It’s really been a long time coming into 2016. Today, March 1, is actually Day-61 of the 366 days of 2016 – a leap year. And if we go by the truth that many things can be done in one single day, then we ought to have gotten too many things done already. However, given the seeming hard times that appear to be bedeviling the first quarter of 2016, especially Nigeria’s economic woes, many a Nigerian appears to be doing 220 in reverse gear. Too bad.

I particularly remember the pomp and pageantry with which we welcomed 2016, and the unspeakable optimism with which we embraced it. Side by side the welcome of 2016, we bade 2015 goodbye forever, with some even tagging it their worst year yet. Usually, the divide between the ‘passing’ year and the ‘coming’ one is never a celebration of the former. As typical of human nature, the old becomes undesirable, and even cursed. Of course, the comic thing about this arrangement is that at the breaking of 2017, our darling 2016 becomes the old, and possibly the cursed.

Be the above as it may, we must MARCH on! Yes, this new month is very true to its name: MARCH. We must not peter out. 2016 is only 61 days down and has got 305 days coming, a number of days many enough to make this year our best year yet. However, we must be particular about realizing the following:

Life goes on

No matter what, life just rolls on; 1960, 1993, 2013 or 2017 has little or nothing to do about this. Bad comes to worse, gently remind yourself that the situation, the difficulty or the frustration has nothing to do with 2016 but has got everything to do with the nature and dynamics of life itself. And just as they showed up in time, they’d also roll out at a time. That’s just the way it is.

Count your blessings

The bigger problem is that of ingratitude. We’ve always proven to be better ingrates than ‘gratefuls’. In this regard, it may not have been a bad year after all, as many have chosen to claim; they are possibly being more ungrateful thank thankful. And one may not see a reason to be grateful until one gets to actually get down to counting one’s blessings – naming them one by one. To meaningfully march on, March 1 is a good day to count the blessings of 2016. Ask yourself what is it that you wanted that you’ve already gotten. Mind you, don’t dismiss any as small or insignificant; every little counts. I can assure you that a grateful heart does better – naturally!

Revisit those resolutions and promises of January 1

January 1 is notoriously reputed as being a day of resolutions: New Year resolutions. Everyone gets to resolve to start doing something new or stop doing something old. Funnily enough, we go back on those resolutions as soon as we made them, and are sad that we couldn’t hold the forth. The usual response is to stop trying, to give up. However, I like to announce to you that what is responsible for that situation is the problem of habit and change. Truth be told, a habit that took years to form shouldn’t disappear by a ‘mere’ resolution to stop. No, change is hard! And the best we can do is rise up after every fall, and keep at it until the desired habit overrides the unpleasant one. So, March 1 is a good day to revisit those resolutions and promises made on January 1.

It’s all about you

For most Nigerians, it is President Buhari to blame. Funnily enough, even the gods are not to blame. It’s just all about you! When the going gets tough the tough gets going, we often say; why not get tough? The best captains are made in the roughest of waters, we also say. In business history, many new millionaires and billionaires emerge in the worst of economies. Could that be you?

Forward March!

When this command is given in a military or paramilitary parade, the only valid thing to do is move forward – and never backward. Such is the command we get from this month of March: Forward ever, backward never. Let go of the messes of January and February, and focus on the possibilities of March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December; 10 whole months to look up to.

God bless your MARCH.