EDITION 26/01: Cigars against the January blues – smoke instead of a „new me“

January.

The month when suddenly everyone acts as if they emerged from a glass capsule of motivation last night as a better version of themselves. Phrases like „2026 will be MY year“ are in the air everywhere—right next to the smell of celery juice and self-deception.

The world is cold, the days are short, and your timeline consists of people voluntarily chewing oatmeal as if it were a test of character. Add to that the gym selfies: sweaty faces that look like they've just signed a contract with suffering.

And you?

You're sitting there. With a cigar.

With a cigar, man!

Not as an excuse. As a statement.

While others say „detox“ and look as serious as if they were about to climb Mount Everest (spoiler: they're just climbing the stairs to work), you're doing something that's truly consistent: you're lighting up your dignity. Slowly. Calmly. With that look that says, „I know what I'm doing. And I'm not going to munch on carrot sticks while I do it.“

The insidious thing about January is that: He's a bluff.

He comes in like a motivational coach, claps his hands and shouts: „NOW EVERYTHING WILL BE DIFFERENT!“ And after three weeks, he sits in a corner with a blank stare, wrapped in a blanket, whispering: „I can't do this anymore.“

You, on the other hand, remain stable. Because you know your New Year's resolutions: less stress, more enjoyment, and basically no decisions that sound like „challenges.“.

Because let's be honest: „30 days without sugar“ – who comes up with something like that? It's not a challenge, it's a punishment with marketing ulterior motives (because on the 31st day, you start eating sugar again).

And then there are those conversations in January. Those dreadful, unavoidable conversations.

„So, what are your goals for this year?“

Goals. As if life were a quarterly report.

You glance briefly at your cigar, take a slow drag, and say to yourself: My goal is not to rush this cigar. And perhaps also: Not freaking out when someone says ‚clean eating‘ again while holding a rice cake like it's some kind of moral badge.

Cigars are no substitute for therapy. But they do replace the exact kind of stress that comes from too many resolutions. From too much optimization. From this compulsion to become „better“ every day, as if you were a smartphone in desperate need of an update.

You are human. And in January, a human being is allowed to just... be.

You don't have to „get better.“ You don't have to „get up earlier.“ You don't have to „change your mindset.“ At most, you have to refill your lighter. Well, although: a good mindset helps against the many idiots out there.

And in the end, something magical happens: while others try to reinvent themselves in January, you don't invent anything. You stay. You breathe. You look out into the cold and pretend to be a philosopher—even if you're just thinking about whether you want another piece of chocolate later.

And it looks damn confident.

You don't have a vision board. You have a cigar.

A cigar, man!

You don't struggle with self-optimization, but with aromatic serenity. You don't let yourself be pressured. You don't let yourself be rushed.

You calmly smoke your way back.

What's happening for you in January? Write it in the comments section below.

Picture credits

• Cover: ChatGPT: „Draw an abstract picture representing January. Without text.“