February is the New January by Celeste Palermo

If “50 is the new 30,” and “Orange Is the New Black,” then “February is the new January.” After nine months of Groundhog’s Day, the fresh start 2021 promised smells like we forgot about January in the washing machine.

Notwithstanding a few bright spots, it was largely 31 more sourish days of 2020. January, with its short, dark countenance and cold temps, didn’t exactly feel like the red carpet welcome to new beginnings. Since, statistically, most of us have already crashed and cratered on our resolutions, I vote for a mulligan month.

Taking liberties, I’ll speak for the collective on a few guidelines.  And by “guidelines,” I mean a mom telling her teen to be home by midnight. February, you need to deliver. We’ll start with Captain Obvious:

• Since this is American Heart Month, we need fewer shattered hearts, fewer heavy hearts, and no hard hearts. More love, less heartbreak for everyone.
• The national chicken wing shortage is no joke. Celery and ranch alone do not exactly define comfort food in the most stressful time in about a century. This needs immediate attention.
• We’ll take more Bernie Sanders mitten moments.
• What’s up with World Nutella Day? Is it free? Or calorie-free?
• While we are talking food, if you cannot fix the supply chain for Grape-Nuts, substitute Lucky Charms; we need more of these right now!
• Who knew that “Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket” month was a thing?  I certainly didn’t; yet, given the shopping-cart realities of COVID, we’ll take a promo code to Instacart instead.
• “Yardi Gras” in lieu of crowded parades is creative, but were there enough beads to go around? It is cold in Colorado in February, so I didn’t decorate my yard (unless lingering holiday lights work). We stuck with King Cake and  doubled up our “masks.”
• Bake for Family Fun month seems like last year’s banana bread, but if you couple this with National Do the Dishes in March month, we will tolerate it. Barely.
• The federal holiday for Presidents Day was noted, but since this is not Leap Year, it feels net neutral.

Twenty-eight days already seems unrealistic for all you need to accomplish, so don’t pull any funny stuff. We’re looking for more vaccines, more laughter, more GameStop stock (when it was skyrocketing), more healing and more hope.

February, this is a tall order, but we’d love to begin 2021 afresh with you. January is so yesterday; so, we will celebrate the Lunar New Year and are starting over.

Don’t let us down.

– CELESTE PALERMO

Celeste Palermo is Senior Director, Human Resources at Newmont Corporation and author of two books. You can visit her at www.celestepalermo.com