The New Years Resolution is a dangerous and cheating monster of our lives. It’s time we stop letting it control how we set new life goals.

Every year, as an old year comes to a close and a new year begins to creep up, many of us wonder how we can become "better" versions of ourselves for the next year. Many of us use the new year as a clean slate, a new beginning. Many of us also use it as a crutch, stating that the new year is what is going to make us better, not our actual actions. We say, “I’m going to pray more”, “I’m going to lose 20 pounds”, “I’m going to be nicer to a new person every day”; and the list goes on. All great ideas, but terrible timing.

You see, we set this big resolution for the new year, and we’re all excited about becoming better. We picture a better year as the fireworks burst into the air at midnight. It’s all the feels rushing through and you can almost sense the old you slipping away. Your picture-perfect new self-forms as the new seconds of the year begin to run. Seconds turn into minutes, minutes turn to days, and days turn into a few weeks.

Then, you get busy in the morning and say you’ll pray tomorrow. And that birthday cake just calls your name and you have to answer. And you just really have a bad day and decide to not talk to anyone for the day. You break your resolution, one time, then another time, and next thing you know your resolution becomes a burden. And as the year crawls to a close again, you’re filled with grief or disappointment. That resolution monster has cheated on you, tricking you from thinking you were doing awesome and then slapping you in the face. Not very fun, but there is a solution.

Instead of letting the New Years Resolution monster mess with you, get rid of the resolution monster.

Don’t set a goal for midnight, don’t plan ahead for the year. Don’t wait around for that big day...start now. Start your new goals or your re-invention of yourself now. Why waste another day being someone you’re not, or holding back on something you wish to do more, or not saying what you want to say more often, or not trying to start your success now?

There is no reason why you can’t start your resolution right now. Nothing will be different from today to that New Year’s Day. Maybe you’ll be in a better mood or have more motivation. But what if you got a head start, like almost cheating the system to where you can already be a better version of yourself before everyone else? Take today as your day to become a better you. Forget the hype of New Year’s Day resolutions, make the hype of a better you: a reality today, right now.