Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin
Most of us have been brought up with the same ideas on the meaning and
relevance of the New Year. The celebration crescendos in the last waning
seconds of the previous year when Dick Clark, and now Ryan Seacrest, start
the countdown in Times Square. The ball drops—10, 9, 8, 7, 6 ,5—a
cacophony of fireworks spray across the midnight sky and we all, everyone
of us, dust off a cliché phrase, “Out with the old, in with
the new.” A list of resolutions is jotted down on the nearest bar
napkin, typifying a hope of a new year that will right wrongs of the past
and bequeath physical and mental happiness. Sound about right?
I now try to approach the New Year like it is one of my regular patients
coming in for a recheck. As I walk into the exam room, my first line is
usually, “Hey, Mr. or Mrs. Smith. I haven’t seen you in a
few months. Is that (shoulder, knee, hip, etc.) worse, better, or the
same?” I find this one little statement, not found in any of the
bullet points of proper electronic medical charting, allows the patient
to hearken back to the time when we first started treatment for his or
her orthopedic issue and honestly assess if they are status quo, making
headway or worsening. Quite a few times the patients don’t know
and have to really give it some thought. Given the right prompt, they
often come to the conclusion that their knee has subtly improved because
they realize they now go on walks with their spouse more often. Or on
the flip side, the patient may believe their shoulder is worse, but by
reflecting, they realize they are more active than they were in the past,
thus creating more opportunity for their shoulder to become irritated.
By comparing their current status to the old, they create for themselves,
and me, a better way of comparing their progress and a clearer path forward
towards recovery.
Each new year presents the same opportunity for analyzing our past and
applying it to our choices for the future. Like many people, I make the
same resolutions every year. I wouldn’t mind finding the time to
hit a tennis ball for physical health and wet a hook every once in a while
for mental health. My family is important, and I need to make time for
each of my boys and my beautiful wife. So how did I do this year? Based
on where I was last year, I think I’ve done better. I still don’t
get out to fish much, but I do get out once or twice a week to burn some
calories and lower my blood pressure. If I’m not staring inside
the hood of my oldest son’s Jeep CJ-7, I am getting schooled in
basketball by my middle two, or having a Star Wars, action-figure battle
with my youngest (I’m always Han Solo). My wife and I are two passing
ships in the night in our attempt to keep up with the boys’ activities,
but we are working on making time to be together more often.
I think that before proceeding headlong into 2018, everyone should assess
the previous year. If you had a resolution to lose 15 pounds by getting
in shape, but you don’t have time for the gym, then don’t
make that the same resolution. Instead, approach the same problem from
a different angle. Maybe take a cooking class to help you eat better.
Or even take the dog for a walk right when you get home, so that you avoid
crashing on the couch. Look at last year’s resolutions, identify
your successes and failures, and then create a new list of resolutions.
It’s critical to be honest with ourselves in this process, so that
we can truly apply our efforts to becoming who we want to be. It’s
easy to lose sight of our dreams and goals when we are bogged down by
the routine and annoyances of daily life. Keeping our attention focused
on the bigger picture and having a hallmark to measure our progress by
in each new year helps us revitalize our energy to do and be the best
versions of ourselves.
They say the days drag on but the years fly by. Anyone approaching middle
age (like myself) knows this to be a fact. As I watch my boys grow too
quickly, and I mark milestones in my personal life, I know that I must
make the most of the time ahead without fretting about what I should have
already accomplished. Do the best you can. Be realistic. And when the
ball drops next year, hopefully, you’ll be able to say you’ve
done better.