The year really begins on February 1

The Chinese have the right idea. The year, any year, doesn’t really start until February, so why not hold off celebrations until then?

Think about it – January has passed in a daze, with most of us not back at work until at least a week or two in. After work, there’s enough daylight to walk, swim, lie on a beach, catch up with friends – and all the other things we do to pretend we’re still on holidays. Kids are underfoot, the TV is terrible so we’ll do anything to avoid it… life’s good.

Come February 1 though, it’s time to get serious. The Christmas credit card bills have arrived. The kids are back at school. The barbie has gone cold after its last big workout on Australia Day.

And the routine begins.

This week is a week of firsts in the Fibro household. Mr 3 starts pre-school (sob and cheer all at the same time), swimming lessons begin again, I’ve got the first choir night of the year (more about that later in the week), and Mr 6 and I are off to our first guitar lesson (MUCH more about that post-lesson).

In the scheme of things, ours is not a particularly hectic schedule, but the start of all these activities heralds the fact that the year has started in earnest. No more pussy footing around, writing 09 on your cheques, people. It’s time to get serious.

Which is why The Builder and I have decided to take on FebFast. It took a bit of discussion. We’re not huge, regular drinkers, but we enjoy our weekend beverages and we’ve been known to ‘tie one on’* on occasion. You’d think it wouldn’t be that difficult to decide to do without it for 28 days. And yet, somehow, it was.

Dependent? Us? Surely not. We just like a glass of wine. Sir.

But the decision has been made, the fridge emptied of cold beer and the journey has begun. We haven’t signed up on any official basis – that feels like a big commitment. An outward sign of a personal decision. Like growing a Mo for Movember…only without the facial hair. But we are in for the long haul – or 28 days at least.

Like any journey, the first few days will be fine, any discomfort buried in the excitement of the new – plus we don’t tend to drink early in the week anyway, so who’s going to miss it?

By Friday, the story may be very different. I read on the Febfast website that you can buy ‘leave passes’ for $25 – guilt-free tickets to enjoy ‘special occasions’. I wonder if there’s a limit on how many of those you can have… and whether Mummy Wine Time constitutes a special occasion.

*I acknowledge that this is irresponsible and not very grown up, but it happens…