For me, February 1 signals the new year.
That's when everything settles back down after the Christmas break and I'm well and truly back in harness, work-wise.
It's also the perfect time to take a break from the rich meals and vast quantities of alcohol that seem to be a feature of the summer holidays, and long before FebFast became an official fundraiser we've been abstaining through the month of February.
I've also instituted No-vember in our household, as a way of girding our loins before the endless functions that mark December.
I find it easier to abstain than to moderate, so I'm enjoying living a life of sober fun, as the saying goes in the ads for the Capri Clinic.
And for those who say life's too short and we could all die tomorrow, I take comfort from the fact that I'm not going to die wondering what it's like to taste champagne.
In fact, I feel so good right now I might do this month on, month off - but I haven't yet run that past the Irishman.