I don't make New Year's resolutions.

I have made resolutions before, conducted methods of bettering myself as an individual and the life I lead, but I don't do it especially for the ringing in of the new year.

Why?

Because a new life does not begin because of a new year.

When that little clock strikes 12, that giant mechanical ball drops, the cork on the champagne bottle pops off, what's changed?

What's the difference between 11:59:59 December 31st, 2016 and 12:00:00 January 1st, 2017, other than the date?

In that split second, what's changed?

Let me ask, has some mysterious, metabolic activity been spontaneously activated in our bodies that suddenly renders us physically capable of taking on an extra 20 minutes a day at the gym?

Or how about a sprinkle of mystical dust rained down from the sky that releases the barriers around our minds and opens our perceptual views of the world.

Or maybe much like the Cowardly Lion, we've stumbled upon a little green man after skipping through a field of drug-referenced flowers and we're magically bestowed the gift of courage to stand up to the boss that's just been a little too obnoxious as of late.

Ah, that would be a big, fat no.

But Planet Fitness's offering a reduced yearly membership fee with a bonus towel if you call now.

And Weight Watcher's is throwing in an extra gobbledy-green mudslide of a smoothie to help you look like that B-list celebrity in the commercials with no recent accomplishments and a little too much botox.

And Forever 21 is having a huge blowout sale on all their exercise clothing and gear, and not just those yoga pants in the bottom of your aunt's shopping bag that make it more of a Forever 39 store.

And Dick's has all of that workout machinery that looks like something out of a Men in Black movie and should just be labeled "basement dust collector" with a limited, free 2-year warranty.

Hate to break it to you, but's it nothing got to do with aiding you in your resolutions.

Truth is, most business are fully aware and completely expect most of their customers to fall out on their resolutions within the first few weeks of the new year. They just know that for those first few weeks, your credit card is all theirs, hook, line and sinker.

So back to the original question; what's changed in the 1 second between 2016 and 2017? Why do we suddenly feel the need to change our lives?

Because in that one second before the new year, you're reflecting.

Your last year is flashing before your eyes and you're not all that impressed.

You haven't really done anything special.

Just suffered through another year of school, work or family life, just like much of the years that have already come and gone.

And so you see a whole new year ahead of you and suddenly you're scrambling to make this one different.

So that when the next sort of boring, snapchat story worthy New Year's Eve party rolls around, and you're standing there, some drunk guy on your left leaning in to sneak that iconic kiss and your friend on your right yelling that they're finally going to ask their crush out this year, you're not sitting there with that same, disappointed feeling of the lost 365 days.

Let me let you in on a little secret; a new year's resolution isn't going to rectify that.

When you need to change yourself, you'll do it on your own accord, if you're that determined to change, in the dead of winter or under the sweltering summer sun.

Making a last minute wish to change some aspect of your life on that dropping ball isn't going to come true, no matter how hard your fairy godmother shakes that wand.

When you do reach that moment of reflection, just remember this; you lived, you thrived and you survived 2016.

That's an accomplishment I think we can all raise our glasses to.

Cheers, mates.