the dead properly, they are believed to haunt you as ghosts. You cannot confront the past. But you cannot turn a blind eye to it either. Nor can you turn your home into a museum.

A balanced approach needs to be taken. There should be an unbiased review of the past year(s). At the same time, it should not be forgotten that circumstances in the new year will no more be the same. The digitalisation of the society brings forth new challenges. The world is shrinking. From laptop to palmtop. And, who knows, may be fingertop.

And yet, the more things change, the more they remain the same. For example, New Year promises. Press F1 and the promise will be kept. No, that’s not possible. Your computer can give you reminders and smoothen the execution of your plan. But ultimately things still depend, as they did earlier, on your will to do.

The will to do comes from a sense of purpose. You can get excellent data—accurate and exhaustive—in the digital age. They will even be skilfully processed into information. But it is you who have to decide how to use this information. Plan properly and act upon it. Believe me, you will be much happier on Dec 31, 2004.