Turning Over a New Calendar Page

There are so many wonderful ways to ring in the new year. Plenty of people pop the cork and steal a kiss and watch the ball drop on TV, and plenty more can’t talk about the arrival of January 1 without mentioning the “R” word. But perhaps nothing marks a new year so visibly—and beautifully—as a new calendar.

We here at Workman know from calendars. Whether it sits on a desk or hangs on a wall, offers up a joke or a puzzle or a breathtaking image, makes you think or smile or go “awww,” we’re passionate about it; with over a hundred calendars on our list, we kind of have to be. And since, around here, the new year means new calendars everywhere you look, I thought it’d be nice to see what everyone in the office has chosen to decorate their workspace for 2011.

Not surprisingly, the calendars with beautiful nature imagery seem to be a big hit: From HR to sales, customer service to publicity, editorial to reception, I saw the stunning Islands wall and gallery calendars everywhere I went. Also popular are the gorgeous Audubon Green World calendar, Algonquin’s homey Out on the Porch calendar, and the charming Secret Garden calendar. Plus, cute animals abound, particularly in the promotions department: One Melissa B. is so fond of cute ‘n’ cuddlies that her desk boasts 365 Puppies, 365 Kittens, Cute Overload, the Cat gallery, and the new Cats Daily Muse planner!

I found Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell’s Fantasy Calendar hanging in the mail room; someone in finance is a fan of The Collectible Teapot and Tea Calendar; and at least one member of the art department likes to be creative even as she’s scheduling, because she’s got a Doodle calendar hanging above her desk. As for me—well, I’ve made a (ahem) resolution to be more organized, so in addition to my 365 Amazing Trivia Facts Page-a-Day, I’ve got to have the Busy Office notepad (it doubles as a to-do list, and triples as a mousepad!!).

So what do our calendar choices say about us? I think it’s pretty simple: The calendars we choose are the ones that make us feel good. As much as we all love New York, it’s nice to see a picture of a tropical paradise or a flower-covered hillside during the cold and snowy months. And you’d have to be a real sourpuss to not swoon over these adorable baby animals. Our calendars are there to make us happy—and that, to me, is the perfect start to a new year.