We’ve learned a lot about time this year. Particularly, that it has very little concern for our whims or desires and refuses to give us any real indication of when things will improve or change. And while 2021 seems to be a particular marker of time that we’ve been waiting for with bated breath (or, perhaps, with queued-up memes), in reality it is just that...a marker. Something that is given meaning by it’s placement in the world.

To quote the 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant, “Space and time are the framework within which the mind is constrained to construct it’s concept of reality.” (Pause while you let that soak in.)

We’ve been using this theoretical tool of time as a measurement to dictate our lives, our productivity, and our sense of movement in the world as far back as 1500 BC. Fun fact as that may be, it feels far too long for us to still be placing blame on a singular year, regardless of how cathartic some of the 2020 bashing has been. All I’m saying is: What if the way to regain control in our lives is to stop allowing the concept of time to hold so much sway over us?

Perhaps the most important thing we should be taking away from this year is that time isn’t real beyond what we make of it, and therefore we should make the most of it. What better way to take back that control than to invest in some time keeping essentials? A beautiful watch or perfectly organized planner won’t solve all of 2021’s inherited problems - but neither will those memes - so here are some slightly more productive, albeit less amusing, solutions to start 2021 off right.