Meet the new year – will it be the same as the old year? 

Back in 1971, The Who had a hit song called, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. If that sounds familiar it’s because the song was used as the theme song for “CSI”, the original Crime Scene Investigation show on TV.

But there is a line in the song that came to my mind when I was thinking about the new year. The line is “meet the new boss, same as the old boss”. I thought to myself, “Here we are at the beginning of a new year, same as the old year.” 

Or will it be the same as the old year? 

That is certainly up for debate at this point since we are only a couple of days into the year. But there are signs that could give some credence to that line.

We are starting 2022 much like we started 2021. We have high numbers of covid and a push to get everyone to get a shot or booster. People are still encouraged to isolate, keep distanced, wear a mask. These measures all have a great impact on how we work, how we socialize, how we spend our free time. 

As we begin this year, we could wonder if we will be in the same place at the end. Or will there be some differences? 

There are some things that point to a different year ahead. The major virus threat right now, Omicron, is a much weaker variety than the previous versions. Maybe these variants will just get weaker and weaker. 

Whether this year will be the same as last year seems right now to be dependent on covid. Getting back to The Who’s song, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, those lyrics might be something we should consider. 

At the beginning of a new year, will we fall into the same patterns, same responses we did in the past year, or will we choose to do some things differently to forge a new path ahead?

We all know the definition of insanity is “doing the same things over and over, but expecting a different result.”

To start a new year that won’t be the same as the old year, I need to determine to do something differently. And that requires some thought, planning and purpose. 

This year will be much like last year if we don’t put some thought into what might make this year different. If we don’t, we will generally just follow the pattern we had from the year before. … Sing it with me “Same as the old year”.

What I will do during the first week of 2022 is take a review of my last year, note what I did and didn’t do, and then plan to do some new things or further some things from the year before. I won’t choose too many because I have found that when I do that I get bogged down and don’t accomplish them.

This year will be different because I have a plan.

Here’s the thing: When I plan for the year ahead, I seek what God has planned for me. God’s plans never fail, so if I want to be sure I accomplish something different in 2022, I will need to consult with Him. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: I’ve use a specific guide to aid me in my planning process. If you are interested in a copy of it, let me know in the comments below.

Subscribe to my blog and receive posts like this emailed to you twice weekly.