Two days before this year is over I find great comfort in the idea that I get to try again, do it better, do it differently, try something else - a bit like the movie Groundhog Day. Next year is another chance, a chance for a do-over, a chance to redefine myself, a chance to try something else, a chance to catch my breath and start anew.

The beauty of a circular understanding of time - according to indefinitely returning seasons, years, or cycles - is that we always get another chance. Our humanly understanding of time has changed as our consciousness has evolved. We now combine a circular and a linear way of seeing time. All natural processes are circular, while our modern industrial processes are linear - they cannot be indefinitely repeated the way the seasons return over and over, or the way the moon phases repeat themselves endlessly. Our concept of time has evolved accordingly. We see history as a linear process that begins with the Big Bang and goes endlessly into the future, or our life that begins with birth and ends with death. At the same time we experience our life as a succession of Christmases, or summers, or school years, or birthdays - markers that repeat themselves, at least until this life is over. That is comforting.

What are your dreams for the New Year? Your hopes? Your ambitions? Are you planning any do-overs? Something completely different? It's never too late!